1989 Dodge Shelby Dakota

By the end of the 80s performance had returned to cars. The Chevy Corvette was producing almost 250 hp, the Ford Mustang GT could accelerate to 60 mph in the low 6-second range, and the Trans Am could top 140 mph. But what would you say about a performance pickup? The world hadn’t seen one of those since the end of the ‘70s.

Carroll Shelby who was at the time was working with Chrysler was the man who solved this problem. The Shelby Dakota used the proven formula of installing a large engine in a small car. So the Dakota’s ordinary 3.9L V6 was out and in went the 175 hp 5.2L V8, paired to a four-speed automatic. Fast? Not by today’s standards. But back in those days it sure was. What’s even more important, this truck started a trend for performance trucks.

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