“The American sports car has just grown up.”

1984 was the first year for Dodge’s Daytona. Built on the K-car platform but with a shorter wheelbase, the Daytona was now Dodge’s sportiest car, upending the Shelby Charger. The Turbo Z was the top-of-the-line of three available Daytona versions.

The Daytona Turbo and Turbo Z‘s standard powertrain was the Turbo I 142 bhp 2.2 liter/135 ci inline four with fuel injection and a turbocharger paired with a five-speed manual transmission. A three-speed automatic transmission was optional ($439). Mileage with the hot setup (turbo and manual) was 20 city/27 highway by the day’s standards (18/25 by 2025 measures), while the 0-60 time was about 8.5 seconds. Moving to the three-speed automatic killed highway mileage, making the ratings 20 and 23. With a 14-gallon gas tank, a five-speed Daytona’s owner could expect a range of 270 to 295 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the Daytona Turbo (priced at $10,227 or about $32,400 in today’s dollars) included dual horns, a performance handling package, quick ratio power steering, power brakes, and 195/60R15 Goodyear Eagle GT tires (a size still readily available) on 15-inch cast aluminum wheels. Inside, performance front bucket seats, dual remote power mirrors, a leather-wrapped Sport steering wheel, a center console, and an AM radio with a digital clock were included.

Moving up to Turbo Z ($11,454 or about $36,300 in 2025 dollars) added two-tone paint, a deeper front air dam, extended ground effects, and a specific three-piece rear spoiler.

Options & Production Numbers

Optional equipment included air conditioning ($737), cruise control ($179), tilt steering column ($110), power windows ($185), power door locks ($125), a range of stereos, and a Premium Speaker System ($132). With all the trimmings, a Turbo Z could fairly easily get to $13,200 or so or about $41,800 in today’s dollars—almost exactly what a 2023 Dodge Challenger R/T costs.

Dodge moved almost 50,000 Daytonas in the 1984 model year. The closely related Chrysler Laser actually sold more units in its first two years.

However, Chrysler Corporation must have been disappointed—this was an era where the Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang, and Pontiac Firebird were routinely selling in the hundreds of thousands (the three models combined for 530,000 sold in 1984). By 1987, the Laser would be gone, with the Daytona hanging on through the 1993 model year after a few pretty good years in the late 1980s.

Initial reception to the Daytona was good—Car and Driver called it “America’s first legitimate front-wheel-drive muscle car.”

The View From 2025

Daytonas sometimes appear in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, or on Bring a Trailer (BaT has auctioned eleven in the last four years).

Make mine the Red/Silver two-tone, please.

Other sporty Chrysler corporation products I have written about include the 1984 Chrysler Laser hatchback coupe, the 1985 Dodge Shelby Charger hatchback coupe, and the 1985 Dodge Omni GLH hatchback sedan.

Last updated April 2025.

At Mecum Kissimmee 2022, a Dodge Shelby Charger sold for $12,000.

“32% nastier.”

For 1985, the Dodge Shelby Charger gained an upgraded engine. Gone was the 107 bhp naturally aspirated inline four, replaced with a Turbo I 146 bhp 2.2 liter/135 ci inline four with fuel injection and (natch) a turbocharger. Dodge added a power bulge to the hood to clear the turbocharger, and, of course, there were new Turbo badges. Inside, the high back front bucket seats were notably improved. This combination of changes yielded a substantially improved Shelby Charger over what was initially released in the middle of the 1983 model year.

With the aid of a 2,456-pound curb weight, 0-60 mph came in a little under 8 seconds—sprightly for a reasonably priced sport coupe in 1985. Fuel economy ratings were 19 city/29 highway by the day’s standards (17/26 by today’s measures). With a 13-gallon gas tank, the owner of a Shelby Charger could expect a range of 250 to 280 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $9,553 Shelby Charger included tinted glass, halogen headlamps, a rear spoiler, rack and pinion steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and P205/50VR15 Goodyear Eagle tires (a size still readily available) with 15-inch cast aluminum wheels. Inside, a Rallye cluster with a tachometer and trip odometer, a front console, a power liftgate release, a Sport steering wheel, and the aforementioned high back front bucket seats were included.

Options & Production Numbers

Options included a removable glass sunroof ($315), a rear window defroster ($132), a rear cargo area tonneau cover ($69), air conditioning ($643), and two upmarket stereos. A $779 Sun/Sound/Shade Discount Package included the sunroof, an AM/FM Premium stereo with cassette, and black rear deck window louvers.

Dodge produced 7,709 Shelby Chargers for the 1985 model year, making that year the second-highest production of the five years the model was available. After 1987, the front-wheel-drive Charger would be gone, replaced by the Shadow.

