Nothing like having CC Cohort all across the globe to turn up elusive cars, like this Mitsubishi Cordia Turbo. We had a CC on the Cordia a while back, and Charkle the 2nd (Chaz at CC, I think) said he had seen one in his neighborhood in New Zealand; and it has finally been caught. Looks to be in fine shape, too. I’m beginning to think NZ is the Oregon of the Southern Hemisphere, in more ways than one.
It seems that the Cordia (and other Mitsus) were quite popular in that part of the world, probably as a result of Mitsubishi having established itself as an independent brand there well before the US. Until about 1982 or so, Mitsubishis were all sold by Chrysler as Colts and such. And it seems the Cordia Turbo was strong performer. Now this ad is a bit confusing, because it talks about a 1600 cc Turbo. But the Cordia Turbo we got was the bigger 1800cc unit. And the one shot here looks a bit different too. But it is a Cordia Turbo: mission accomplished.
Mitsubishi diminishing fortunes in the states makes me sad. My BIL who was a WW2 vet wouldn’t have one because of the zeroes. He drove toyota and thought nothing of it. I had a dodge ram 50 (mitsu) in Guam. It went all over at 30mpg plus which impressed me a lot.
I liked them and still do. If nothing breeds success like success then I think the same holds true with failure. I’m uncertain of the first failure here but it sure snowballed. Glad they still do well in NZ.
I ditto Wstarving. My wife’s first car was an 83 (Plymouth) Colt sedan with the twin stick. Her brother bought it from her in 88 and I bought it from him in 91. It was a fun little car to drive until it got creamed by a Ford Tempo that pulled out in front of me one day.
That Colt was a very good little car. My first stereo was a Mitubishi (MGA) too, as was the first TV I ever bought. I have always wondered how they might have done here had they continued their partnership with Chrysler. Hindsight says that both of them might have been better off (certainly without Daimler in the picture). But who knows.
Cool find.
Mostly us Kiwis are about secondhand Japanese imports, all alike. But there’s a lot of decent motors tucked away in people’s garages, and a reasonable amount of 80s survivors like this one. The handy thing for me is when they park outside my house, like this one and the Buick last week! Same day as the Buick, there was a Morris Minor Traveller 100 yards down the road, but I didn’t get my camera there in time. 100 yards is a long way.
One reason for the kiwi love of older Mitsus was local production/models by Todd Motors of CKD kits (result of stupid high tariffs).
Todds built Hillmans and Valiants then switched Misubishi once Chrysler evaporated my BIL had a turbo Cordia new and found it a fast rattle trap poorly made and got rid of it that said there are quite a few survivors older Mitsus being much better cars than many of their later efforts.
And IIRC someone was building CKD Toyotas, including the amazing Carina.
For a car crazed kid, a few years spent in God’s Land was eyeopening. Everything under the sun was there! RWD Aussies, every random British Leyland dead brand, anything Japenese, and Protons!
Cue the 86 Capella RE SE-IT (or similar) with crazy Japanese add ons (Denso HEPA filter/dome light! Damn beeping speedo over 90 kph. A button for everything, and a bad secondary fan that STB climbing Treble Cone).
Toyota assembled their own cars here The Carina is a UK market Corona nothing amazing about it but yeah NZ had the most crowded car market in the world
Always wanted one of these as a teenager- they were pretty popular in Oz too, and the leaded petrol ones were fast for the time. The turbo developed a habit of putting pistons thru the side of the block after a while, too much boost maybe?
Mitsubishis were first sold in the U.S. in the early ’70s, but only as badge-engineered versions sold by Chrysler, like the Dodge Colt. They began selling cars here under their own name around 1982 or 1983, but they didn’t sell in that large of numbers the first few years, and Mitsus from that era are rare sights in the U.S. today, hence Paul’s excitement at someone capturing a shot of a Cordia Turbo. The badge-engineered “Chryslerbishis” continued to be sold concurrently with Mitsubishi-badged vehicles well into the 1990s.
