28/08/2008 18:23. 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 yesterday that it had been approached by potential buyers for the Viper unit, which Chrysler LLC 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 Motors Ltd. , for instance, bought the Land Rover and Jaguar brands from Ford Motor Co. this year.

A small-scale "supercar" builder such as Shelby or Saleen also could be a potential buyer, although the price... // Baltimore Sun