A 1987 Shelby Lancer is being sold on Bring a Trailer, representing one of just 800 first-year models built at Carroll Shelby's California operations. The car carries only 1,500 miles on its odometer after the original owner's father traded in a 1960s Shelby Mustang for it and drove it sparingly.
The Shelby Lancer came exclusively in red that year. This example is numbered 590 of 800 produced, split equally between manual and automatic transmissions. The seller notes this car has the three-speed automatic version.
Power comes from a turbocharged and intercooled 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 175 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. The report states that automatic-equipped cars produced "significantly less punchy" performance in later generations, but this first-year model delivered the same output regardless of transmission choice.
The car includes factory air conditioning, power windows and door locks, leather seats, and a factory CD player, which the seller identifies as a rare feature for 1987. The styling features a mild aerodynamic package and 15-inch basket-weave wheels.
Shelby later badged subsequent Lancers as "Lancer Shelby" and built them in Michigan alongside standard Lancers, making the 1987 California-built examples distinct within the lineup.