The Shelby years at Dodge delivered some of the car world’s most lovable hot hatches and coupes: turbocharged and slightly maniacal front drivers that actually handled worth a bean and could be tweaked for even more power. Today, they remain surprisingly affordable for cars blessed by the great CS, but exquisite examples like the Omni GLHS here on MotorCarPortfolio website are, not surprisingly, commanding very real money.
Listed for a cool $25K, this GLHS is likely one of the best still on the road. It appears to have been treated as a weekend-only car since new, with under 60,000 original miles and flawless paint and wheels. While it’s not impossible to find decent Omnis for sale, finding one in this sort of condition is a tall order. Whether from attrition or abuse, GLH cars rarely survive in this kind of form.
What’s mind boggling, however, is you’ll occasionally still see a Shelby-fied Shadow or Charger show up in the local salvage yard. They’re desirable when in top-shelf trim like this, but still considered throwaway-grade when not loved. This Omni even has custom “GLH” floormats in addition to an extremely well-preserved interior with next to no signs of wear and tear. Even though the mileage is low at 51,600, the car has been used and there’s still very little to fault inside the cabin.
The GLHS was a fire-breather, with the ante upped to 175(!) b.h.p. sitting in front of what was otherwise a runt-ish little econobox. This sucker ripped through the quarter mile in under 15 seconds, eclipsed 60 in under 7, and would suck your face in to the tune of 130 m.p.h. with your foot through the floorboard. That’s just plain goofy in a car like this, but it’s also the reason we love them and why this dealer is betting on someone forking over the cash to own one of the best left.
OOOHHH! Barnfinds, WHY Do you keep doing this to me?? Dangling these delightfully desirable items in front of me, when I ABSOLUTELY DON’t T need any more cars?!? (Want, however, is an entirely different matter), LOL!! :-)
Back when these first came out I recall the GLH standing for”Goes Like Hell”. They were definitely sleepers.
Even better , This is a GLHS. The S stood for “s’more”.
Goes Like He!! is correct.
That car is not worth 25k.Dealers believe they can double the price of classic cars.I keep seeing a museum quality g.l.h.s. On eBay with half the mileage of this with no buyers yet.beat mustangs , Camaros, and firebirds with a 4 cylinder.economy speedster with economy build quality.
Nice car, way over priced. There’s 2 on ebay for 17k and 19k with a fraction of the mileage that have been sitting for months.
They were Junkthen, and are now. Shelby should have been Ashamed of himself for putting his Name on them!
@ Bill gross obviously you have never driven or rode in one of these. It would easily stomp a mud hole in what ever you are driving. Try it, these will make a believer out of you.
I think that’s way too high but it is a nice one. You would think these cars would be a little more desirable but they don’t sell and that’s a shame because they are cool little cars
I remember when the regular ones came out with the 2.2 liter engine they were reliable and got decent mileage, fairly ugly and completely non-descript the since they were a Mopar product on top of all that I never owned one but still a respectable car, even in my eyes!
They also made an FLH model (Faster Than Hell) if I remember correctly.
I used to work at a Chrysler dealership when these cars were new. I drove every Shelby Dodge except the van. And, I beat the crap out of them when I did! They were all very quick for the time.
Shelby van?
Yup. Shelby made a van.
Thanks Eric, never heard of one!
I see these cars a well liked but in my opinion there should NOT be the name Shelby on them!! It’s a disgrace to what that man stood for!!
Huh? Shelby himself designed these, and had the last 1000 modified in his own shop. Whether his motivation was interest or money, does not matter, they are for sure true Shelbys. Just because something doesn’t have a traditional V8 in it does not make it less desired for all the people, some people understand there is many ways to get where you are going, and ol’ Shel understood that too.
You really need to drive one to make that call. I drove every model except the van. They deserve the name.
I would think Shelby had a better grasp of what his name should go on than you do.
Believe it or not, the 86 GLHS was one of Shelby’s favorite cars. He would take his serial #1 on the highway and “play” with the sports cars in his 80s.
I remember working the finish line at the Keno (Oregon) Hill Climb.
We heard that there was an “Omni coming up the hill”,so we kind of took a
break,waiting for it to pass by.We were shocked when flew by (in record time)!
The owner bought it on Thursday,& ran it on Saturday.It was in advertisements as the first win by a Shelby,since……
I think that these are really cool cars,but still have the Chrysler
“quality” build of that era.
I like the GLH, but I’m really digging the Ford Torino finished in Playboy Pink on the seller’s website…definitely be the only one at the show and shine.
I like these. I had an 87 Shadow that was a lot of fun. That car went to the junkyard at 80k with a good body. I like all these mid 80’s Shelby cars. That steering wheel though…
had an 1985 omni like this in germany. so slow it wasn’t allowed on the autobahn!
Its still an omni ! I also drove all these when new and yes with foot glued to the floorboards ,not bad drove like most k cars from that time but no way it beat the fox body or gn ! Plus ive said it before these were prone to head gaskets failing . If i rember shelbys were blue and silver or blue and white , never seen other colors .
Dang….don’t tell Tim Shelby made a truck also !
f I were looking to spend 25K on a car, it sure wouldn’t be for this butt ugly thing. I don’t care whose name is on it, or how quick it might be. It has the styling of a tin can.
This GLH is in my subdivision, I took this picture today, it’s the second time in eight years I’ve seen it without the car cover on it! It has less than 10k on it! Yes I’m waiting for someone to die because it’s the only way I’ll get it!
Those are wrong wheels. Look for hood vent. Just trying to make sure they didnt put the sideskirts from a GLH on a base Omni.
That looks like the garnet red, I’ve only seen them in the bright red.
Hey, I’ve been a Dodge guy since I saw my first Shelby Charger while on my way to middle school on the bus. Understand this…there will ALWAYS be haters who THINK they know it all and that their personal opinion trumps EVERYONE else’s. Dig this..CS accented the Charger and Omni line for Dodge, then produced upgraded… ‘to HIS’ standards’, Chargers and Omnis at ‘HIS’ factory, plaquered and numbered them. Why dont WE all let those facts, respectfully be enough. Keep the negative to a minimum. Shelby was a pioneer who ventured off the ‘expected’ norm to produce a smaller cylinder product with cool lines, decent fuel economy and a new realm of excitement. JUST CHILL!