Ahh, the joys of branding and rebranding. Chrysler is no stranger to this. Since its partnership with Fiat it has separated RAM from Dodge (go figure), introduced standalone Fiat stores, and launched a new plan for Street Racing Technology.
Chrysler has been pitching SRT as its own brand for the past year. That means separate marketing and the like – despite the fact there will still be SRT Dodges and Chryslers, sold under different brands. Makes perfect sense, right? OK, we’ll get off our soapbox now. We do think it is a great idea for Chrysler to conduct specific owner outreach programs to SRT buyers.
SRT buyers make up a unique demographic that is different from the standard iterations of their respective brands. So hey, maybe it will work out brilliantly. The 2013 Viper is one such vehicle under the new SRT umbrella. It isn’t a Dodge Viper anymore, but rather an SRT Viper. Via Autoblog, Ralph Gilles has said that change has led to a reworking of the company’s strategy in selling the vehicles. Instead of sticking the usual salespeople on the job for selling the expensive Viper, a training program will be instituted. A document will be going out to dealers interested in selling the car, he said.
“It’s going to be a qualified dealer situation… The ones who do the dealer training in terms of the tech. I want a tech. I want a display car. I want all these things. There’s going to be a list. It’s not going to be impossible, it’s just that someone has to put in the extra effort and say ‘I’m an SRT dealer” says Gilles.
It isn’t clear if this is limited to the Viper only. We assume so, as SRT models are already sold in Dodge dealers around the country. Gilles said reception to the new Viper is strong – there is one dealer that has 90 orders alone.
