A rare 1996 Carroll Shelby Limited Edition Viper RT/10 sold for $197,950, setting a new record for the model.
A rare Carroll Shelby Limited Edition Dodge Viper RT/10 has set a new benchmark at auction, selling for $197,950 this week on Hagerty Marketplace. The sale marks one of the highest prices ever achieved for a first-generation Viper, underscoring the growing collector interest in special-edition American performance cars.
One of just 19 built in collaboration with Fitzgerald Motorsports and Carroll Shelby in 1996, this particular Viper is one of only two finished in blue with white stripes. The Shelby-tuned Viper features several performance and styling upgrades, including a reworked intake and exhaust system that boosts output to 450 horsepower—on par with the 1996 Viper GTS coupe.
Additional changes include a shorter 3.73:1 final drive ratio (from the factory’s 3.07), recalibrated speedometer, upgraded suspension components, OZ Racing three-piece wheels, and Shelby-specific cosmetic treatments such as a revised front fascia, rear spoiler, and embroidered racing harnesses. Shelby also personally signed the steering wheel of each car in the series.
Originally designed as a modern-day Cobra tribute, the Dodge Viper debuted in 1992 with a raw, visceral driving experience and a powerful 8.0-liter V10 engine. The 1996 model year introduced the SRII platform with lighter weight, improved handling, and a new GTS coupe variant. The Shelby edition is based on the RT/10 roadster and is considered one of the most desirable Viper variants ever built.
With just 9,126 miles on the odometer, the car that sold was in excellent condition aside from minor cosmetic imperfections, including some fascia wear and a missing center cap.
This sale surpasses the current #1 (concours) value for a standard 1996 RT/10 by more than 2.5 times and closely rivals the top sale price of a GTS model—$198,000 for a GT2 Championship Edition in 2023.
The result highlights both the enduring legacy of Carroll Shelby and the Viper’s status as an emerging classic in the American performance car canon.
