While Carroll Shelby’s involvement with an automotive project almost always tends to yield positive results, sometimes his endeavors fade into obscurity. This seems to have happened with the Dodge Durango SP360 SUV, which was given the Shelby treatment in every way imaginable and is still, to this day, a formidable high-performance SUV. It’s not exactly at the top of the list for most collectors, however, so finding one doesn’t yield much of a reaction other than, “Oh yeah, they made that.” This example listed here on eBay appears to remain in excellent condition with one very important alteration from Shelby’s original formula.
When the Durango entered the market, it did so at exactly the right time. The SUV craze was in full swing, and Dodge needed a vehicle other than the Cherokee to hang its sport utility credentials on. Taking the Dakota pickup and effectively giving it a traditional body was the answer, as the exterior treatment and interior fittings are all basically lifted straight from the popular pickup. The Durango was a hit when it was introduced, and I can recall seeing these first-generation rigs seemingly everywhere (not so much anymore.) The Shelby version obviously took that mall-crawler SUV and gave it an aggressive paint scheme reminiscent of a Viper GTS, among other changes.
On the inside, driver and front passenger got these terrific Cerullo bucket seats, and the rest of the interior corresponded nicely with gray leather and black inserts. Shelby’s signature was seen on the bucket seats and the dashboard, with the latter adorned with carbon fiber trim. The exterior obviously sports a custom body kit with giant driving lamps up front, and those slick polished “twist”-style wheels are entirely period-correct. The most significant change from the Shelby recipe made by a previous owner, however, is the suspension: they smartly installed Edelbrock IAS shocks and presumably some lowering springs to kill the ridiculous fender gap these trucks originally came with.
There’s one other deviation from Shelby’s grand design that is apparent when you peek under the hood: the signature Kenne Bell supercharger is no where to be found. I found it odd that the seller made no mention of this, since it obviously transformed the 5.9L V8 in a significant way. However, there were a handful of these trucks sold without the supercharger kit, usually as a means of getting the price down for customers more interested in the looks than the performance. It does limit the appeal significantly, however, if you’re looking for a truly high-performance SUV. Perhaps it’s possible to retrofit a S/C kit and realize Shelby’s ultimate vision.
That huge gap between the body and the back bumper near the taillights! They really were all like that, the regular production ones too, and it was the first thing I ever noticed about the original Durango.
Had a 1999 4×4 5.9 red Durango for 9 years and it performed well Had 392 gearing. Not the best for off roading but did the job well. I have worked on jeeps and Chryslers since 1993 and still do and have noticed the same thing about that gap above the rear bumper on these years too.
Another “wow” factor is that it didn’t rust out in 5 years like most Durango’s and Chrysler Aspen’s.
Two different cars. This is Gen 1. Aspen is Gen 2.
It seems like a very nice find, but at 25 K, I am not that optimistic!
A nice example and to what i remember of road tests of the era the 5.9 was no slouch even in normally aspirated form but you also needed a membership card with your local gas bar because thirst was of the essence.
Lavery those seats 💺 🔥
I was the service manager at a Dodge dealer when these came out and the superchargers were killing the engines. Dodge did not sign off on the modification, so warranties were being blocked for driveline problems. After replacing an engine under warranty and then having the claim charged back, the 2 remaining ones left in stock had the superchargers removed so most likely this is a dealer modification at Chryslers direction. I do not recall if the supercharger was an option as the 4 of them we had all had it installed when we received them.
Thank You, I was sort of wondering where the Kenne Bell supercharger was. I didn’t know that story, so you saved me from asking that question. I wonder what removing that supercharger dropped the advertised 360 HP down to?
All show and no go!
Its plenty of go Bubba
Wouldn’t attract any rookie cops with this, I’m sure!
I was told by a Durango owner they were gas pigs.
Needs a Hellcat motor.
The original V8 could be preserved if desired. Real straight-line performance is just an engine swap away!