In 1997, Chrysler designers imagined a smaller, lighter, more affordable version of the mighty Dodge Viper and called it the Copperhead.
Unveiled at the 1997 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Dodge Copperhead was conceived as a sort of Viper lite – a two-seat convertible roadster that offered the handling and open-air fun of Dodge’s brutish V10 sports car, but with a V6 engine and a more practical price in the $30,000 range. At the time, the Viper listed at $66,000.
The hand-built prototype was based on a highly modified Neon floorpan, converted from front-wheel to rear-wheel drive. Three inches narrower than a Viper, the chassis boasted a 12-inch longer wheelbase for a smooth ride and gentle highway qualities, and a number of suspension components were borrowed from the Dodge Stratus.
The Copperhead’s engine was brand new, though: A 2.7-liter V6 with double-overhead-cams and four valves per cylinder, it went into production the following year in the Dodge Intrepid mid-size sedan. The version in the Copperhead used a double-barreled throttle body and tuned exhaust system to produce 220 horsepower, 20 more than the production engine, and was coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox.
Of course, the Copperhead’s visual trademark was its paint, a unique color called Copper Fire Orange applied in 37 coats. With a multichromatic pigment (known in the custom car world as “flip-flop”) the paint seemed to change color under varying light conditions. At one point there was an alleged trademark dispute with a Billy Gibbons hot rod called the Kopperhed, and some promotional materials describe the concept generically as a “Dodge Concept Car.” Chysler would later offer a Copperhead Edition Viper for 2005, with a run of 300 production cars wearing the same distinctive paint as the 1997 concept. .
While there was some talk of a production version appearing in 2000, the Copperhead never made it to the showrooms, obviously. Corporate planners were focused on faster growing market segments at the time, reportedly, including sport utility vehicles. Still, you can bet that plenty of Dodge enthusiasts would love to have a Copperhead in the garage. The single prototype was often displayed at the former Walter P. Chrysler Museum after its tour as a show car was completed, and it resides today in the Stellantis historical vehicle collection.
