A Dodge Shelby Dakota with less than 6,000 miles will be auctioned off

Today, Shelby American is best known for its F-Series pickup trucks. In fact, the American tuning legend now sells more trucks than Mustangs. The truck trade is nothing new for Shelby, however, as the company briefly sold tuned Dodge Dakotas in the late 1980s.

The Dodge Shelby Dakota was not produced until the 1989 model year, totaling only 1,475 examples. It is the 1,253rd car, with only 5,851 miles on the odometer and in perfect original condition. (#1 belonged to Carroll Shelby himself and was auctioned off a few years ago)

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For many, the Shelby Dakota is the truck that started the pickup truck craze. Recall that Chevrolet followed in 1990 with the 454 SS, GMC in 1991 with the Cyclone, and Ford in 1993 with the Lightning.

Shelby raised the bar by fitting the Dakota with a 5.2-liter V8 engine producing 175 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. This engine was mated to a four-speed automatic and allowed it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds. Additional improvements included a transmission cooling radiator, lockup torque converter, limited-slip differential, and custom wheels.

Perhaps even more striking was the interior, where red velour seat trim contrasted with gray areas with the "Shelby" monogram. Today, the interior has a retro feel.

The car will go under the hammer at Mecum's 2020 Indy Sale auction, which will be held June 23-28 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana.