In my ideal world, I’d own an RV. And I’d be mechanically savvy enough to feel confident driving an older model RV on long trips, and to tow a small, older car for use once I arrived at my destination. So naturally, I loved the sight of this 26-year-old Dodge Shadow convertible being towed by a similar-vintage motor home.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a Shadow convertible, so this one was a welcome sight to break up the monotony of a drive across the blustery Illinois prairies. Chrysler’s 1987-94 P-cars (Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance) were good values for budget-oriented buyers, and the ragtop version hit the bargain convertible market (to what extent that existed) right on target. This car had a good combination of attributes: It was relatively affordable, comfortable, and offered the fun of a convertible without the drawbacks of a sports car. As a result, I’ve always had a soft spot for these convertibles.
The Shadow and Sundance did a decent job carrying the torch of frugality for Chrysler in the late 1980s (though production awkwardly overlapped with their Omni/Horizon predecessors for three years). Available as 2- or 4-doors in a wide variety of trim levels, these models largely avoided the penalty-box awfulness of many small American cars of its era. In 1991, its fifth year of production, the P-car model range expanded in two contrasting directions – with a bargain-basement “America” series starting at about $8,000, and with a new top-end model at about twice that price… a convertible.
The Shadow convertible’s appeal (despite its sunny name, Plymouth’s Sundance never got a convertible version) was that its price undercut that of most other droptops. While not a huge seller, convertibles made up a fairly large chunk of Shadow’s total sales for the three years they were produced; total convertible production is estimated at about 44,000.
This particular convertible is an ES, an upgraded trim level that brought sporty upgrades like the quintessentially ’90s wiggly heartbeat line along the door, fog lights, and an air dam. More importantly, though, is that this car features the optional 141-hp 3.0L V-6 (the same Mitsubishi-supplied engine as used in Chrysler’s minivans), which made for a rather fun package.
Shadow convertibles certainly weren’t perfect; they were prone to chronic leaks, interior materials were of low-quality, and the driving dynamics barely up to 1980s standards, let alone those of the 1990s. Yet the allure of an affordable convertible was enough to overcome these drawbacks, and in the end, Dodge’s decision to offer a convertible Shadow was probably a positive one.
Road & Track magazine noted that the Shadow convertible was “a perfect car for a date.” Certainly a valid point… and it would also be a perfect accessory for a long-distance vacation. Hopefully these folks were heading to a warmer climate where the Shadow could be more in its element. As for me, I doubt that I will ever own an RV, but should that ever change, I might look for a Shadow convertible to tow behind it.
Photographed on Interstate 72 in Morgan County, Illinois in April 2019.
What a great pairing. I always liked these little convertibles. I thought the car’s styling worked very well with the folding top and made a great lower-priced alternative to the popular LeBaron ragtop.
These Shadows/Sundances were something I never got any in-person experience with at all, either as driver or passenger. But from the outside they always seemed like an appealing package.
A Shadow was my second-choice car when I bought my new Chevy Beretta in ’89. I think I would have been just as happy with the Shadow.
The first car I bought with my own money was a 1991 Dodge Shadow convertible in Raspberry Red with a white top, grey interior, and manual transmission. I loved that car, and I made the last payment on it in May, 1996, the same month it moved with me to the Florida Keys, the perfect place for it. Sadly, it was totaled when a tourist on his honeymoon driving a rented Buick piled into the rear of it while checking out the view from the Whale Harbor Bridge in Islamorada (the Jeep ahead of me stopped to make a left turn, so I stopped, and the Buick didn’t). I miss that car.
What a great color combination that must have been. I think the car looks like a larger version of the Geo Metro Convertible, just nicer.
Wow, I haven’t seen a Shadow in 20 years, let alone a convertible one. Around here they turned to rust right around the millennium or so.
Seems like a great way to putter around the campground.
I don’t even remember these. But once Chrysler had the LeBaron convertible bits a Sundance convertible would cost them close to nothing. They are versions of the same thing. And not much different from the boxy predecessors, all K car based.
The thing with any convertible is that once the top is down they are all about the same thing. It’s not about the particular car, it’s about the experience. Driving though a forest or mountains or over a bridge or around a downtown at night goes from a nice drive to awesome. The main difference is whether it has a back seat or not and if you can fit humans in there.
A car with a big sun roof (not the typical submarine hatch) is better than nothing, but not the same. Downside: that foldy roof will need a $1000 or $2000 replacement if you keep the car long enough, particularly if it doesn’t spend its life mostly inside.
I feel like 1/3 of these had their first lives on rental-car lots, such that Hertz, et al, could charge you double the usual daily rate to rent you a convertible.
I drove these as a Manager in the Car Rental business. From the 4cyl ES to the ones with the Mitsubishi V6. I liked them. I thought they were a huge improvement over the Cavalier and Escort.