The View From 2025

Shelby Chargers have their followers as a part of Dodge’s storied high-performance history. They are sometimes available in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and at online auctions such as Bring a Trailer that cater to the eighties car market. As I update this blog post in April 2025, there’s a Burgundy/Silver 1987 Shelby Charger with a gray interior and 51,000 miles for sale on Hemmings, asking $12,400.

Make mine Santa Fe Blue Metallic, please. That also gets me the silver stripe.

I have also written about the 1985 Omni GLH hatchback sedan.

Last updated April 2025.

We had a lot of road work going on in our area in September 2020. I had to take a short detour, which sent me down a route that included a few blocks I’d never traveled. I saw a white Dodge Aries sedan parked on the side of the road. A day later, I went back and took a couple of pictures. The Aries was in pretty good shape and sported a Pennsylvania classic car plate.

“More car for the money than you thought possible.”

For 1987, changes to the Dodge Aries sedan were minor. A stainless steel exhaust system was new, as were standard front bucket seats.

The Aries’ standard powertrain was an E86 97 bhp 2.2 liter/135 ci inline four with central fuel injection paired with a five-speed manual transmission. A 100 bhp 2.5 liter/152 ci inline four was a $287 option for the LE only and required the $534 TorqueFlite automatic transmission.

Fuel economy with the standard powertrain was rated at 25 city/32 highway by the day’s standards (22/29 by 2025 measures), while ratings for the 2.5 liter/automatic combination dropped to 22/27. With a 14-gallon gas tank, the owner of a base Aries sedan could expect a range of 320 to 360 miles with a 10% fuel reserve. The driver of a 2.5 liter Aries could expect about 50 miles less. Best case 0-60 times were about 10.5 seconds in a car with a shipping weight of just under 2,500 pounds.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment for the $7,655 Dodge Aries sedan included halogen headlights, manual rack-and-pinion steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, a compact spare tire, and P175/80R13 black sidewall tires (now generally a trailer size) on 13-inch wheels with hubcaps. Inside, a manual left exterior mirror, a Deluxe two-spoke steering wheel, a mini console, and cloth with vinyl trim low-back bucket seats with reclining seatbacks were included.

Moving up to the $8,134 LE (which 93% of Aries sedan buyers did), added Deluxe wheel covers, a power left exterior mirror, Deluxe windshield wipers with intermittent wipe, a trunk light, cloth door trim panels, and an AM electronic tuning radio with a digital clock. The LE could get a vinyl bench seat at no extra charge.

Packages, Options, & Production Numbers

Chrysler Corporation had begun to move to more options packages by the mid-eighties. The Aries sedan had four for 1987:

• Basic Equipment Package ($261) included Deluxe 13-inch wheel covers, a black power left exterior mirror, Deluxe windshield wipers with intermittent wipe, and an AM electronic tuning radio with a digital clock. It was (natch!) only available for the base sedan.
• Popular Equipment Discount Package included tinted glass, bodyside tape stripes, an automatic transmission, power-assisted steering, and P185/70R14 black sidewall tires (a size still readily available) on 14-inch wheels with Deluxe wheel covers. Inside, the package included black dual remote exterior mirrors, special sound insulation, trunk dress-up, and an AM stereo/FM stereo electronic tuning radio with a cassette player, four speakers, and a digital clock. This package was LE-only and went for $740.
• Premium Equipment Discount Package ($1,312 and LE-only) included everything in the Popular Equipment Discount Package and added an electric rear window defroster, electronic speed control, a Luxury two-spoke steering wheel, a tilt steering column, and power door locks.
• Light Package ($59 and LE-only) included an ash receiver light, a cigar lighter light, a headlights-on warning buzzer, an ignition switch light with time delay, and an underhood light.

Individual options included tinted glass ($121), 14-inch cast aluminum road wheels ($332 with either the Popular or Premium packages/$381 without), a conventional spare tire ($75 for 13-inch wheel/$85 for $14-inch wheel), and air conditioning ($790 and requiring tinted glass). Between the packages and the options, a loaded LE sedan could surpass $11,000 on its window sticker.

The Aries sedan continued to sell respectably in 1987, with 71,216 sold. It remained by far the best-selling Dodge sedan.

The View From 2025

Interestingly, K cars have not entirely disappeared from the road—quite unlike many of their eighties peers. Examples of the Aries rarely show up for sale in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and on eBay Motors, though they do appear on cars.com and Bring a Trailer.

Make mine the extra cost ($41) Twilight Blue Pearl Coat, please.

Other K and K-based cars I have written about include the 1981 Plymouth Reliant coupe, the 1982 Chrysler LeBaron convertible, the 1984 Chrysler Laser hatchback coupe, the 1984 Dodge Daytona Turbo Z hatchback coupe, the 1984 Plymouth Voyager minivan, the 1985 Dodge 600 Club Coupe, and the 1986 Chrysler Town and Country convertible.

Last updated April 2025.

