When we first saw the haunting images of an extremely dusty Shelby Omni GLH-S we thought it was one of Dizzy Viper’s renderings of abandoned hypercars only in this case, the car is 100% real. This example of the limited-production hot hatch from the ’80s is located in Tennessee and is offered for sale, 15 years after it last saw the light of day.
We heard about this barn-find special from Buck Fleming who recently bought it from the original owner – his father. He said that the Shelby has been parked in the same spot for around 15 years, after suffering a broken transmission. Initially, he intended to fix it using parts from a Daytona, but not having the time and the energy, he decided it was time to look for a new owner.
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The car has traveled between 120,000-130,000 miles (193,000-209,000 km) since it left the factory 38 years ago so it is no time machine. Judging from the time it spent without moving and its current condition as revealed in the photos, a full restoration might be needed in order to get it back on the road. The bodywork which is hidden under many layers of dust doesn’t have any visible dents but certainly requires a lot more than a simple car wash to shine again.
The interior is in a worse state, with the bucket seats worn off and some discoloration in the plastic components. The numbered plaque with Carroll Shelby’s signature reveals that this is the number 230 out of the 500 units ever produced. Luckily, the Omni doesn’t appear to have any modifications, retaining the stock bodykit, the “GLH-S intercooled” sticker, and the 15-inch Centurian alloy wheels that will need a new set of tires.
For those not familiar with this piece of American hot hatch history, the Shelby GLH-S is a performance-focused variant of the Dodge Omni / Plymouth Horizon. It was only offered for the 1986 model year in a limited number of 500 units, featuring a number of modifications by Shelby Automobiles including a more powerful engine, a sporty bodykit, and Koni adjustable suspension.
The intercooled turbocharged 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine produced 175 hp (130 kW / 177 PS) and 237 Nm (175 lb-ft) of torque when new. Those figures were really impressive for a sub-compact hatchback from the mid-’80s, leaving some V8-powered muscle cars of the same era to dust. Power was transmitted to the front axle through a five-speed manual gearbox, allowing a 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) acceleration in 6.5 seconds., which is 0.2 seconds quicker than a modern Ford Fiesta ST!
Buck says that he will take the highest offer for the Shelby Omni GLH-S considering that it needs a lot of work to put it back on the road. Despite the neglect, the car which is located close to Knoxville, Tennessee, remains a collectible piece so whoever is interested can contact the owner directly through social media. We sincerely hope that the new owner will fix the classic hot hatch, making it look like Carroll Shelby’s own GLH-S that went under the hammer in 2021.
