Shelby on American Muscle Car - Dodge Production History

[GLHS444]

I don't know if this program was a re-air of a previous episode or not, but I caught this during the evening of 02/24/05. Anyway, on to my rant (some of you probably saw this coming lol ).

I really enjoyed the show up until a certain point, that point being the years the Carroll worked with Lee and Chrysler. Now I know the FWD Shelbys are not really considered muscle cars and I don't even think of them as such. I am 41 years old, so I came of age around the years of the Cobra's and Mustangs. But it is beginning to chap my hide when they are overlooked by the media when they discuss Shelby's history.

The Cobra is the ruler that all manufactures have put their supercars next to, to see how their interpretation measures up to the original American supercar. Thats what Carroll wanted, I feel, and he got that thru all his hard work.

The Mustang's he built/modified for Ford where initially designed to allow the average Joe American to own an affordable performance car without having to sell his or her first born. Back in the late 60's to early 70's, he did just that.

My father was a devote Ford man, so in turn I became one too. He always liked the Shelby Mustangs, but didn't have the means to own one at that time. My first car was a 72 Maverick Grabber w/ a 302 V8, although no Mustang, it was fast enough for a new driver. My dream was to own a Shelby, but I knew this was pretty much a pipe dream. I, like alot of my peers, would have loved to have one, but they where priced outta my/our range.
I drove that Maverick until I purchased my first new car. I'm certain you know which one I'm talking about, a 1986 GLHS. A car that Carroll built/modified so that Joe American could have something that was fast and affordable. I jumped at the chance of owning the only Shelby I could afford, for at the time the cheapest Shelby Mustangs were still to expensive for my means. I purchased the GLHS for a little over $8000.00, far below the cost of any other Shelby I had seen.
That car changed my perspective. It changed me from a devote Ford owner to being open minded about ALL cars. It took on all comers, lost to some, but beat many (even die hard RWD "muscle cars"). Back in it's day, I couldn't drive anywhere without a 5.0 Stang begging for some punishment.

As all of you know, over the years, the Cobra and Shelby Mustangs have gained in value to the point of pushing then into a financial bracket that only a select few can handle. Yet the Shelby that I feel anyone can afford, gets looked down on as just a misguided step in Shelby's past. The fact that the cars he did for Chrysler are considered by a majority of the car media as trash really burns my ass.

I don't understand why they choose to leave out the years he built these cars. On just about every interveiw they have with Carroll, they'll get to the Chrysler years and bypass the FWD cars and go right to the Viper. Don't they realize these things where made for everyone to enjoy? Instead they choose to blow them off, leaving the young and less affluent to never realize that they too could own something that Carroll Shelby built. There are those in the Shelby Dodge community that wish to keep it this way, however I do not share their feeling on this. I like to promote the issue that Carroll Shelby made cars that everyone can enjoy and afford no matter your your current financial situation.

I know my opinion here will not change the way things are out there when it comes to coverage on the FWD Shelby's, but I wanted to vent / let you guys/gals know that we Shelby Dodge boys and girls feel just as passionate toward our cars as you Cobra and Shelby Mustang folks do. This is in no way directed at the Shelby Ford group, as I have seen on this site many of you do like the FWD Shelby's and respect them for what they are. Many of us SD bunch would love to own a Shelby Ford or Series One of some sorts, but as you can imagine we just can't justify the payments.

Thanks for letting me rant here.....I feel a little better now

Proud owner of #444 86 GLHS. EARNING respect one stop light at a time since 1986.

