The automotive performance world recently lost one of its boldest visionaries. Roy Sjoberg, the chief engineer widely revered as the “Father of the Viper” for his important role in creating the legendary Dodge sports car, has died. Sjoberg spearheaded the audacious project that unleashed one of America’s most raw and iconic performance machines onto the streets.

In an era when many cars leaned towards increasing safety systems, and regulations often tempered performance, Sjoberg championed a radically different concept within Chrysler.

Image from Dodge Garage

As Chief Engineer in the late 1980s, he assembled a handpicked group known internally as “Team Viper.” He gave this dedicated crew a direct, challenging mandate: develop a spiritual successor to the Shelby Cobra – a powerful, no-frills sports car capable of challenging the world’s best – and bring it to production in just 36 months.

The result of that intense effort, the 1992 Dodge Viper RT/10, perfectly captured Sjoberg’s uncompromising vision. It arrived with a monstrous 488-cube V10 engine (initially developed with input from then-Chrysler-owned Lamborghini) stuffed under a long hood, a minimalist open cockpit and a distinct lack of electronic driver aids like airbags or traction control in its earliest form.

The Viper definitely prioritized raw power and an unfiltered connection between driver and machine, becoming an instant icon.

Sjoberg’s creation kicked off a legacy that spanned a quarter-century. Dodge produced the Viper, with various evolutions and a couple of brief pauses, from 1992 until 2017, building approximately 32,000 examples primarily at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant.

Throughout its life, the Viper remained a symbol of extreme American performance, known for its massive engine displacement and impressive speed capabilities, with variants achieving 0-60 mph times between 3.5 and 4.5 seconds and top speeds well over 160 mph, eventually exceeding 200 mph.

Beyond the impressive specifications, Roy Sjoberg’s leadership really fostered the rebellious, enthusiast-driven spirit that defined the Viper project.

His legacy lives on not just in the surviving cars but in the visceral, “alive, wide-eyed” thrill the Viper provided drivers. The man credited with giving the Viper its legendary bite leaves behind an indelible mark on performance car history.

Rest in power Roy Sjoberg.

May your V10 roar echo eternally.