Auto dealership closes a sweet sale

The best way to put a dent in the recession: Sell a car to an Arab sheik.

That's what Doug Page of Classic Cars of Sarasota did last month. Specifically, Page sold a 2008 Dodge Viper to a member of the royal family of Qatar. The sheik paid $102,000 for the car, plus another $15,500 to have it driven to Atlanta, where a plane awaited it for transport to the Middle East.

Page, through Classic Cars, bought 28 2008 Dodge Vipers last year in an auction. He says the sheik emailed him a few days after the listing appeared on Classic Cars' website. The sheik, says Page, asked in the email if it was a legitimate listing. Page wrote back that it was, and he included instructions on where the sheik could wire money.