Every time I use that line “Last One On the Streets Here?” in my titles it’s a bittersweet experience. It’s nice to know there’s still a Dodge Colt in regular use here, but I haven’t seen another for some time. And that goes for all Dodge Colts. Now that’s a scary and bitter thought.
This gold Colt hatchback is an excellent survivor, and of a generation that was probably the last to sell in significant numbers. The Colt era, which began in 1971 when Chrysler was desperate for an import other than its own Plymouth Cricket (Hillman Avenger), a car that lost its chirp all-too quickly. The early 80s were a boom time for really small cars, and this generation Colt was about as good as anyhting on the market. Of course you all know that these were Mitsubishi Lancers, sold through Chrysler’s Dodge and Plymouth dealers.
The sharply creased dash reflects the origami-school exterior. Quite the contrast from today’s blob-mobiles.
It looks new, practically. Somebody’s aunt or grandma must have pampered this baby Colt for some decades.
A few minor nicks here and there. But overall, this is in remarkable shape.
Except for the mismatched wheel covers, this is as good as gold.
Nice find! What’s the story on the TEA sticker … surely not Tea Party, in Eugene?
Owner might be a TEA Ferguson tractor fan,
Probably just someone who likes a cuppa, I am sure of it.
I liked these cars, as far as econoboxes go… largely because I knew several people who bought them as used cars in the late 80s and early 90s. Like you said, they were as good as any other economy car on the market, and were cheaper too — particularly on the used market.
These were go-to cars for young people who were buying a car without help from their parents. They were cheap, and much more reliable than other cheap cars. My best friend Dave bought one as a teenager under just those circumstances and it served him well for many years. His was a vinyl-seated “Colt E” stripper, but withstood years of service. That car met a sad demise in a terrible accident where Dave drove (intoxicated) off of a bridge; amazingly he was able to walk away from such a crash. But I’ll always remember these cars fondly.
I think this gold example is a 1987+ model, as it has the flush headlights and grille and bumper that debuted that year.
I’ll take your word for it, and change the title. It was just a WAG.
It’s posts like this that make Paul’s site so appealing to me. Cars that have been pretty much forgotten, will pop up at any time. In outstanding condition. And as readers we are assured to learn details, and personal stories, that enrich our memory of the most mundane cars.
I have to admit, I preferred the softer styling of the previous generation, and the generation that followed these in 1989. By 1985, a number of these popular econoboxes were starting to look very alike. The Colt reminded me especially of the Mitsubishi Cordia, and the Tercel.
Always liked the Cordia. Of all Japanese import makes of the ’80s, I feel that Mitsubishi had the most consistently great styling across its entire model range. The Starion was fire. 🔥
Agreed on all points Joseph. 🙂 The Cordia and the Tredia. The Tredia looking very similar to the Alliance. I also really liked the design direction of Mazda and the ’83 626.
So you have the Cordia and the Treadia……. where is the Beadia?
Popular 70s actor Vincent Van Patten was ‘Mr. Tredia’ in the Japanese market ads…
The disquieting Deadia only sold well on Halloween.
I considered buying one of these when they were new but didn’t because I considered, and still do, that Mitsubishi is what I call a second tier Japanese car company. It didn’t help that these seemed a bit insubstantial,even in those times before nearly everyone bought the biggest SUV they could find.
Yet, maybe partly due to it’s rarity, I would not mind owning this except for its automatic transmission. If nothing else, gold has lost its luster, so to speak, as a color for new vehicles so that could almost make up for the transmission.
This gen of Colt got a longer lifespan in Canada when the 1989 gen arrived. It was sold as Colt 100, the 1989 model was known as Colt 200 and the Colt 100 was also sold as Eagle Vista.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Vista
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ifhp97/43177755465/
In the US, the old-generation wagon was sold in 1989-1990, only to be dropped for 1991.
Buzzr classic game show cable channel has recently started rerunning episodes of “Classic Concentration” from the mid-’80s, which often featured this generation of Colt as a prize. It’s the only other time, probably within the last five years or so, that I’ve thought about these cars. CC / TV Effect.
We purchased a new Colt in 1984 IIRC as our family’s first “second” car. Coupe, 1.6 litre engine and automatic; a pale yellow with tan vinyl interior. We loved it – seemed peppy enough, looked good, reasonably fun to drive and was well put together. Never gave us any problems, and served us well until traded in 1988 for a Plymouth Sundance.
I was always surprised and disappointed Chrysler struggled to sell very many of these.
Not that surprising. The Colt was one of the first (if not the first) Japanese ‘captive imports’. The much smaller Mitsubishi automotive division didn’t have an established dealer network in the US yet, so Chrysler buying into the company provided a very good way to get the products into widespread distribution via Dodge dealerships.
