Chrysler's Viper overruns auto magazine covers

April 28, 2012 - 8:26 am ET


NEW YORK -- Magazine editors usually want to differentiate their covers and
outdo the competition, but Chrysler's SRT Viper has run that urge into the
ground for one month at least, appearing on the cover of four auto monthlies
simultaneously.

The Viper, an American icon that was resurrected as a concept by Chrysler
even while the company was still on life support in 2009, boldly struts its
fiery red sheet-metal stuff on the covers of Automobile, Car and Driver,
Motor Trend and Road & Track magazines in issues that hit newsstands this
week.

They closely followed the April 16 issue of Autoweek -- an affiliate of
Automotive News and Advertising Age -- which featured the Viper on the cover
with the line "Second Coming of Awesome!"

Autoweek was able to distribute copies of that issue in goodie bags at the
New York auto show a few hours after the Viper was unveiled. Autoweek Editor
Wes Raynal said that if he hadn't been able to run the Viper cover first, he
probably wouldn't have run it at all.

"But as it was, the cadence worked out just right for us," he said.

"It's very rare that this happens," said Jean Jennings, editor-in-chief at
Automobile. The last such occurrence might have been four years ago, when
the new Dodge Challenger was introduced.

Chrysler's PR and marketing arms contacted Jennings and the other magazines
about the Viper in January as it planned the car's debut at the New York
show. Anticipation was already running high.

"The companies know they don't have a lot of shots at covers," Jennings
said. "They knew the Viper is going to be a cover and that they can't sell
it to just one magazine, 'cause it'll **** off the others."

Why the Viper, a V10-powered, ubermuscle car that will only be made in
limited quantities?

"It was the hottest car at the time and the hottest car at the New York
show," Jennings said.