Mecum’s “Summer Special” auction in August 2020 included three examples of the 1980s Ramcharger. The one that did the best was a 1986 Royal S.E.—the top-of-the-line for that year. Its hammer price was $15,500.

“Tough in the Rough.”

For 1986, Dodge’s Ramcharger SUV received a new crosshair grille, which had a strong resemblance to their early 1970s pickup truck design. The side mirror assemblies were simplified but other than that, there was little change besides some new colors.

The Ramcharger’s standard engine was an LA 150 bhp 5.2 liter/318 ci V8 with a two-barrel carburetor. It came with a four-speed manual if four-wheel drive was chosen and a three-speed automatic if two-wheel drive was preferred. An LA 175 bhp 5.9 liter/360 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor went for an additional $261. With the base powertrain, fuel economy was rated at an uninspiring (and somewhat uncompetitive) 11 city/14 highway by the standards of the day in an SUV with a curb weight that started at 4,045 pounds. A capacious 35-gallon gas tank did give a respectable 360 to 395-mile range with a 10% fuel reserve.

Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the $11,534 Ramcharger included tinted glass, chrome front and rear bumpers, two-wheel drive, power front disc/rear drum brakes, power steering, and P235/75R15 tires (a size still readily available) on 15 x 6.5-inch wheels. Inside, Deluxe vinyl low-back front bucket seats and an ETR AM radio with a digital clock was included. The four-wheel-drive version of the Ramcharger went for an additional $1,229.

Among the many individual options available were aluminum road wheels ($350), a heavy-duty alternator ($145), intermittent windshield wipers ($55), air conditioning ($740), and an ETR AM stereo/FM stereo radio with a cassette player and a clock ($360).

A few options packages were available. Prospector Package I ($768) included a bright grille, Deluxe wheel covers, a Ram’s Head hood ornament, Prospector nameplates, and a convenience package. Prospector Package II ($1,251) added the Royal S.E. décor package and power door locks. Finally, the top-of-the-line Prospector Package III ($3,269 2WD/$3,186 4WD) added two-tone paint, air conditioning, power windows, speed control, and a tilt steering column.

The Ramcharger’s sales peaked at 37,055 in the 1985 model year and would never again come close to that total. With little changed for 1986, sales slipped substantially, with only 20,815 Ramchargers produced compared to 37,310 Chevrolet Blazers and 57,488 Ford Broncos.

Along with other eighties SUVS, Ramchargers are attracting significant collector interest. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a loaded 1986 Ramcharger Royal S.E. 4×4 in #1/Concours condition is $29,100, with a far more normal #3/Good condition AD-100 version going for $9,400. Ramchargers are often available in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and on eBay Motors. As I write this post, a Black 1989 Ramcharger with tan bucket seats and 61,000 miles is for sale on Hemmings for $20,000.

Make mine Charcoal Gray Metallic, please. Other Dodges I have written about are the 1985 600 Club Coupe and the 1985 Omni GLH.

“… never, never, take it home to meet Mom.”

Though 1984 was the debut year for the Dodge Omni GLH, 1985 was the first year that Chrysler’s Turbo I 2.2 liter/135 ci turbocharged inline four was available with it (for an additional $872). Packing 146 bhp and 170 lb-ft of torque, the turbo delivered 0-60 times in about 7.5 seconds. Standard power on the GLH was the High Output 110 bhp 2.2 liter/135 ci inline four, and both engines came with a five-speed manual transmission.

Mileage for the turbo was 21 city/30 highway (18/27 by today’s standards) on premium gasoline. Giving up the turbo took you to 25/34 and let you run on regular fuel. Range with the 13-gallon gas tank was almost 300 miles with a 10% reserve.

The base price for an Omni GLH was $7,620 (about $23,100 in 2025 dollars). For that money, purchasers got a front air dam and side skirts, both finished in black, as was the grille. Distinctive aluminum 16-hole “pizza” wheels rolled on low-profile 195/50R15 tires—now considered a tiny size, but still available. Power steering, power brakes, and a sport suspension were standard and fog lamps completed the “sporty for a 4-door compact” look.

Inside, a GLH was pretty basic. You did get cloth high-backed bucket seats, a Rallye instrument cluster, dual remote mirrors, intermittent windshield wipers, and an AM/FM stereo radio.

Options & Production Numbers

The GLH had few exterior add-ons available. Inside, buyers could add options such as air conditioning ($643), a rear window defroster ($132), automatic speed control ($179), and an AM/FM stereo radio with cassette.

Dodge sold 6,513 Omni GLH models in 1985, including 3,004 normally-aspirated models and 3,509 with the turbo, making the GLH about 9% of total Omni/Horizon production for that model year.

The View From 2025

GLH‘s rarely appear in either the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds or on eBay Motors; I don’t think many of these cars lasted even a decade. You do occasionally see them on Bring a Trailer.

Make mine Black, please—so the ground effects match.

Last updated April 2025.