So many of Chrysler’s attempts to compete with BMWs sports sedans of the 80s can be traced back to their partnership with Shelby Automobiles. Turbocharged engines, firmer suspension, upmarket features – all of it seemed like a great recipe on paper. While they may have fallen short, cars like this 1988 Dodge Lancer Shelby here on eBay still look like an awful lot of fun and relatively cheap to own, too.
This particular car is located in Amesbury, Massachusetts, a community north of Boston. The 1988 models were actually built in very limited numbers as the production shifted back to a Dodge plant, after the 1987 model year examples were produced at Shelby’s facility in California. Depending on your definition of desirability, the later car should be worth more (fewer made) or less (not built on Shelby’s assembly line). This car has some rust issues but is largely in sound cosmetic condition.
The venerable intercooled Turbo II engine produced a healthy 175 b.h.p. with the manual transmission, as this car is equipped. As far as other Shelby-inspired modifications, they changed from 1987 to 1988, but firmer suspension, upgraded tires and some interior tweaks were all par for the course with anything bearing Shelby’s name. However, you’re not likely to find Shelby’s signature or a brass numbered plaque anywhere in the cabin on these later Dodge-built cars.
The seller says this Lancer is in “really nice condition” and was a one-owner car before he took possession. There’s rust pictured on the driver’s side rear fender but shouldn’t be a hard fix for a competent bodyshop (and I know of a good parts car in Middleboro, Mass. if you need clean sheetmetal to work with). Bidding opens at $2,500 with no reserve, and this seems like a fair price for a nicely preserved Lancer with its Shelby-inspired bits still attached.
Amazingly fun cars to drive. I’m a bit biased though having an ‘87 glhs and having owned many turbo Daytona’s. But I have to say they still squeak, rattle and rust like an 80’s mopar but I love them.
In my view probably the most attractive k-car. 80’s look without being offensive.. Not something that would tickle my fancy, but I’m not sure you could argue overall value.
Cheap thrills are getting rare.
Worked at a local Dodge dealer in parts and service from the early to late ’90s. As Jered said, fun drive ! Lots of torque steer gave it character and made it feel faster than it was. Turbo II engines were very strong and reliable. Like the look of this car and the starting bid seems very reasonable.
Amesbury. I looooove that town, especially Lion’s Mouth Road, which has a long sweeping curve along a farm with great views. From there, the road narrows very quickly into a lot of tight twisty turns through the woods and adjacent to ponds, ultumately dumping you onto Route 108 in Newton NH. Pretty much all of the roads in that area of the Mass/NH border were great for spirited driving. I met so many pleasant revenue agents (police) on those roads before I “matured”
I drive part of that route on my daily commute from NH into MA. Way more fun and interesting than taking the highway.
Bought one about two years ago from Boston. This is a good price for a very fun car. I wish the best to whoever gets it!
My dad had an 86 or 87 Lancer that he bought new. Champagne outside and burgundy inside, I think. I think it had a more base four-banger and an automatic transmission. It was just kind of there, in a beige 80’s Mopar kind of way. We missed the five speed 83 Sentra hatchback he traded in for it. Needed a bit more space for teenage boys in the back.
I guess that Lancer was ok. I wonder how much of a bump up the Shelby is performance and ride-wise. Dad kept his until he traded it for a new 93 Miata, which daily drive for a decade and kept until a few years ago. When I came home from for that summer I couldn’t believe it he had a Miata. He was a practical car guy and cheap! Hence the Lancer.
Quite a big bump-up – not only in horsepower and torque, but in suspension. The base Lancer was a decent handler, but the Shelby Lancer/Lancer Shelby and LeBaron GTS could carve up a road!
had a shelby lancer with the numbered plate… i remember that the shelby lancer is the one by shelby but the lancer shleby was the one without that dodge did
just to confuse things
Your specking of cars that had the look of a BMW I had a Audi4 1982 looked to me as a BMW knockoff. Many of my friends always called it my generic Bemer?
BILL OF SALE ONLY …………… Hmmm.
New England car makes me wonder what other rust lurks underneath .
128K miles . Hope they were easy ones .
Nice car though .
Good catch Cmarv !
Bill of sale in lieu of an actual transferable title is a real concern ..Chrysler did a great job of creating a corrosion free chassis at the time. Yes, I am biased toward that guy named Lee.
I never really thought of these as BMW wannabees back then, just Chrysler’s take on the revamped high performance car market that started up in the early to mid eighties. Seemed logical with CAFE standards being yet one more costly piece of red tape to go with the fuel friendly 4 bangers as the next breakthrough in performance by turbocharging, multi valve heads,etc..
Don’t know much about these as I was and always will be a V8 lover by nature, but this would make a pretty nice car for low dollars, something that is getting harder to find now days.
The years of the Chrysler quality come-back! The new CEO doing the “turn
around” for all models. Dodge Lancer -Shelby front suspension, turn-radius
quarter inch difference to VW type 1. Thicker torsion bar. Digital dash, using distance sensor numerical speed report below the S rise of the digital tach. Manual five-speed with turbo avoids the turbo-lag with automatic.
Fifth gear is an over-drive for 44mph+ ; 118 mph with 2.2L
Four-door passenger boarding. Infinity sound tech. Seat buckets with
side pads to hold body from turning sway. Seat recline. Twenty- some
individual lights. So-so ok owner book. Separate book for Infinity.