[dv67shelby]

Dan,
I am the same age as you and can remember test driving a brand new '86 Shelby GLHS back in the day. The car definitely flew but I knew then that car would never surpass the mystique and desireability of a 65 to 70 Shelby Mustang. I own a 67 GT350 and would not hesitate for a second on purchasing an original GLHS Shelby. These cars are definitely the forgotten step-child of Mr. Shelby. My advice to you is to enjoy the heck out of them now, and who knows what will happen to them in the future. They may get the proper recognition sometime in the future. Who knows???? Take care - David

[GLHS444]

Originally Posted by dv67shelby

Dan,
I am the same age as you and can remember test driving a brand new '86 Shelby GLHS back in the day. The car definitely flew but I knew then that car would never surpass the mystique and desireability of a 65 to 70 Shelby Mustang. I own a 67 GT350 and would not hesitate for a second on purchasing an original GLHS Shelby. These cars are definitely the forgotten step-child of Mr. Shelby. My advice to you is to enjoy the heck out of them now, and who knows what will happen to them in the future. They may get the proper recognition sometime in the future. Who knows???? Take care - David

I agree with you fully that my GLHS or any of the other Shelby Dodges may never have the fan base the Cobras and Shelby Mustangs have. I'm realistic about that fact. I mean after all, it wasn't the original idea the Cobra / Shelby Mustangs were that Carroll made back then in the hay days of American cars.

Even if I was wealthy enough to have as many cars as I wanted, I'd still own this / a GLHS Omni. I get plenty of smiles per gallon outta of the S car, I see no plans of selling it anytime soon.

Thanks for the word of encouragement, David. Sometimes I need to hear that from someone outside of the Shelby Dodge community.

[computerworks]

Originally Posted by GLHS444

...The fact that the cars he did for Chrysler are considered by a majority of the car media as trash really burns my ass.

I don't understand why they choose to leave out the years he built these cars. Thanks for letting me rant here.....I feel a little better now

Dan... it is true that the FWD cars are considered stepchildren by the community.

Can you educate us on this one point...if you are into the history:

Were these cars actually built by Shelby in a separate facility?
Did they race, in the day?

Honestly, I have always considered them more efforts in marketing, not performance technology....dressed up in endorsement, like Michael Jordan sneakers. Give us some history to help change that perception.

[bbifano]

Hello,

To provide some brief "History" towards your question hope this helps. "Mr. Carroll Shelby's involvement with the Dodge division of Chrysler Corporation began in the early eighties to breathe some life into an industry that had become at best, ho-hum. This relationship grew to produce the legendary Omni GLH and Shelby Charger and progressed into limited production full blown Shelby Dodge performance cars such as the Shelby GLHS and Shelby CSX, straight from Shelby's Skunkworks in Whittier California. This relationship continued into the late eighties with more factory Shelby Dodges pioneering leading edge technology. The 1990's brought to life the Shelby influenced 1989 Viper Show car and the Dodge Shelby Can-Am spec racer." I pulled this from the FAQ's section of the SDAC website.
As far as the racing of these vehicles I believe they were entered in "IMSA Drivers Championships", SCCA racing events, and the IMSA GTU events (where the 1987 daytona shelby z I believe was entered in). In all of these races the cars faired quite well from what I have read.

Hope this helps out a bit to answer any questions you may have had. But back to Dan I hear ya, at least you have a "numbered car" as I have only the Shelby Z which I am always being told is not a true Shelby (though I like to think of it as). But heck I love it anyway and it is still fun to drive becasue it still carries Mr Shelbys genreal idea and philosphies.

Have a good one,

Brian
1987 shelby z Glen Cove NY

[sdac_guy]

To be a little more specific about the Dodge cars and CS involvement.

In the very early 80's when CS was approached by Lee Iacocca, the Chrysler Shelby Performance Center was established in Sante Fe Springs California. The purpose was to develop performance pacakges (engine & handling) for the fledgeling line of Dodge fwd cars. As stated earlier in this thread, the first two cars to get the CS touch, while produced on the Dodge assembly line, were the Shelby Charger and the GLH Omni. Other cars would also get special packages that were engineered by Shelby in the future, including the Daytona Shelby Z, and the Daytona CS models.

In 1986 another step was taken. CS opened the Whittier California production facility under the corporate name Shelby Automobiles. The first car to come from there was the 1986 Shelby GLH-S. It started life as a Dodge Omni GLH Turbo, and was then shipped to Shelby Automobiles where the engine and suspension were upgraded, and special graphics packages and interior touches were applied.

