Think 1980s muscle, and you’ll likely conjure images of the Monte Carlo SS and Buick Grand National. But what if your tastes run more to the MOPAR family? They’ve got you covered, with the Dodge Omni GLH-S, like the 1986 model here on ebay. It’s priced just under $8000 in an auction that hasn’t met its reserve yet. Should you push the number up over the bar, you’ll head to the desert of Bakersfield, CA to pick it up.
The car is new enough to come with an Auto Check report, which shows that you’ll be owner number six (or more—the records start with supposed owner number one being recorded in 1993). There are no reported issues with the title, and no recorded accident damage, and the good news for California buyers is that the car recently passed its smog check, so it won’t be a hassle to register and use in the future. It was purchased by the current owner a year ago, engine out. He says he has put things back to stock.
Is it a muscle car? Well, it’s a Shelby, so yeah, in a way. You’ll see the identity in name badges affixed to the bodywork and in the lettering, which has the S, though in reality, that letter was said to complete the name, “Goes Like Hell,” adding, “S’more.” But the car was, like other Shelbys, a product of the mods added in the Shelby American factory workshop, at that point located in Whittier, CA. These included special wheels, induction changes, and suspension tweaks, as you might expect. For reference, see the article here, which describes the process of this special model coming to be.
You could say that the car makes due with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder fuel injected engine, but that understates the case. The engine was modified with an intercooler and produced 175 horsepower in an era when lots of cars were under 100, so it would scoot, to a degree. Miles sit at just under 90,000, and while there’s no way to know how it’s been treated, it appears to have been reconditioned by the seller after he grabbed it from his neighbor following a long ownership cycle. The car is one of 500, authenticated by a numbered badge appearing on the dash. So what keeps you from making a bid? This is a rare car that will always make up at least a peripheral part of Shelby history, and with that few made, and obviously even fewer surviving, how often does a chance like this come along? You don’t like boxy hatchbacks, you say? Well, that’s another matter altogether.
My mother had several of these – nice, economical front wheel drive cars – a little ahead of their time for a Chrysler product, but would Carroll Shelby drive one? Not on your life.
Carroll drove his on a regular basis. He was on record several times saying it was his favorite car.
Shelby was very proud of this car, do some homework. I have #88 signed by him.
The carbureted ones were total junk and I used to replace head gaskets and cams on fi and carbureted ones all the time back in the day.I’ll take a pass imo.Hey if you like em this one looks nice.glwts.
These only came with a turbo.
Not entirely true. The first GLH wasn’t turbocharged, though all the GLH-S cars were boosted. I got to drive one of the pre-turbo GLHs, and while it made a nice autocross toy, it lacked the power of the later boosted Omnis.
All GLH’s were non turbo. The GLH-T was the name of the turbo model.
Here’s a pic of my GLH-T that I bought new in ’86. I wanted a GLH-S but they were out of my price range. Still never regretted my decision.
Cool 😎 cars. Its just missing the RWD configuration.
They were terrible cars in 1986 and then the Big guy hooked up with Chrysler and Lee to turn this little monster loose. These were intercooled 12 pounds of boost crazy. They did everything right, won’t see anything like this modified and sold in dealerships again.
I’m pretty sure Honda, Toyota, and VW all offer hopped-up FWD hatches right now, IIRC all over 300hp. Ford had a Fiesta & Focus ST that were bonkers, until Ford stopped selling (non-Mustang) cars in North America. There’s a lot of options, but none of them cheap or poorly built LOL.
Not outsourcing to another company and then put in their showroom.
i have not seen one of any kind of these on the road in over 20 years. funny they did not rust fast in minnesota so it most likly the motor that they junked them out.
I had a Horizon, and 3 Omni’s… I enjoyed these cars. I actually gave my 86 Omni to a young man that needed a car recently… I could gave sold it but I believe in paying it forward… Good things will come out of it… I never had a chance to buy a GLH or a GLH-S but if I can get my hands on one with a better back ground than the one listed I’ll buy it… They are fun cars with plenty or room for talk guys.
