TheProfessor47 managed to catch a rare bird indeed, the Eagle branded version of the Mitsubishi RVR, known in the US as the Expo LRV, and as the Space Runner in Europe. It was also sold as the Dodge Colt Wagon. These were essentially shortened version of the gen2 seven-seater Mitsubishi Chariot/Space Wagon (aka Dodge/Plymouth Colt Vista). It all gets a bit complicated, and I will be doing a full CC on these cars before long. But like so many things Eagle, this one has fallen off the radar. Good catch.
These tall-boy wagons all have their origin in the seminal Nissan Prairie/Stanza Wagon. This genre enjoyed a huge and long boom, especially so during Japan’s go-go late eighties’ bubble economy. They were commonly sold there with four wheel drive, and other trim to make them a poseur-SUV.
In Europe, they were appreciated more for what they were: a roomier alternative to the typical hatchback, and the genre there has grown steadily ever since.
In the US, the seven-seater Space Wagon/Vista/ had a boomlet in the years before the Chrysler minivans took over, and then fell into decline, as Americans clearly referred the roomier alternative. The shorter LRV/Summit were never common here, lost in the CUV boom. An historical footnote.
Got to love those period graphics. Why did it seem that they always included at least some pink?
And how long did it take for RVs to finally stop having the same colors and graphics all over their sides? RV manufacturers are always a decade or two behind when it comes current tastes.
It’s too bad these vehicles never found a market, as they were very practical and I liked them, both in short and long versions,
I always found these appealing. Perhaps I was kindly disposed after a good experience with an 83 Colt. But they were never very common and I just never came across one at the right time.
My daughter’s daily driver is one of these – a ’93 Eagle Summit, blue on blue.
Not as nice as this one on the outside (she’s managed to, ahem, customize a few of the exterior panels and the Oklahoma sun has taken it’s toll on the clearcoat) but the interior is pretty pristine.
But with the ‘big’ motor, it’s a real hummer on the highway, the gas consumption is acceptable for a struggling young 20-something and the visibility and utility are nothing short of stunning. The only real drawbacks to the car are the tippy handling (easily remedied), the lack of access to the back seat from the left-hand side (not a show-stopper) and the “automatic” shoulder belts (aarrrrgh!).
I’d be happy to supply some good interior shots of a well-preserved example if you need them for the feature.
RVRs are a popular used JDM import here in all their various guises but Ive never seen this version, good catch.
there’s a lady in my nyc neighborhood who drives the dodge colt version. she street parks it which means she has to move it every day at 7am. it caught my attention because she has the worn seats covered with a hand knitted crochet blanket. i’ll try to catch a shot or two for the cohort…
With the success then the Mazda 5 got here in Canada. I think these “microvans” was ahead of their time.
After 1996, Hyundai got the tooling and continued to built until around 2001-2002, the Expo/Summit as the Santamo. I spotted a South Korean ad on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyQiPgt8V7Q
Not quite sure your definition of “success”, as the Mazda 5 is I think their slowest mover. But they did go to the trouble and expense of updating it, so maybe it’s found it’s niche. Maybe they’re substantially more popular in the Great White North.
These are quite roomy, but wouldn’t support a proper third row seat as the 5 has. The Vista van, though, could be considered a direct progenitor. I’d love to run across a decent example for sale.
As for Hyundai taking over tooling, that’s interesting because they already shared the tranny with Mitsubishi on these. Wonder what motor(s) they used?
I think there more popular in the Great White North with the Mazda 3 and as for the Santamo, I guess they keeped the Mitsu engines.
Some of the earlier Hyundai engines eg the V6 were license-built & then based upon Mitsubishis
There are a few grey-imported here, and I think most are probably the awd turbo 4G63 aka Evo running gear, for that rally car on stilts feeling I suppose.
The rear door handle position would indicate it is a sliding door, yet there is no track evident behind the door nor room for one – can anyone tell me how it works, does it have some sort of hinged arm for the back of the door?
It’s a slider. The track is on the inside of the door, along with a double-hinged arm. This was presumably done because the vehicle was too short for a traditional outside track, but then Mitsubishi went and placed the fuel filler on the right side of the car; as I recall there was a sticker by the interior handle warning you not to open the door while refueling.
Come to think of it, It’s a minor miracle that my adolescent self didn’t lose a finger opening and closing the door on my parents’ LRV.
“but then Mitsubishi went and placed the fuel filler on the right side of the car;”
It’s designed for JDM. For North America Mitsubishi moved the sliding door but didn’t move the fuel filler …
Thanks for the reply, I have an idea that there is the same situation of conflict between fuel filler & sliding door on one of the people movers sold out here for the same reason.
The first Mopar minivans with the dual sliding doors were supposed to have an interlock system to prevent the driver’s side door from opening if the fuel filler door was open.
Sorry guys, but I think these things (all versions — Eagle, Mistubishi, Dodge) didn’t catch on because they are flat-out HIDEOUS. Then and now. Something about the proportions and the tacked-on plastic trim all these vehicles wore on the rear ends has always been just so ugly to me. Shame, because as commenters above have said, it’s an extremely space-efficient package. When I was in junior high, one of my friends’ mother drove a Mitsubishi Expo and I remember how absolutely mortified we would all (including her son) be to be seen in it. Just such *dorky* vehicles, for lack of a better term.
