Students and staff at Washington's South Puget Sound Community College are upset that Chrysler is telling the school to demolish a one of a kind 1992 $250,000 Dodge Viper in two weeks, and show documentation that it has been accomplished ABC News reported Thursday.
"We destroy cars all of the time, but that's usually because they have lost their educational value," Norman Chapman an automotive professor at South Puget Sound Community College told ABC News. "This here is kind of unique and the students are definitely up in arms about it. It has around 600 horse power and it will go 200 mph really easy. It's definitely a race car. There are no frills in it, but it's definitely a speed machine," Chapman told ABC News.
"...The contact that I talked to said it was for liability reasons. If they can pardon a turkey at Thanksgiving, they can pardon a Viper," Chapman told ABC News.
The extraordinary car has accumulated a lot of support from the college community.
"It's a much beloved car on campus," Kellie Purce Braseth dean of college relations at the institution of higher learning told ABC News.
The college's automotive students have used the car in their instruction, while professors have used it to market the school according to ABC News.
"Chrysler Group has no record of any legal proceedings involving Dodge Viper vehicles donated to educational institutions being involved in accidents and product liability lawsuits," Chrysler said in a statement ABC News reported.
"Chrysler Group fully understands and appreciates the historical significance of the Viper and is very active in preserving many of its legendary models and designs for historic purposes however, none of these vehicles fit into this category," Chrysler said in a statement ABC News reported.
Former late night talk show host, Jay Leno who is now on tour as a stand-up comedian reportedly attempted to purchase the vehicle from Chrysler, however it could not be driven on the street ABC News reported.
