The concept of a high-performance pickup truck is one that has taken on new meaning in recent years, with modern rigs oftentimes boasting the sort of performance numbers that would make any number of 90s-era sports cars jealous. In some ways, it almost seems silly that a pickup can rocket to 60 miles per hour in under six seconds, but the idea of going fast in a truck is nothing new. This 1989 Dodge Dakota Shelby pickup here on eBay is a nicely preserved example with no major modifications and bids sitting at a paltry $6,600 with the reserve unmet.
Ah, the glory days of Shelby’s seismic influence over the Chrysler brand. Shelby logos everywhere you looked; cool 80s styling touches like the bed-mounted roll bar and front air dam; and the sound of a 5.2L V8 engine burbling out the exhaust. This Dakota had a lot going for it, but I don’t know that it necessarily turned into an instant classic as a result of the Shelby connection. It seems many of these Shelby Dakotas turn up as drivers in decent condition, routinely selling for safely under $15,000.
The same could be said for most 1980s turbo Mopar products, along with more muscular ventures like this Dakota. While the enthusiast community whole-heartedly endorses the place that high-performance Shelby products have in automotive history, this hasn’t traditionally led to widescale desirability of the products. Whereas the Shelby Mustangs from the 1960s and 70s are incredibly sought-after today, turbocharged four-cylinder models from Mopar don’t enjoy the same prestige. This Dakota has all the right pieces in place, including its Shelby-specific upholstery and steering wheel.
I briefly owned a Dodge Dakota R/T and it was a fun experience. Lots of power, good sound, decent handling, but limited appeal once I got those jollies out of my system being a general menace to society. The original Dakota performance variant, the Shelby seen here, is a testament to the unique styling direction of the 1980s and the significant influence Carroll Shelby had on the development of Chrysler performance products. It certainly deserves respect from the marketplace, and far more than the bid shown here.
The Syclone gets all the love where these limited special Shelby Dakotas came out before them and get over-shadowed. Try and find a syclone for the price of this Dakota go on I will wait… How did you do? Did you find one? I bet not!
Anyone remember the Chevy S10 Top Gun?
The difference between these Shelby Dakotas and Syclone, was the Syclone had the bite behind the bark, known a proven to be the quickest production vehicle in its time. Most Shelby MOPARS ? Was nothing but a V8 in a mid sized truck with visual effects.
I had the 1999 R/T 5.9 from close to new (2001) spent years hot rodding it with parts from Hughes performance even a 408 stroker , return style fuel system with aeromotive parts , higher output fuel pump, M1 intake , throttle body, bigger fuel injectors. SCT tuning and just got it where I wanted it about 400 hp & Ram drops the 2013 395 hp hemi ! Well the support for the magnum was not there ever & here comes the Eagle hemi & after a test drive of a crew cab i thought that was the way forward & after I bought it a different intake (holley sniper)& exhaust headers (JBA) my little Dakota R/T was put out to pasture. Sometimes you have to ride the next wave & I miss my Dakota but the Eagle hemi really is all of that & it rumbles to this day (muffler by pass) lol , next step is hellcat crate motor one day !
Boy – this truck better be fast. It’s almost a “flat liner “, excitement wise. Well, you could do a lot with it – if you wanted to. If the final price is around 10k you probably would be OK. But that’s it. I wonder what Carroll Shelby thought of this truck. Well – at least it has red interior! Good luck.
I had the opportunity to take one of these on a trip with a girl who owned one new back in the day. Hers was white with blue interior and highlights on the body, that “roll bar” though was just for looks and possibly air flow, but only fiberglass! The 5.2 barely made over 200 hp and 250 lbs ft tq. The best thing I can say? The truck drove nice over rough roads, but handling was not great. I later on owned a 2003 Dakota reg cab 4×4, 3.9 V6, 5 speed, with 3:92 gears that ran as well. But the 2019 Colorado Crew Cab 4×4, 3.6 V6 I now own could run circles around either of them! In handling, ride, mileage and overall performance! I would love to own a 2003 Dakota reg cab R/T 5.9 Magnum V8, with upgraded intake and exhaust, along with forged stroker kit and MOPAR Performance heads with polished ports. Run through a beefed up 4 speed OD automatic and 3:92 posi!
Are you saying your truck, that is 14 years newer than this one, makes more horsepower and gets better fuel economy? My mind is blown.
It’s a nothing truck. Time to move on. If I had a pair of socks autographed by Shelby would they be worth something? I laugh at people who remove the glove box door for an autograph and think their Mustang or Cobra is now worth another $15K.
Shelby built some of the best cars on earth. This truck is not one of them and neither was the 85 Shelby Charger.
Correction: Shelby did some of the best engine swaps on earth. Even the Daytona Coupe was built on an existing, if modified, chassis.
At least the Shelby Charger was a fun ride. The Shelby Dakota was just… slow. Three years later, a Magnum 3.9 had more power, torque, and an available 5-speed.
Went to $9,175.00, 55 bids, reserve not met.