Even later on, after they had become better established and had introduced a broader range of models, Mitsubishis still never seemed especially popular in the U.S. It always seemed to me that they offered models across quite a few market segments but were truly competitive in few if any of them. Have they historically had a larger maket share in Japan relative to other Japanese manufacturers?
For a while Mitsubishi pretty much owned the JDM micro car market- the most important sector, and did well in the Asia-Pacific markets like Australia. It was always a second tier make in volume, like Mazda, however.
I’d expect the changeover from Chrysler to Mitsubishi would have occured in 1981 after the bail-out, the same time as Chrysler Australia was sold to Mitsubishi and Chrysler Europe was sold to PSA.
Is this the one with dual range – 4speed gearbox?
Yes, and some of Mitsubishi’s later “5” speeds were the same unit with three of the overdrive gears blanked off- one of those somewhat dodgy quick fixes Mitsubishi is notorious for!
An old post but I doubt this has the overdrive gearbox. The early 1600 AA GSLs used the 4 x 2 gearbox. My 87 NZ 1800 GSL- plate NC xxxx had a standard five speed. The original gearbox, was a work around, I understand to do with the engine rotation. The five speed shifted nicely and worked like any other five speed.
I’ve always thought that Mitsubishis were horribly built cars, but I do love their extremely quirky, sci-fi-esque 1980’s offerings like this. These cars were a reflection of Star Wars in the same way that American cars once reflected “The Jet Age” and the Space Race for a time during the 1950’s & early 60’s. Maybe it’s a little campy, but anything that could pass for a prop on the Death Star is cool in my book.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Cordia in real life, unfortunately. The only Mitsu’s from back then I ever come across are occasional half-finished Starion dragster projects sitting forlornly under decomposing tarps in the backs of driveways and service stations. The only real firsthand experience I have with one of these was a “little old lady” brown Tredia (the sedan counterpart to the Cordia) that a friend owned briefly after we graduated high school. I was fascinated by it and she let me drive it around a parking lot once – from what I remember, it was painfully gutless (base engine/automatic) but rode well and was impressively decked out with trim and equipment. It had power everything and very nice cloth/plastic materials used in the interior. Much higher quality stuff than most cars it’s size were available with at the time.
I’ve had two Mitsubishi Cordia GSR Turbos. Great fast economical cars you could still fiddle with simple tools.
First was a silver 1983 AA model, leaded gas (Australia didn’t get unleaded fuel until 1986) Very smooth and revvy Sirius 4G62T engine 150 hp with 155 ft-lb in a car weighing less than 1000kg (2200 lbs). 1/4 mile in 15.9 seconds. No power steering, this car didn’t need it. In about 1993 drove from Brisbane, Queensland to Geelong, Victoria 1800 kilometres in 20 hours. Great car bit traded it in on a VN Holden Commodore S, what a POS, what was I thinking?? VN was quick also 5 speed manual 2.5 inch exhaust freed up the breathless 3800 motor a bit maybe 15% more power and fuel economy was much better than you’d think.
Second Cordia was a 1988 GSR with unleaded petrol motor. The previous owner did a great job rebuilding the motor before I brought it. A beast of a car, blue printed engine with a port and polish. Upgraded with a Lancer Evo III TD05-16G turbo with manual turbo boost control dyno’d on half boost at 200 hp (I wasn’t game to go any higher). 0-60 mph 6.5 seconds and 1/4 mile time of 14 seconds with massive torque steer. The fuel consumption was pretty amazing at about 35mpg. Unfortunately the turbo imploded and destroyed the motor.
Next vehicle I purchased was another fast Mitsubishi, a technical marvel for 1996, Legnum VR4 with the 2.5 litre V6 twin turbo all wheel drive. Vastly different vehicle to the Cordia, just as fast as 2nd Cordia maybe more. Brilliant car to drive, but lucky to get 14mpg and no service was under Aust $1000.
How times change and now drive dull as dishwater Holden Cruze, at least it’s also turbocharged.