Every time a car has the name "Shelby" attached, there's a certain expectation of performance and speed that comes with it.
The same could be said about a certain pickup truck called the Dodge Shelby Dakota. It's one of the rare pickup trucks that is given the same reverence and respect as the man Carroll Shelby.
Car enthusiasts oftentimes associate the "Shelby" name with muscle cars such as the Shelby Cobra, Shelby Mustang GT500, and so on. All have a history of being innovative and extremely fast.
A legend in the industry, Carroll Shelby's race cars were game-changers in the 1970s and '80s. While the horsepower of the muscle cars is what carried the automotive business through some dark times, one car falls under the radar as one of Shelby's masterpieces: The Dodge Shelby Dakota.
Some would say it's just another mid-size pickup in the market. What most won't bother knowing is that Shelby had its reasons for making such a vehicle.
Let's start by looking at the Dodge Shelby model.
A Brief Background On Dodge Shelby
Carroll Shelby already has a good reputation for performance cars as early as the 1960s. He was adding a ton of horsepower into vehicles expected to be fast already.
He initially did this with the Shelby Cobra, which turned British roadsters into American muscle after placing a V8 under its hood. Shelby also worked with Ford to give us fast cars like the GT40, and GT350 Mustang.
The problem was Ford was a huge company that had most of the say in marketing and production, which didn't sit well with the man himself. It's what forced Shelby into retirement where he sought other options.
Shelby tapped his relationship with former Ford executive Lee Iacocca, who at that time was working for Chrysler. One of Iacocca's orders of business is to give dodge a reputation for being a performance brand.
That said, Shelby and Iacocca worked together, forming the Dodge Shelby lines. It started with the Dodge Shelby Charger in 1983 and the rest is history.
What's with the Dodge Shelby Dakota?
Still shaking off the jitters of retirement, Shelby wanted some innovation outside muscle cars. He noticed how the American market wanted either a full-size or a compact when buying a truck.
Dodge decided to create the Dakota in 1987. The Dakota was a mid-size pickup truck that was the middle ground between a Ford Ranger and the more massive F-Series trucks.
The Dodge Dakota did well in the market from the time it was made until its last production in 2011. As good as it was, it still wasn't packed with power as it only had either a 2.2L inline 4 or a 3.9L V6 under its hood.
This is when Shelby gave the Dodge Dakota the upgrade it so desperately needed.
A Look At The 1989 Dodge Shelby Dakota
Shelby hasn't made a performance vehicle in two decades. It was about time that he started working with a V8 RWD again.
That said, 1989 was the year the Dodge Dakota got a much-needed upgrade. Dodge offered a $3,933 upgrade called the Dodge Shelby Dakota.
It was a limited-production performance version of the pickup line. Only 1,500 Shelby Dakota models were produced.
The upgrade gave the Dakota more excitement. Shelby took out the 5.2L "Magnum" V8 from the full-size Dodge Ram, the same as he did with the Shelby Cobra.
Its mechanical radiator fans were replaced with advanced electrical fans since the Dodge Ram engine was quite a big fit for Dakota's hood.
With the engine upgrade, the Dakota stands at 175 horsepower and was now capable of 270 Lb-ft of torque. This was 1989, which meant the V8 Dakota was one of the most impressive trucks for that time.
It didn't only get upgrades under its hood. The Shelby Dakota also had a unique body kit and decals placed. Its interior was also designed through Shelby's image and likeness.
To cap it all off, special edition Shelby wheels were placed and had only a limited-slip differential.
How Much Does The 1989 Shelby Dakota Cost Today?
The fact that the Dodge Dakota has a "Shelby" tag in it, its value is expected to be higher than other Dakota models. Add to that the fact that this is a one-off for the 1989 model year bumps that value a bit higher.
Sadly, the Dodge Dakota didn't see a lot of success during the time it was released. Not enough people saw value in a mid-size truck back in the day even if it had a V8 under its hood.
Good thing it only ran for a year especially since the 1980s was a bizarre time to make performance trucks. It was years ahead before people started embracing such a concept.
It was just unfair that the Shelby Dakota doesn't get any credit but people revered the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevy 454SS that followed. It still doesn't take away the Dodge Shelby Dakota's place in history.
While engine swaps to the Dodge Dakota have become a thing now, the original Shelby Dakotas play around the $17,000 upwards price range. The most expensive one sold for $39,600 at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction.
Speaking of performance trucks, the modern version of the Shelby Dakota might be the Ford Shelby F-150 which has a 770 horsepower V8 engine under its hood.