Unfortunately, with a Dodge emblem slapped on it, the cars suffered from the misguided notion that it was a true, domestic Chrysler product. The same situation would be repeated at GM with the NUMMI-Nova. Too many people didn’t grasp that the cars were, in effect, identical to their Japanese counterparts and completely unrelated to anything built in the US (at the time).
Of course, for those who ‘did’ understand the situation, they got some terrific bargains in the process. They might not have been up to Toyota or Honda standards, but they were still much, much better than any domestic engineered and built products. Colts seemed to hit that ‘sweet-spot’ in the middle: not built horrifically bad like a Vega or Pinto, but not outrageously expensive with the dealer mark-up of a Corolla or Civic.
I just don’t think Chrysler knew what to do with the cars. Hell, at one point, Chrysler had a well-known Plymouth ad that touted the notion that a slightly more expensive Duster was a better buy than a Vega (which was true).
One big issue with the Colt was a slim profit margin. I have no doubt that people walking into a Dodge dealership to buy a Colt would be quickly steered to a higher profit (but similarly priced), domestic product. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that a larger, strippo Dart or Aspen could potentially undercut (or at least come close to) the price of a Colt.
Plus, with the advent of the 1978 Omnirizon, well, Chrysler was essentially competing with itself on the showroom floor. It would be particularly bad when the 4-door Colts appeared.
Truly a shame because Chrysler’s captive Mitsubishi imports were fairly competent with pricing that definitely undercut Toyota and Honda. It was unfortunate when Chrysler finally cut Mitsubishi loose. They’ve been struggling ever since, sort of the same way Suzuki autos didn’t last long in the US after GM cut ties with them.
To piggyback off of Rudiger’s comment, the Mitsu-Dodges were really a very good deal at the time. My brother bought a 1980 Dodge Colt after frustrating experiences attempting to buy VWs, Hondas and Toyotas at that time. The Colt was a great car for a young teacher and it served him well for five years.
I knew other folks who had Mitsu-Dodges and they became my favorite Japanese cars. Once Mitsubishi went on it’s own in the early 1980’s, a whole new world opened up, but I still liked the ones they sold to Chrysler best.
My brother had three of these in his college years and after. Cheap to buy used, basic but peppy and chuckable, a good first car. Got another when mechanical issues killed it, then another after that — like I said they were cheap to buy used. The last one rusted out and was gone by the late 90s.
Those Colts were great as used cars in the early 1990s. Clean, modern, economical and very reliable, they had a stellar reputation. They also weren’t on everybody’s radar and therefore could be found inexpensively. I particularly liked the wagons and when my mom needed a car, I made a point of seeking one out for her. I found a real creampuff 87 Plymouth Colt wagon in baby blue and I really thought she would have a wonderful car for a few years, one that I’d even enjoy borrowing occasionally. Sadly, it was destroyed in an accident only a few months later. At the time I was driving a Colt Vista wagon and later a Mitsubishi Sigma. I was into Mitsubishis in the early 1990s. The Vista and the Sigma were nowhere near as good as the Colt wagon, though – the Vista suffered an engine failure and the Sigma nickel-and-dimed me to death with rare and expensive parts. My next car after that was a Mazda and i never bought another Mitsubishi. But I wouldn’t mind owning another Colt wagon today.
Sorry to hear that the Sigma was a problem. To me, the ’78-’81 Sigma-version of the Colt wagon was among the best looking of any Mitsu-Dodge. I really wish Chrysler had been able to work-up a 2-door hardtop that incorporated the clean front end of that wagon. I thought it looked way better than the front ends of the Dodge Challenger/Plymouth Sapporo.
Bought a base model new in the Fall of 1991 for $5995, plus tax, license, etc.. That car served me well as my commuter/DD.
I think these were very, very close to the Hyundai Excel, down to the engines. Was the Excel a license built copy of this Colt?
The Excel used Mitsubishi mechanical bits, and Hyundai had it’s start building Mitsubishi cars under a licensing agreement, but the Excel was not a re-badged Colt.
The Colt was styled by Mitsubishi while the Excel was styled by Guigaro(sp?).
But then in a weird twist, the Hyundai Excel itself was rebadged and sold as a Mitsubishi Precis!
Saw this exact car downtown a few days ago and wondered if you had cc’d it, Paul. CC effect indeed! It really looks nice in the metal.
I owned an ’87 DL hatchback in the mid 90s, it was my first non-junker. Just like this one except a 5 speed in blue (originally sort of a medium slate blue but repainted a darker, less grayish color) with blue interior. Good, reliable car that lasted a year and a half before meeting its’ end in a low-speed crash with a Caravan on fresh snow. I had just put in a new clutch.
Actually its a rebadged Mitsubishi Mirage badged Mitsubishi Colt in some markets, thats a later version, the originals also had the twin stick option power or economy mode in each gear effectively an overdrive selector, getting rare now even in ex JDM rich New Zealand.
