What do you call a person whose prowess and unique capabilities seem lost on people until later on? A late bloomer. Sometimes the delay is obvious, and sometimes it's not. When it’s not, it’s usually because the talent or capacity isn’t obvious – yet. That’s a perfect description of the GLH iteration of the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon twins.

Omni lived a relatively unglamorous life for nearly a decade until Carroll Shelby took an unusual interest in it and, in 1986, transformed it into what would become one of the most special muscle cars of the 1980s. Notably, Shelby’s GLHS could leave anything called a muscle car in the dust when it was born in 1986.

The Porsches, Ferraris, and BMWs were no match for the small sedan, not after receiving the S-treatment. It wasn’t Shelby’s first time working such magic. His magical hands fell on Ford’s ‘Stang in the 1960s and resulted in the iconic GT350 and GT500 street king. Shelby’s second coming to the business of making cars transformed Chrysler’s 146-horsepower GLH into a 175-horsepower GLHS, proving he never lost the magic touch.

Related: Rare Gem: 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 Found Abandoned In A Derelict Property

What’s The Dodge Omni?

The 1986 Shelby Dodge Omni GLHS  - Side Angle
Via: Mecum Auctions

It started with Chrysler’s quest for a compact car for the US market during the ‘70s ‘downsizing’ era. In 1974, Chrysler’s then-president Lynn Townsend sent a delegation to the company’s Europe operations to find a compact-car design they could sell in America, having shunned the home-grown FWD small-car design codenamed “C6.”

Meanwhile, Chrysler Europe offered the rejected C6 in the European market as the Chrysler Alpine. The search yielded a 1.3-liter subcompact, shorter wheelbase version of the C6 codenamed “C2.” Remarkably, Congress would pass the country’s first-ever fuel efficiency regulations the following year – 1975, calling for the upping of passenger vehicle efficiency to 27.5 MPG within 10 years.

This development shook America’s automotive landscape significantly, as American cars shrunk in size along with their performance. This context is important to appreciate the magnitude of Shelby’s Omni magic about eight years later.

At the end of 1977, the C2 entered production (as the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon) in Europe and North America simultaneously. As such, Omni and Horizon were near-identical subcompact models. After the $1 takeover of Chrysler Europe by PSA Peugeot Citroën in 1978, Chrysler Corporation retained the design rights to its version of the C2 project and kept building them in its Illinois facility until the 1990 model year.

The Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon marked the first time Chrysler would offer a production FWD car. They were also the marque’s first FWD economy cars built in the USA. Eleven years later, Chrysler had sold a combined 2.5 million units of the Omni and Horizon.

Brief Overview Of The 1986 Dodge/Shelby Omni GLHS

1986 Dodge Omni Shelby GLH-S Hot Hatch
Via: BringaTrailer

Chrysler offered several variants of the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon, such as the 1979 Dodge Omni 024 and Plymouth Horizon TC3 and the 1982 Dodge Rampage and Plymouth Scamp. However, the Carroll Shelby-modified Omni GLH (Goes Like Hell), offered between 1984 and 1986, was the top-performance Dodge Omni.

It had many modifications of the ’83 Shelby Charger, such as the 110-horsepower 2.2-liter "high-output" inline-4, stiffer suspension, larger brakes, and wider tires. The ’85 and ’86 model years came with optional 2.2-liter Turbo 1 inline-4 good for an updated 146 horsepower and offered as the GLH-T.

In 1986, Shelby offered a modified version of the GLH called GLH-S. While some believe the “S” is a salute to Shelby after the automaker dropped the Coyote, the “S” actually stands for “S’more,” that is, goes like hell – some more. Shelby modified the GLHs in his California factory (just 500 examples) and had them sold as Shelby Automobile models at select Dodge dealerships.

The GLH-S’s most distinct mechanical feature was the intercooled Turbo II engine, along with the Koni adjustable shock absorber while the Shelby Centurion wheels were the most distinguishing cosmetic feature. The interior stood out with a unique Shelby-signed dash plaque using 3-digit serial numbering.

Related: The Dodge Omni GLH Isn't Supposed To Do 10s Quarter Mile Times Like This One Can

Your Complete Guide To The 1986 Dodge Omni Shelby GLHS

1986 Dodge Omni Shelby GLH GLHS at a parking
Via Flickr

The Dodge Omni GLHS was legally sold as Shelby cars because Shelby bought and modified the last 500 all-black 1986 Dodge Omni GLH-T by, among other modifications, extensively tweaking and beefing up the Turbo 1 engine to become the Turbo II GLHS. The tweaking includes, among other things, a larger turbo and throttle body, Shelby-tuned intake and exhaust manifolds, a new wiring harness, an air-to-air intercooler, and a new radiator and engine fan.

The intercooler helped ensure the torque peaked from 168 to 175 lb-ft. Shelby also beefed up the suspension with stiffer springs and adjustable low-pressure, gas-charged Koni iso-struts and shocks all around to support the larger tires (205/50VR-15 Goodyear Eagle VR50 Gatorback) mounted on 15-inch Shelby Centurion custom cast aluminum wheels. The tire update from 195/50HR-15 Eagle GT to 205/50VR Eagle VR50 resulted in the rear ride height lowering to about half an inch.

Shelby deleted the anti-roll bars, but that didn't subtract from the GLHS's mini-muscle car profile when observing it from the outside. To promote the performance vibe inside the cabin, Shelby equipped the GLHS with standard amenities, including a full instrumentation panel with a 135-mph speedometer, leather-wrapped steering and shifter, and adjustable bucket seats.

Convenience features include – among other things – air conditioning, AM/FM radio, and a rear window defroster. If all else fails to bring you up to speed, the “Shelby” decal on the front windshield and the driver-side C-pillar makes the Shelby-treatment obvious. The “Shelby” decal is missing on the passenger-side C-pillar probably because the gas cap door got there first.

The GLH-T that provided the basis for the GLHS came in an all-black color scheme which Shelby left alone, except for the “Shelby” graphics. Just about everything else - bumpers, side moldings, and window trim – all dressed in black. Without a roll bar and the presence of quick-ratio power steering, the heavy-duty Shelby brakes should provide the confidence of reliable stopping power. The complete package came at a one-off price of $11,000.

The most remarkable thing about the Dodge Omni GLHS is that it didn't look like a player until you try shoving it out of the way. Bullies like the Ferrari 308 tried to do just that at the Willow Springs International Raceway and swallowed the bitter pill. Not even Shelby’s 1965 GT350 won the fight, as reported in the April 1986 edition of Hot Rod Magazine.

Sources: Mecum, Horsepower Memories