World going to hell; some people want to drive Vipers there

Yeah, verily, in the car business in January, the sun turned as black as sackcloth and the moon became as blood. But over at Chrysler’s Connor Avenue plant in Detroit, where they build the Viper, it was a party!

Among the dire sales numbers released Tuesday — January U.S. auto sales down 37%, including slides of 41.6% for Ford, 49% for GM and 55% for Chrysler — was this anomalous factoid: Sales of the Dodge Viper were up 74%. The company sold 127 of the poisonous snakes last month, up from 73 in January 2008.

Why would this be strange? Well, for one thing, the Viper ($91,220 to $104,020) is constructed of pure, unalloyed discretionary income, so you would assume its sales would be a least a little susceptible to the larger effects of the recession. Also, the 10-cylinder, 8.4-liter, 600-hp throttle monster under the hood returns some of the worst fuel economy on the market (13 mpg city/22 highway).

2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year -- the short list

Contenders have been announced for the 2009 North American Car of the Year, along with the 2009 North American Truck of the Year. To be eligible, vehicles have to be completely new or represent a redesign for the model year. This list and the final accolades are determined by a panel of automotive journalists. The winners will be announced Jan. 11 at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Let’s check out the car category hopefuls first.

Flying the home flag is the Ford Flex SUV/crossover. As its name suggests, the interior offers plenty of scope for various combinations of passengers and cargo. It’s comfortable, practical and drives well. Plus, with the Scion xB, Nissan Cube and Kia Soul coming from the East, the time of the box is nigh. The Flex is flung by a 262-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6; it comes with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive; and starts at $28,295.

Fresh from winning the 2009 Green Car of the Year is Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI with its Clean Diesel technology. If ever there was a car for the times, this could be it. This sedan (or wagon) is compact yet sturdy, thrifty yet nifty, and there are no pesky hybrid-related batteries to worry about at the end of the car’s life. Emissions-wise, it gets a clean enough bill of health to be legal in all 50 states. Fuel consumption is rated at 30 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway, and it starts at $21,990.

More contenders after the jump...

EBay cars under $10,000 that beat the pants off a Nissan Versa

Nissan’s announcement last week that it would offer a stripped-down version of its Versa model for under $10,000 -– a Sub-Versa, if you will -– occasioned a lot of media attention and interest, as if there was something to celebrate. To me it sounds like 1.6 liters of boredom, a mouthful of sand to thirsty car-buyers. Please. Ten grand? I can put you in automotive paradise for $10,000. Walk this way.

Go to www.motors.ebay.com and follow the link to “Cars & Trucks.” Don’t specify a make or model but simply order the 50,000 or so listings by price, and use the advanced search function to specify items with a “Buy It Now” price. What you’ll discover is an Elysian field of depreciation as the awesome rides of yesteryear -– in some cases cars that dominated automotive buff book covers just a couple of years ago –- are dispensed with for a fraction of their original sticker. With the recent spike in gas prices and the downturn in the economy, people are eating their cars -– “literally!” as Joe Biden would say.

Yes, these cars are a little older, but if you were to compare, wheel-to-wheel, the new Versa with, say, a 1991 BMW 850i –- a 12-cylinder supercoupe on 18-inch Hamann wheels and with only 47,120 miles on the clock –- well, your head would explode. The Bimmer has more technology in its ashtray.

So before you submit to lowered automotive expectations, consider these choices, all on EBay for $10,000 or less (after the jump):

Chrysler to shed Viper

Chrysler is putting its Dodge Viper sports car business up for sale in the latest move by a U.S. automaker to shed a niche product.

The No. 3 U.S.-based car company said today that it had been approached by potential buyers for the Viper unit, which Chrysler wants to sell as part of its strategy of focusing on a smaller number of core products.

Analysts said the division could fetch up to $100 million. Potential buyers include East Asian and Indian automakers that have been looking to get instant entree into global markets by buying established brands. Indian automaker Tata, for instance, bought the Land Rover and Jaguar brands from Ford this year.

A small-scale "supercar" builder such as Shelby or Saleen could also be a potential buyer, although the price tag could be a bit steep for outfits of that size, said David Healy, an analyst at Burnham Securities.

The Viper, introduced in 1992, is a "halo" car. The intention is to generate buzz, not big sales.

Although the aggressively styled speedster has maintained a loyal following since its introduction — there are Viper clubs across the country — its halo may be dimming a bit.

"I'm not sure how many people go into a Dodge showroom and buy a Caliber after they 'ooh' and 'aah' over a Viper," Healy said. "I'm not sure it's as much of a traffic builder as it might have been when it was new."