Funny how Chrysler struck gold with this format (minus the sliding doors, of course) with the PT Cruiser. Goes to show how it’s really styling that makes or breaks these types of vehicles. I think the Mazda5 (outgoing and new versions) manages to just pull it off thanks to neat, sporty styling. Meanwhile, the Kia Rondo is a styling and sales dud.
My parents had a ’93 Expo LRV. Dark green with silver lower cladding and the funky round headlights that were unique to the LRV. Base model with zero options, didn’t even have a rear wiper. It was an impulse buy by my mom, who thought it was really cute, and she got a lot of compliments from other women the whole time we had it.
My dad hated it, more on account of it being a gutless, oil burning piece of crap than because of the appearance. Oddly enough, he really wanted a PT Cruiser when those first came out (I too have long noted how conceptually similar those two vehicles are). I was certainly embarrassed by that stupid Expo in the carpool lane in middle school, though. Fortunately, it was a constant source of problems and my folks paid it off early just so they could unload it.
It really was remarkably space efficient. Almost twenty years later, I swear it was at least as roomy as my mom’s current CR-V.
There were quite a few of these sold in Soviet Canuckistan. The Chrysler dealer I worked for serviced many of them. They were generally quite good cars. One notable problem was the electronic ignition would fail at around 150,000 km, which necessitated the replacement of the entire distributor. The part was $600. The rest of the car was practically bullet-proof. All the Mitsubishi stuff of this era was very good but not exactly going to set your hair on fire with excitement.
I had a 1992 Eagle Summit four door sedan as my driver for about a year. It was a total stripper, with only automatic transmission. It was a trade and I got it for $600. My wife learned how to drive in it. During the learning process it had a meeting with a concrete abutment. Nobody was hurt but the Summit of Eagles was damaged beyond driving. I didn’t care much since it was so cheap.
In fact, all the Mitsubishi parts were expensive; all the part numbers were preceded with the prefix MB. We joked it meant, “many-bucks.”
Funny, I was just behind one of those a few days ago and thought “someone should do a CC”.
Had a ’95 AWD version auto with 4 wheel Disc ABS and dual front airbags. It was a billy goat in the snow, never got stuck and never had a problem with it. Only criticism I would have is that it was short on front legroom—rear legroom was actually pretty good. Gave it to my mother when we graduated to an Escape in 2003. She drove it until 2008 when she survived a front offset crash with a Lincoln Mark VII and it was totaled. It’s spirit lives on in the Mazda 5..
How does the sliding door work without an exposed track?
(I see John H beat me to it …)
As a kid I was a lover of the weird and did want one of these with AWD just for the sheer freakiness of it. (FYI these were on sale while I was about 16 to 18 yrs old.) I have only seen a dozen or so of these in the wild since they were new.
These things did sell here in Seattle and I think back last spring/summer, i saw a purple Eagle version of this, either the Expo or simply the LRV, I can’t recall now, still being driven around here.
I do see others on occasion, but they ARE kind of rare here. Knew a Lesbian couple who had the LRV in that light metallic blue. Lindsey, who was one half of the couple passed on of cancer several years ago in her 40’s and her partner I think drove it for a while after that.
I’ve always liked the LRV with its sliding door and never found them bad looking, stylish, not terribly, but decent looking none the less.
Folks, I’ve been the happy owner of five of these beauties since the ’90s, and the one I’m driving now, ’95 Eagle Summit wagon, is on its last legs, burning or leaking just about any kind of fluid associated with an automobile. If anybody out there knows of one for sale, I’d like to know about it. I’d really like the ’96 model, which I’ve read about but never actually seen. — Eagle Lover
The Expo LRV was available from ’92-’94, the Colt Vista from ’92-’94, and the Summit from ’92-’96. Oddly enough, the Colt Vista was sold only as a Plymouth…not a Dodge. I’m not sure whether the Mitsubishi or Eagle versions are more common, but the Colt is rare indeed.
The Expo was also available in a longer-wheelbase non-LRV incarnation with four conventional doors, equivalent to the 84-91 Colt Vista that these vehicles…sort of…replaced. But, the three-door mini-minivan configuration was the usual one; either driven by two wheels or four.
Those color graphics – Purple, pink and Teal … on White… mmmmm Hmmm…
I remember a Punk Rock loving girl I knew in 88-90 bought a new Toyota F16 HB when she learned to drive. it was Black, except for Doo Dats and script squiggles in pink n white kinda pink and purple ` It Just Spoke to me she said…
We found one of these a few years ago for free. Beautiful blue grey color. All I had to do is very minor repair to get it running. It’s a head turner.
Nobody has been able to recognize this car. It has just a very cute appeal to it.
I had to work for 2 years to get it approved through customs since the paperwork was not approved when it was shipped from Japan. I finally got the letter a few weeks ago with plates and it’s now legal to drive.
weird but neat car.