Had one of these, actually a 1981, in our long string of cheap econoboxes. The first owner had cut a notch in the dash every time the odometer rolled over. It was a 5 digit one in KM. It had 4 notches and 85k showing when I bought it. It was not terribly fast or anything but buzzed along competently and got the nickname of Jetson’s car. I don’t remember how many more km went on it since we didn’t bother with any new notches.
It ultimately met its end shortly after being hit by a deer. Stopped at a stop sign and the deer came running along and t-boned the car in the passenger side door, caving it in and breaking the windshield. The insurance company wrote it off paid out the book value less $50 scrap on a buy back then reinsured it. The window was replaced and I kicked out the door panel and we continued to drive it. When I went to get a boneyard door and fender I found out someone had spent the insurance money. So I drove it in to the boneyard and went home with the plates. Cheap disposeable transportation.
When these clean, unmodified Japanese compacts pop-up I wonder if having an automatic transmission rather than a manual played a part in their condition? If this car had a manual – did Mitsubishi still use the Twin Stick in the later 80s? – would it have avoided being “boy-racered” into a much less well-preserved condition?
As far as rebadged imports go, I bought a NUMMI built Geo Prizm from our local Chevy/Toyota dealer for significantly less than the all but identical Corolla sitting a few cars away.
I like this version best (see photo below). A 1979 Dodge Colt. Twin stick transmission. I like the styling. It looks like a little AMC Pacer but with proper proportions. I never owned one, but I came close to buying one, new at the local Dodge dealer.
I’ve often thought that the styling of this generation of Colt, which was very Pacer-esque, was a testament to the basically good / great lines of the AMC (said without irony).
I had one of these – also an automatic but the four door version. Bought it used and it was my sacrificial car for two Wisconsin winters. It provided excellent service.
Also had the successor model to this as a two door hatch with a manual (“Colt E”) and it too was a fine car. Both mine were Dodge versions.
A friend of mines parents bought one of these new in 84. Being a strippo with no air conditioning it quickly got kicked to second car status. I was always very fond of the car, it had cheerful modern vibe. I loved the low cowl design that put the road in your lap. That car gave them wonderful service lasting many years.
There is something truly satisfying about the Colt’s crisp sheetmetal. Great find!
Nearly bought one of these used with a “super shift” or twin stick 4×2. Passed it up for a Chevette because I could use the Rostyle wheels with fairly new Kleber studded snow tires from my rusty old Opel Manta. Only one size larger then what the Chev had when I bought it. Couple years later, I changed all the tires to the larger size with good results. The Chevette gave me good service. I regret passing on the Colt though. I still have a couple of the Rostyles and the Klebers too. I bought the tires in 1983 and I use them as bumpers in my driveway now. Remember that I used to tell the ladies that I drove a ‘Vette – in those years the keys looked the same. Often I would get to enjoy some pleasant conversation with an attractive young woman – before she saw the car.
I spent time in the prior generation Colt (an 83 badged as a Plymouth) and it was a very satisfying little car. The twin stick made it a blast to drive. It met its end about 1992 when some guy in a Tempo pulled out in front of me. I hated for that one to be lost like that.
I liked the looks of these as well and would have snapped one up in a minute if one had crossed my path. This one looks to be a real sweetie.
This is my Colt! Her name is Maria as named by my sister. I’m the 2nd owner.
The original owner only put 40,000 miles on it from 1987 to 2012 when I inherited it; it’s got about 84,000 miles on it now.
There’s some wear and tear to the interior and exterior. The grille recently cracked and then disappeared. I imagine while I was driving it fell off on the road, though I did not hear it.
Willing to let her go. If anyone is interested.
A 1987 Dodge Colt was my first brand new car, at the time I was 24. I don’t remember the sticker price, but I think my payments were $179/month after a minimal down payment. It was an amazing car for the price, the exterior styling and interior design were ahead of their time. The interior (mine was a burgundy color) was surprisingly sophisticated and well-appointed feeling like a much more expensive car. Mine was a 5-speed, the driving experience was smooth, quick and nimble, while providing a ride worthy of larger more expensive vehicles. Interestingly, I previously owned a 1979 Dodge Colt which was a similarly awesome (though smaller and less “finished”) car. The ’87 Colt was mechanically solid as a rock, I did nothing but change the oil for the years I owned it. I eventually “upgraded” to a Volvo which I liked much less (and gave me much more trouble)! The car stayed in the family – my sister bought it from me, and then my brother bought it from her….it eventually met it’s fate as a result of an accident in an Upstate NY winter storm. This was simply an awesome car and less expensive and better appointed than cars in the same class. It’s sad to see how Mitsubishi has declined from this time when they were so innovative and had such quality automobiles. Thanks for the memories (and letting me share mine)!