Dodge Stealth Classic Cars for Sale

The Dodge Stealth was a high-performance sports coupe that caused quite some excitement when it went into production in 1991. It incorporated new technology and advanced systems, many of which were only found in supercars at the time, and was intended to be Chrysler's challenge to the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.

The story of the Dodge Stealth

In the 1970's Mitsubishi sold a 15 per cent stake in its company to Chrysler as part of its global sales expansion strategy. The Dodge Stealth was one of the vehicles that was produced as a collaboration between the two companies and was essentially a Mitsubishi 3000GT wearing an exterior body that had been designed by Chrysler. The Dodge Stealh came in four versions: Base, ES, R/T and R/T Turbo. The ES and R/T versions generated a respectable 222hp from the DOHC 24-valve engine and had front-wheel drive with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard. It was the R/T Twin Turbo version of the Dodge Stealth, however, that stood out for its specifications and performance. Rare for its time it had AWD, a unique four-wheel independent suspension, an active exhaust system and a power assisted steering system that allowed the rear wheels to pivot by up to 1.5 degrees. The twin turbo intercooled engine produced 300hp and, even though it weighed close to two tons, it was able to go from 0-60 in less than five seconds, a remarkable feat for its time. In 1995 production of the Dodge Stealth ES was phased out while the second generation of the Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo had improved engine performance with better brakes and gearbox.

Popularity of the Dodge Stealth

In spite of its performance and striking appearance, the Dodge Stealth was only in production for six years. One reason was that the high level of technology in the Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo was mirrored by its cost, which meant that many potential buyers were priced out of the market. For those drivers who admired the Dodge Stealth but were put off by the expense, the Mitsubishi 3000 VR-4 offered a similar performance package, as it was essentially the same vehicle, but it was being sold at a lower price. In addition, those who were keen to promote "buy American" were not convinced by the Dodge badge under which the car was being marketed. In 1991 the Dodge Stealth was initially named the official pace car for the Indianapolis 500, something that had been traditionally reserved for American makes. Protests were lodged at this choice of pace car since the Dodge Stealth was manufactured in Nagoya, Japan, and shortly before the event it was replaced by a Dodge Viper.