There were 500 GLH-S models made by Shelby Automobiles in 1986 each had it's own numbered CS signature dash plaque. The sticker on the inside of the drivers door jamb listed Shelby Automobiles as the manufacturer, as did the MSO's that tracked each car's production. The cars were then sold by select Dodge dealers across the country. In many states, the cars were originally titled as being of Shelby make, not Dodge, and many of them are still titled as Shelby today.

In 1987 there were 3 vehicles that Shelby Automobiles produced, the Shelby Charger GLH-S, the Shelby CSX, and the Shelby Lancer.

In 1988 only one model was produced, the Shelby CSX-T, and essentially the entire production run was sold to Thrifty Rental Cars, in a pre-arranged deal. These cars had only cosmetic & graphics packages installed with no engine or suspension modifications made. In 1989 we saw the last two models to leave the Whittier facility, the Shelby CSX-VNT, and the Shelby Dakota.

All of the cars produced at Shelby Automobiles during the last 3 years followed the same pattern established with the 1986 GLHS in documentation regarding manufacturer status.

Dodge continued to produce cars on it's own assembly lines at the time with the Shelby name and packages, mainly in the Daytona line, but some items did make it into other models also (Shadow competition series, etc).

[DeLa1Rob]

Originally Posted by sdac_guy

In 1988 only one model was produced, the Shelby CSX-T, and essentially the entire production run was sold to Thrifty Rental Cars, in a pre-arranged deal. These cars had only cosmetic & graphics packages installed with no engine or suspension modifications made.

I thought that the 88 CSX-T received the same suspension upgrades that the 87 CSX did. (Higher Spring Rates, Monroe Formula GP struts and shocks, Goodyear Gatorbacks, 4 wheel disc brakes etc.)

robin

[sdac_guy]

I thought that the 88 CSX-T received the same suspension upgrades that the 87 CSX did. (Higher Spring Rates, Monroe Formula GP struts and shocks, Goodyear Gatorbacks, 4 wheel disc brakes etc.)

I stand corrected, partially.

The 88 CSX-T did get the Formula GP struts/shocks all around, but that is all that is listed in the parts manual as being Shelby package specific. The springs are the same as found on any a/c equipped P-body for 1988.

The wider low profile tires on the Shelby rims, I include as cosmetic upgrade rather than handling, but they could be looked at either way.

Barry

[CSX375]

I know I am not in the same boat as you guys, I am 18, in high school, and can't remember anything before 1990. I grew up Chevy. My dad had a sleeper 70 Nova SS clone when he was a kid, and I was in the process of buying a 1979 El Camino (with a 1970 350!) as my first car. But then I ran into issures of the availability of obscure parts for a car to old for the dealer, to new for reproduction parts, so I was forced to give up, literlaly, my folks wouldnt let me get the El Camino.

So I cruised the newspapers, looking for something, looking for something RWD, V8, big cubes, when I saw an ad for the Shelby. I did some research and saw something I could never get from the "muscle cars" I had been chasing. Reliability. Fuel Efficiency. 4-cylinder Insurance. So I bought it.

I found a car that wasn't what I was looking for, but that I am actually happier with than I would have been with the muscle. My dad and his chums appriceate it, it is a Shelby, limited production, high proformance, good stuff.

However my peers, in their tuned VWs and Civics, appriciate it as well. I think this is the main issue of our cars not being at "home" with the other Shelbys. Our cars are more like the imports and hopped up Cavilers in my high school parking lot than the Chevelles, Baracudas, and "true" Shelbys that people of your generation gravitate to.

[GLHS444]

Originally Posted by CSX375

I
So I cruised the newspapers, looking for something, looking for something RWD, V8, big cubes, when I saw an ad for the Shelby. I did some research and saw something I could never get from the "muscle cars" I had been chasing. Reliability. Fuel Efficiency. 4-cylinder Insurance. So I bought it.

Funny, I did the same thing back in 1987.

I wanted a SVO Stang or GT, but the insurance was twice the price of the car payment ( I was 20 at the time).

When I called about the GLHS insurance payments, I was told they were the same price as a regular Omni. I remember asking the agent, "You do know that this thing is turbo charged right? " and his reply was "Yes, this Shelby shows as being turbo charged according to the VIN ".

I bought the GLHS the next day.