Hello all, a new Viper owner putting in my 2 cents here. Being my dream car, i checked the internet alot, sometimes daily over the past 6-7 years. In the past 1.5 years i slowed it down to maybe once or twice a month because of stuff like home ownership and preparation for marriage.
In my experience, i have seen some of the more desirable models such as the 92s, 96/97s and GT2s stop declining and move up in price (time frame being 2003-2006). Looking back, this matched up quite well with the raging bull market in the US. However, in the past year, prices in general have taken a bit of a pause, and in my opinion is due to the weakness in the economy (which will get worse).
i watch all generations of vipers (with less of an interest in Gen IIIs), and have recently seen some some sharper discounts than i would expect. As an econ major in college and working as a market analyst, i can tell you it is near impossible to call a top or catch a bottom. If you can, i want to be your apprentice so i can play the stock market exclusively as a job and go race vipers after the 1pm closing bell
But you CAN play the trend, and given the current economic environment, i feel you will see prices stagnate, along with a good deal of price variation. Owners that don't need to sell might ask for prices beyond what some are advertising (but unless they come across the right buyer, the car will sit longer), and on the other hand, owners who are overleveraged might be looking for a quick sale. The best part of the current situation is that it creates opportunity for prospective Viper owners to find what they are looking for.
Despite my interest in Viper price trends, the bottom line for me was to buy what i wanted, as long as i could afford it. Found my 96 GTS with 16k miles on it, one owner, Cali car for $44k. No stories. Had to act!