Back in the day, Chrysler was HUGE in the rental industry, we’d get 2 “turn’s” per model year and run them 6-7 months. My favorite will always be the Dynasty LE in black cherry with the 3.3 V6. Loved them!
I drove Escorts, Cavaliers, and Shadows of this era and you’re right, as a new car the Shadow was the best choice. But Shadows disappeared from the streets sooner than the Escorts and Cavaliers.
In the last 25 years I have seen 4, maybe 5 of these Shadows and the one pictured was the best that I have seen. These never seemed to be the kind of car that caring owners bought….new or used.
FWIW, my source, The Encyclopedia of American Cars shows that LESS than 20,000 Shadow convertibles were sold in 1991,(It’s best year) with less than 45,000 sold in total over its 3 year run.
Interesting — is the exact number 44,338 convertibles by any chance?
I don’t have a primary source of Chrysler production at home, so I found several online sources that cited that number (44,338) having been made in 1991. It seemed high to me, but I figured I’d include it.
Given their rarity, I’m include to believe your source, that just under were sold over the 3 year run, and that the numbers I found incorrectly attributed them all to 1991. Given your information, I’ve updated the text to note that total convertible production is estimated at ~44,000. Thanks!
What that low production run these convertibles should be sought after collector cars by now.
“Yet the allure of an affordable convertible was enough to overcome these drawbacks” – very nicely put! I think that very accurately describes the majority of people who did purchase these Shadow convertibles.
What a rare sight though. I never saw very many of these… ever… and I feel like their lives were probably shorter than your average Shadow or Sundance hatch, due to the soft top and more to go wrong with it.
Funnily enough, I was just thinking of this car the other day when I came across a girl from high school on my Facebook newsfeed. At least when we were in high school her parents owned a dark green one as an extra “fun car”. I wonder if they still have it.
There was a 1991 Dodge Shadow ES Turbo convertible for sale a month ago in Cambridge, Ontario. Described as the best Shadow you’ll find across Canada, it looks immaculate from the pics.
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/cambridge/1991-dodge-shadow-es-turbo-convertible/1421608032?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
This is just adorable. I’m imagining the RV owners are older and I’m picturing them tootling around a new destination in their neat little Shadow droptop.
Great find!
Yep, that sticker under the license plate, and the one on the RV is a Vietnam War service campaign ribbon.
Really a nice combo….a cheap, pleasant convertible that’s easy to fix and doesn’t need to be a great highway cruiser.
Hard to imagine they could sell any of these up against the Miata in the early 90s. The most egregiously awful cars sell because a proportion of the population will only buy American, or see cars only as an undifferentiated appliances bought on cost.
Perhaps, but some people want a convertible AND a back seat. And I seriously doubt that many buyers cross-shopped these against the Miata.
Totally….way different market segments. Miata shoppers were after an actual sports car. Shadow convertible shoppers wanted a car they could go shopping in and take a couple friends out for a drive on nice days.
Dude, a new Miata in 1991 started at around $12,500 stripped down (and back then, stripped down *meant* stripped down), and went up to $19,000 fully loaded. The MSRP on the Shadow convertible was under $10,000, and I payed exactly $11,000 for mine. Not everyone could afford a Miata.
I’ve always liked the styling of these convertibles and as stated they can hold a couple of occasional rear seat passengers. This configuration also gives you extra flexibility when hauling cargo.The Chrysler 2.2 four and especially the Mitsubishi 3.0 V6 were pretty lively engines. Two seat cars are always an indulgence, since their utility is so compromised for most potential buyers. Since I rode motorcycles for so many years, I preferred my cars to be a bit more useful. Looked at as a used car there was so many competing designs; the Miata is the real sports car, the Sunbirds and Cavaliers were econo cars, the Le baron carved out it’s own niche as entry level luxury ride while the Mustang gave you a couple of power train options. As nice as these are, I would choose my Mustang GT over them any day.
I had three 1991 Shadow convertibles – I bought my first one new, raspberry red with a white top, grey interior and 5-speed manual. I moved to its perfect environment, the Florida Keys, in 1996 and drove it with the top down most of the time, putting over 150,000 miles on it before a tourist in a rented Buick rear-ended me hard on the Whale Harbor Bridge in Islamorada, totaling it. I bought a used white ‘91 in Key West after that, but its automatic transmission went south within a year, and I sold it to the tranny repair guy rather than put the money into it. Then I bought a bright red ‘91 and put many, many miles on it before its engine died in 2010. Loved all three, but especially the first one.
After owning 3 convertible Shadows, they are very solid, actually heavy, but we’ll made small cars.The 2.5 was a good balance ,and dependable. My present one is my fifth one,and they are getting harder to find. We under estimate these cars for quality and costs Check out the prices of today’s vehicles, the costs are a joke, engine lights ot stupid intervals,with options that are pushed on us. I’ll stay with older cars,no excuses, just more cash in my pocket with a cool ride