dodge, shelby, charger, mopar, 2.2, turbo, carroll shelby, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987

My car in the autumn of 1987. Cosmetic extras included: GLHS windshield decals, SDAC sticker on side window, driving lights, splash guards (aka: paint savers) and black pin stripe on outer edge of each wheel.

My story: Cincinnati, OH - March 23, 1985 It was time to buy a car.  Finally!  I had thought about it for months (okay, years) and had made up my mind as to what I wanted.  I knew the color and the options that 'had to' be included.  Now the wait was over!  I was fresh out of college and had just accepted my first 'real' job.  I had saved enough to have a decent down payment, so the car of choice was within my reach.  My folks had not purchased a car for me when I was 16.  Although they could afford it, my folks thought it would be better for me to 'earn it' on my own.    A life lesson that helped me to appreciate this purchase even more than they ever could have anticipated.  But enough about life lessons, it was now it was time to go to the dealership. Early on Saturday morning I got my dad to go with me to Marshall Dodge in Covington, Kentucky.  He liked this dealership and the sales manager, so off we went to cut a deal.  When we pulled up to their lot, my pulse really got pumping.  I knew that they had 'the car' in the right color, but when I saw 3 black and silver Shelby Chargers sitting there it was almost too much for me to take.  Wow!  One of the little Shelbys was ready to roll while the other two still had all their 'ground effects' in long boxes that were in the hatchbacks.  They had just arrived at the dealership a few days before.  This was going to be my day! We went inside to talk with Fred, the sales manager.  I had spoken to him on the phone right after I accepted my job, so he knew we were coming.  He was prepared with keys 'in hand' and a smile on his face.  I don't remember much about that conversation, as I was totally focused on getting behind the wheel of that little hot rod.  A moment later, dad and I were sitting in the car.  This car had the 'Sun-Sound-Shade' package.  That meant that it came with a sun roof, cassette player and rear window louvers.  This was the only option that I wanted besides AC, which this car also had.  As I sat behind the wheel for the first time, I remember looking down at the compact instument cluster in the dash and then out at the hood in front of me.  The power bulge with 'turbo' lettering was there as a bold reminder that this car was meant to make driving fun.  I adjusted the seat and got comfortable.  I played with the 5-speed shifter for a minute, and checked the shift pattern a few times before reaching for the key.  The engine fired up quickly and purred with a throaty sound as I let it warm for a moment.  I checked out all the guages and buttons and tried to remain calm.  I remember laughing when I realized that the climate controls were positioned in the dash to the left of the steering wheel.  Yes, this was a driver's car - and the passenger would have to ask you to change the setting! The moment of truth had arrived. Would I correctly launch the car or falter under the pressure of the moment?  I lightly depressed the throttle as I slowly released the clutch.  I had to back out of the parking space in the front of the dealership first before leaving the lot and getting onto the open road.  A number of folks were standing out front watching me, so I didn't want to make my inexperience too obvious.  I had learned to drive 'a stick' on my brother's Chevy Monza, though I was a long way from being a seasoned veteran with a clutch.  But there would be no problem today.  I had made my way to the main road without mishap!  All systems were 'go' and the road was clear. I left the lot with both front wheels smoking and the engine reving up to 7,000 RPM!  Just kidding - but don't you get annoyed when folks say that they did such a stupid stunt?!  I had waited 22 years to test drive a car that I wanted to buy.  I certainly wasn't ruin the moment with some crazy act. Anyway, we drove up Pike Street and around the first bend with that beautiful exhaust note behind up.  The engine was smooth and the steering was very responsive.  I expected the quick-ration steering to feel good, but it was so much better than anything else that I had ever driven that it really surprised me.  You could certainly 'feel' the road as this car's tight suspension made you aware of every imperfection in the pavement, but it wasn't nearly as sever as riding in the Jeep CJ7 that my buddy Tim owned. That first drive went by quickly, but I didn't mind at all.  I simply wanted to get back to the dealership and buy the car.  My dad seemed happy with the car too.  He thought that it was too bumpy of a ride, but didn't seem to make a big deal about it ... he knew my mind was already set. Back at the dealership we quickly took care of the paperwork.  Fred cut me a good deal, but then informed me that the car wouldn't be ready for pickup until Monday.  In 1985 the financing part of car buying wasn't the speedy process that we know today.  I would just have to wait until the finance company approved everything on Monday.  So I would have to wait until I got off of work (my first day on my new job) on Monday.  As we walked out of the showroom door, MY car was there waiting for me.  It was such a beautiful sunny day and the car looked so awesome sitting there all sparkling and new.  There were 2 older men standing there next to the car talking about Shelby and this new car from Dodge.  When they saw me they asked what I thought of the car.  I wanted to be so cool, but by this time I couldn't stop smiling.  I told them that I had just bought the car and with that Fred slid a 'sold' tag onto the windshield wiper!  They were so excited for me - that is a moment that I won't forget. I survived the slowest two days of my life as I waited for Monday evening to arrive.  Dad picked me up from work and we were on our way back to Marshall Dodge.  Once again, Fred was ready for me.  He handed me the keys and some copies of paperwork.  The temporary tag was already on the car, and it sat in the dealerships front spot - facing out toward the world.  The sun was shining down and a warm breeze was blowing as I got into the car, so I twisted the big knob in the center of the roof panel to open the sun roof.  I rolled the windows down and went through a quick pre-fight check.  Once again, all systems were 'go', so I fired up my 1985 Dodge Shelby Charger and headed home. It felt like everyone was looking at me on the drive home.  Not to be puffy ... but perhaps because ... they were!  What a beautiful car!

My 1985 Shelby on day 2 of ownership!

Back in the 80's, the majority of surviving muscle cars from the 60's and 70's were rusting away (today's popular restoration movement had not yet started).  American manufactureres were beginning to 'get their act together' and recover from the dismal production standards of the late 1970's.  The high-performance cars of the day were the Corvette, Camaro, Firebird and Mustang (some things never seem to change), though each sported a highly detuned engine compared to what was available in the muscle car era or what is available today.  The folks at Chrysler (Chairman - Lee Iacocca) asked Carroll Shelby to wave his magic wand over the little Dodge Charger to create a modern muscle car.  The result was the Dodge Shelby Charger.  When the model was introduced to the buying public in 1983, it got my attention.  2 production years later, after I had attained my college diploma, the time was right to buy.  I was hired for my first job after college on friday, and purchased the car the next morning.  Hey, I was going to need something to drive to work in!  I had saved some money during the past summers, and hadn't wasted any on buying an old 'beater' (though I sure wanted to on a few occassions).  The 1985 Dodge Shelby Charger was my first car.  This web site is dedicated to that car and all Shelby Chargers.

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