| Shelby Dakota | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Chrysler Shelby American |
| Also called | Dodge Shelby Dakota Dodge Dakota Shelby |
| Production | 1989 (1,500 built) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Mid-size pickup truck |
| Body style | 2-door truck |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Platform | N-body |
| Related | Dodge Dakota (first generation) |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 5.2 L (318 ci) LA V8 |
| Transmission | 4-speed A500 automatic |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Dodge Dakota R/T (spiritual) |
The Shelby Dakota was a limited-production performance version of the Dodge Dakota Sport pickup truck. Offered by Shelby for 1989 only, it was his first rear-wheel drive vehicle in many years.
The Shelby Dakota started with a short-wheelbase, short-bed, standard-cab pickup. The 3.9 L V6 was removed in place of the 5.2 L V8 with throttle-body injection. On paper, the swap looked simple since both engines were similar, but the tight space in the Dakota's engine compartment meant removing the engine-driven fan in front and using electric ones instead. Removing the belt-driven fan increased the stock 5.2 L V8's output by 5 hp (3.7 kW) up (to 175 hp) but torque was 270 ft⋅lbf (370 N⋅m).
Special wheels and trim, as well as individually numbered dash plaques proclaimed the heritage. At the time, it was the highest-performing pickup truck in existence, except for the Dodge Li’l Red Express Truck, and would set the stage for later factory efforts like the GMC Syclone and Ford F-150 (SVT) Lightning.
The total units were 1,500. 505 in white and 995 in red. One was even made in two-tone with red below the stripe and white above the stripe. List price was $15,813 plus freight.
A spiritual successor to the Shelby was introduced for the second-generation Dakota in 1998 with the Dakota R/T. Though lacking the Shelby name, it similarly featured many high performance upgrades over the standard Dakota Sport, including special wheels and tires, better suspension components and a larger more powerful V8 engine.