Background
While former Ford V-P Lee Iacocca could have enjoyed an early retirement, his 1980s turnaround of Chrysler Corporation remains one of the finest achievements in business history. Once the company’s future was secured, Iacocca called on old friend Carroll Shelby to inject a dose of high performance and race-winning image into the company’s front-drive, 4-cylinder Omni/Horizon to compete head-on with the phenomenally successful VW Rabbit GTI. Starting with the comprehensively tweaked Dodge Shelby Charger in 1983, the Dodge Omni GLH followed for 1984, with the model suffix denoting “Goes Like Hell.”
Initially intended to be named the Omni Coyote, the Omni GLH featured engine modifications from the high-output, 110hp 2.2L inline 4-cylinder engine used in the 1983 Dodge Charger, plus the Charger’s stiffer suspension, bigger brakes, and wider, low-profile tires. In 1985, an optional turbocharger became available, creating the GLH-T with 145hp from the rowdy 2.2L mill. The GLH enjoyed major press coverage and buyers loved the startling all-around performance delivered by these affordable pocket rockets. Strong sales showed the world that Chrysler Corporation was still a major player in performance and technology and encouraged Shelby’s return to manufacturing and selling exciting new cars.
The first “true” Shelbys of the 1980s came to fruition for 1986 when Shelby bought the last 500 GLH-Ts built, each one finished in black, and brought them to the Shelby facility in Whittier, California. There, the GLH-T 2.2L powerplant was further modified with an intercooler, larger Garrett turbocharger, and port fuel-injection including an enlarged throttle body, tuned intake and exhaust manifolds, and bigger Bosch injectors, supported by a revised ECM and a new wiring harness, radiator and fan, resulting in a whopping 175hp and 175 ft-lbs of torque! Chassis upgrades included adjustable Koni struts and shocks, stiffer springs, Centurion wheels designed by Shelby, and wide VR-rated Goodyear ‘Gatorback’ tires. A host of other details resulted in the GLH-S delivering shocking performance including 0-60 mph acceleration in 6.5-seconds, the ¼-mile in just over 14-seconds, and a 135-mph top end. The 85-MPH speedometer was also updated with the peg removed and stickers affixed indicating the car’s true speed potential and interiors were enhanced with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and serialized Shelby dash plaque.
