The Underrated Dodge Coupe You Probably Forgot Existed

With a history that dates back to the early days of the automotive industry, Dodge can be counted among the most prolific of American automakers. Over the years, the company has delivered a lineup of cars, trucks, and SUVs that might easily be ranked among the best-loved, and most powerful to make their way down Main Street America and beyond.

That list includes, of course, a few of the more notable muscle cars from the 1960s and 1970s, including underrated builds like the Monaco or the Dart Swinger 340. The manufacturer hardly abandoned its power-loving ways in the 1980s, and during the early part of the decade, Dodge sought to bolster its muscle car chops by partnering with a legendary designer who essentially spearheaded the movement, Carroll Shelby.

That partnership began in earnest in 1982 and lasted all the way through 1989. During that seven-year span, it produced what was arguably one of the more overlooked Dodges of the day, the Shelby CSX. We'd wager that even some of the most steadfast Dodge devotees might've forgotten the CSX ever hit the market. Ditto for all the Shelby super fans who never got past the Cobra-branded Mustang builds that put the man and his mighty machines on the map in the '60s and '70s. If you're among those who've forgotten all about the Shelby CSX, here's a crash course in the makings of this underrated Dodge coupe.

[Featured image by Mr.choppers via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0]

As for the famed, perhaps even infamous, 1980s partnership between Carroll Shelby and Dodge, it seems even Shelby had some mixed feelings about it, admitting he only signed on to work with the company because he felt he owed his old Ford buddy Lee Iaccoca — who was then running Chrysler-Dodge — a solid. Seems Shelby was less than enthusiastic about the Dodge lineup of the day, though he apparently did find something he could work with in the boxy, K-carish build of the Dodge Shadow. 

Now, if you're struggling to fully distinguish the Shelby CSX (short for Carroll Shelby eXperimental) from Dodge cars of the era, it's in no small part because the souped-up coupe is essentially sporting the same frame as the Shadow. Looks aside, there was nothing Shadow-y about Shelby's limited production take on the model, with the designer not only eliminating any Dodge branding from the build, but upgrading the suspension, decking it out in Shelby stickering, and sitting it on shiny brushed aluminum wheels.

Of course, Shelby couldn't stop himself from massively upgrading the gear under the hood, outfitting his CSX builds with a modified 2.2-liter turbo four engine capable of touching a robust 175 horsepower. The Shelby CSX entered production in 1987, with 750 models leaving the production line, though the production numbers dropped to 500 units for 1988 and 1989 respectively. Though not quite as revered as the Ford offerings Shelby produced before and after his Dodge days, CSX's are hot items for those who admire the hard-charging vehicle bearing his name.

[Featured image by Mr.choppers via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0]

The Shelby CSX was far from the only power-loving vehicle Carroll Shelby developed during his tenure with Dodge before making his 1989 exit, with the designer putting his touch on several other cars and trucks from the brand. Like later model CSX's many of those were powered by his famed GLH (Goes Like Hell) engines and fronted more charge than your average Dodge could fathom.

Naturally, that included Dodge Chargers of the day, with Shelby taking on that beloved build from the muscle car era as his first collaboration with the brand in 1982. He'd continue to go full Shelby on the Charger for most of his run with Dodge and would even put his touch on some of the company's better builds of the '80s, including the Omni, Daytona, and Lancer. Shelby would also set about tricking out some of the pickup trucks in the Dodge lineup, including the Ram and Dakota — the former of which he powered up with a 360-in V8 engine that topped out at 300 horsepower and went 0 to 60 in roughly seven seconds.

Perhaps one of Shelby's most important contributions to the greater Dodge automotive universe came towards the end of his tenure, and on a vehicle that didn't enter production until after his departure. That vehicle was Dodge's iconic supercar, the Viper. While Shelby didn't see the vehicle through to its 1992 release, he was, fittingly, still tapped to debut a 1991 prototype by driving it at that year's Indianapolis 500.