I had an 82 Horizon [plain, def not a Shelby!] and enjoyed it for 6 years before it got t-boned. I would actually love to own this as a summer special driver. I found mine very dependable, I picked it up used for $2000, with 5000ish miles on it. [Senior in college graduated and moved. Love having a friend with a daddy that would buy me a car and not care that it got sold for like half KBB.]
The S would’ve been the ultimate sleeper if it were available in the light metallic blue it seemed like 60% of the late base Omnirizons were painted, or the metallic red the other 40% were.
The GLHS does the 1/4 mile in 14.9 The 1986 Mustang 5.0? 14.9. So yes, Shelby cooked up something special with this little four banger.
The Mustang will do a lot more quarter miles than this little box will.
My ’86 GT ate these for a snack.
Don’t be fooled…this car WILL SCOOT
Are the pictures deliberately distorted by the seller?
The blue and silver color was my favorite. I was lucky to drive them. Yes they were very fast. I had to make sure I had a good grip on the wheel. Handling was great also. I like the 4dr over the 2dr. Surprised a lot of people off the line. Always had a smile on my face when driving this.. I wonder what the reserve is. Not guessing on this one!
It’s up to $10,989 and it has reached the reserve price
Drove an ’84 Horizon handed down from my parents (back in the day). These did not have fuel-injection until the next model year(?) The engine always ran rough and often stalled at stoplights – not even the dealership could tune it properly! Got rid of it after 1 year.
This video was taken at the current Irwindale Raceway (1/8 mile). Sort of sums it up.
Ugly Old Omni vs a Cobra Mustang
https://youtu.be/-e9XjOCL-cE
https://www.carmemories.com/articles/shelby-glhs-whips-gt350.html To all you nay sayers!
I’ve been to the Shelby facility in Vegas and the Shelby Dodges are on display with the Shelby Fords.
I had an ’85 GLH Turbo back in the day. I also had an ’83 Turismo and an ’89 Horizon. Never once had to replace a head hasket. The valve cover gaskets oozed in the summer and then stopped oozing in the winter. Just had to check the oil every so often betweem oil changes and all was well.
Fuel injection did not arrive until 1987 (altho I think the Shelbys were EFI) with the L-Body America line.
Had the tin-worm not attacked my GLH (the State of New Hampshire throws more salt on the roads than anywhere else in the world, I swear!) I’d still have it. I tracked it successfully, blowing the doors off of Golfs, Rabbits, Audi 4000s, Toyota Celicas and other cars of the period. The torque steer was hellacious, but the car was an absolute hoot to drive.
If I had a few bucks that had noplace to go and nothing to do and room in the barn, I’d go for this in a heartbeat.
SaabGirl, that makes two of us that were running GLH-T’s in NH back in the day.
Got mine from Allen Mello Dodge in Nashua, Surprised they had one on the lot, it came from a dealership in VT. I still have some of the paperwork on that car somewhere.
It’s up to $10,989 and it hasn’t reached the reserve price.
I would expect the reserve to be near 15K.
I bought one of these as my first car. However, when I went to get the car the dealership played with the numbers I was originally given. My loan had a crazy high interest rate on it and the price changed. These guys were real scumbags. I lost it with the dealer and canceled the deal. I had a melt down in the middle of the dealership in order to get my deposit back.
I ended up with an Escort – Bleh!
I always wonder about ‘what could have been’.
I had four Charger 2.2’s. Fun cars with a manual transmission! The last one was a 1987 Shelby Charger with a turbo and 5 speed, factory sunroof, Garnet red with silver trim! My wife at the time, made me trade it in on a Char- gold Intrepid. I miss the Charger, not her or the Intrepid!!
They were very quick for the period. They would blow the doors off of the Monte SS. Torque steer was huge when you stepped on it hard. When they first came out in the late 70’s they had the 1.7 VW motor. Shortly thereafter, the 2.2 was introduced. Always had trouble with the Holley carb from the factory. They got into it with the GLH and upped it significantly with the GLH turbo. Shelby models were really nice. Some of them would have head gasket and turbo failures if you didn’t change the oil frequently. A really fun car!
Ended at $13,040, Reserve Not Met.