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Convertible Dodge Dakota Reviewed by Doug DeMuro, It's Undeniably Quirky

Remember when Ram was the nameplate for Dodge's full-size workhorse lineup? That’s also when the Chrysler-owned brand used to have the Dakota, a mid-size pickup that was briefly offered as a convertible.
The Dodge Dakota Convertible Was a Bizarre Drop-Top Truck 21 photos
Photo: Doug DeMuro on YouTube
1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible
Introduced for the 1989 model year, the “Sport Convertible” was phased out a few short years later over unexpectedly low demand. Hindsight may be 20/20, but Dodge should’ve known better. A soft-topped pickup answers a question that many American motorists have never asked, and this oddball of a truck doesn’t have the off-road prowess of the Jeep Gladiator either.

Another problem of the Dakota Sport Convertible comes in the guise of the American Sunroof Corporation, the company tasked with chopping the metal roof in favor of a canvas top. The whole affair costs a lot of money, and that expenditure inevitably trickles down to the suggested retail price.

When it was brand-spanking new for the 1989 model year, this pickup used to retail at $14,425 for the rear-driven variant with the six-cylinder engine. By comparison, the fixed-head Sport kicked off at $11,293. After adjusting for inflation, these sums convert to $31,760 and $24,870 in today’s money.

Alas, only 2,842 units of the Dakota Sport Convertible were sold in the first year according to Dodge’s production records. Not even the addition of a four-cylinder engine and blue for the color palette saved the open-air truck from its demise because sales fell to 909 units in 1990 and 8 units in 1991.

Be that as it may, Doug DeMuro admires the Dakota Sport Convertible for a couple of reasons. In addition to the wow factor, these pickups sell nowadays for 10 to 20 grand or so, which makes them really interesting for a certain type of enthusiast. Don’t, however, expect tremendous performance because the V6 mill produces 125 horsepower and 195 pound-feet (264 Nm). The four-speed automatic tranny is nothing to write home about either.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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