Sometimes a seller nails it in their online listing as far as having an incredible amount of good, readable information and also a ton of photos. This is one of those times and it makes everything right in my world again. Plus, I love these cars. This 1989 Dodge Lancer Shelby Turbo is listed here on eBay in Smyrna, Tennessee, the current bid price is $5,605, and there is no reserve.
This car has four doors. FOUR. DOORS. Well, actually five doors if a person counts the rear hatchback as a lot of people do. I don’t, so this is a four-door hatchback in my world. This car is from the era when Dodge pretty much owned the turbo world. I’m reasonably certain that they had turbos on their paper towel machines in the employee restrooms. They were everywhere.
They also got a lot of mileage, as far as production and different models, from the K-car and its spinoff versions for the 1981 model year and beyond. The Dodge Lancer was an H-body and a great-looking one, but when push comes to shove (which it almost did when I mentioned that this car had four doors), this is a K-car. A nicely-designed, smooth, sleek one, but under this skin breaths a Reliant or Aries.
This car is a bit different in being a Lancer Shelby Turbo, so there’s more than a K-car under its skin. Although the Shelby folks didn’t go crazy on the Lancer Turbo, it did have some nice touches. Their first year, 1987, they reportedly were a Shelby Lancer but for 1988 and 1989, Dodge took over and the seller says that this 1989 example is one of 208 built that year. It’s weird to not see an airbag steering wheel here as Chrysler was huge in the airbag arena, remember the ad with lipstick on an airbag? As in, it saved someone’s life and was gentle and all that fun stuff that marketing types do. The seller shows several steering wheels and/or covers in their photos so check those out here. The interior looks good in this one as does the underside.
The engine in this particular car is reportedly a remanufactured 2.2-liter inline-four turbo that now has 10,402 miles on it. It would have had 174 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque. With a 0-60 time about the same as a minivan today, this car isn’t a white-knuckle stoplight king but this one would be fun to drive, there’s no question about it. There is a mind-bending list of new parts all over this car so please check out the seller’s eBay listing which also includes some videos. This is the car that I should have gotten in the 1980s when I instead got a LeBaron convertible. Have any of you owned a Lancer Turbo?
After we bought our “86 Dodge Shelby Daytona Z I got to drive one of these. Really impressed with the power and handling. The weight was about the same for both cars but the Lancer felt more like a well handling sports car than the Daytona. Nice car here.
Looking back Chrysler missed the boat by not creating a wagon version of this car. Same holds true for GM with the Holden G8.
These were rare then, even rarer today.
It’ll be interesting to see the final sale price
I feel like these would get more respect today without the Shelby badge. The Shelby name creates expectations that simply can’t be met with a 174-hp family sedan.
I worked at a Chrysler dealership in the late 80’s as an auto painter. I drove every Shelby Dodge except the van. The Lancer was the first US car to come stock with a CD player. If the Lancer does not have the original stereo- the car is worth 1/2 what a car with the stereo goes for. Also, the Shelby Lancer is the most highly optioned Shelby ever produced. Half came with a 5-speed and leather interior, and half came with an automatic transmission and a cloth interior.
I owned 87 Shelby Lancer #800 many years ago. It was a Pilot car, 5 speed, leather interior, with original stereo. Nice cruising car, handled well and did have some get up and go. As you say it was the “most highly optioned Shelby ever produced.”. I would clarify your that statement by saying the “most highly optioned Shelby Dodge ever produced.”
Is it an interference motor?
I don’t believe it is.
Mopar had so many turbos going around back then, they even turbo’d their encabulator.
The 5sp shifter is too cool in there. 👍
Had a 1987 Shelby version of this exact car. Most excellent handling and the Pioneer stereo system was stellar. Mine was 199 and a 5 speed. Because of the Shelby designation had a tough time with local Dodge dealer with warranty issues.
I never understood calling the hatch a “5th door”.
I had an ‘85 Lancer ES turbo. Great great car. Lots of power, fun to drive, utilitarian with the hatchback. Worked for a British guy who said I had a ‘snappy’ car. Big compliment. Went overseas after which my father then drove it til the doors fell off.
This was the Hellcat of the 1980s.
SOLD for $6,105.
Probably the fastest car that $6,000 can buy.