(first posted 2/25/2014) This is almost–almost–our last chapter in The Curbside Classic Colt Chronicles. Lovers of the nameplate will soon have to get their fix elsewhere, but luckily, our story ends on a positive note …mostly.
If you recognize the car pictured here, it’s because it was derided by a previous poster, who deemed it one of the least recognizable cars in all autodom. I suppose I begrudgingly see his point, but truth be told, if I were to see a Ford Elite, I might mistake it for a contemporary Grand Prix, so mid ’90s Japanese sedans are far from unique where anonymity is concerned.
Now that that’s out of the way, the car pictured is a ’93 to ’96 Eagle Summit. The Dodge and Plymouth Colt looked similar, but they were replaced by the ’94 Neon and are less common. Chrysler was understandably eager to get their first competitive small car since the 1978 Horizon on the market, leaving their captive import to be sold alongside the Talon at Jeep-Eagle dealers.
The rarest of these final CSM variants in the US is, of course, the Mitsubishi Mirage, this time sold sans hatchback. Based on the Japanese market Lancer, the sedan variant had a four-light greenhouse and more conservative front and rear ends which distinguished it from the Colt/Summit sedan, which along with the coupe and hatchback were still called Mirage in Japan.
For the purposes of the Colt Chronicles, we’ll continue to refer to this as the Mirage chassis, but if you would prefer to call it a Lancer, we won’t hold it against you. After all, Mitsubishi discontinued the Mirage name (and coupe and hatchback variants) two generations later and the most famous Mitsubishi, the Lancer Evo, debuted on this platform in late 1992.
After the Galant VR-4 grew for 1992, the rally baton was passed back to the Lancer, which had served as the basis for the company’s rally racer until the RWD model was discontinued in 1987. That means that the new Lancer Evo was gifted with AWD and a ‘roided up version of the famous 4G63 engine from the Eclipse (among other Mitsubishis). Potential competition with that coupe meant the US never got this legendary model, but it would have been a major boost to both the Mirage’s reputation as well as a master stroke by Mitsubishi since sporty coupes soon became a dead end.
In order to more effectively compete within its segment and rationalize production, the rigid beam rear suspension was canned in favor of a multi-link set-up, but as far as mechanicals were concerned, the 1993 Colt/Mirage as sold in North America was thoroughly conventional. The biggest news, if one could call it that, was the introduction of a sixteen-valve 1.8 liter engine. Other than Chrysler’s Neon engine and their previous-generation V6, only Honda and Mitsubishi have really embraced single-cam sixteen-valve heads (with Mazda having built a handful).
Not that this mattered to anyone who bought the cars in the US, which mainly seemed to appeal buyers who were unsavvy, extra thrifty or simply of modest means. Growing competition for these same buyers from the 323-based Escort, various Hyundais and, on the West coast, Kia began to eat the Colt’s lunch. A very large number of cars were sold with vinyl seats, a 4-speed manual and the 1.5 liter 12-valve engine, making it one of the last Japanese shoeboxes American customers could get their hands on.
Shoebox is perhaps a strange description for a design which was perhaps the ultimate expressions of the oft-derided “jellybean” shape, but in the very early nineties, this was seen as the next big thing. So instead of dismissing the CSM cars as “generic,” let’s just call this generation of Colt a fashion victim.
US market sedans were built by Diamond Star in Illinois, next to the Galant and DSM trio, and I have to wonder if the investment paid off. Chrysler no doubt contributed to the project, but by 1991, they began selling their shares of the joint venture to Mitsubishi and as Eagle failed, it would seem very little profit was made by selling the Summit or even the Talon. With no love from Auburn Hills, a rapidly appreciating yen and next to zero brand recognition, there was very little money available to distinguish this final generation of CSMs. And while Colts and Summits weren’t necessarily uncommon cars, the Mitsubishi badged versions are rare in North America.
Making a profit at the bottom end of the car market is hard enough without having to farm out development to a foreign company whose value proposition is rapidly fading due to macroeconomic trends. At the same time, marketing its subcompact primarily through another manufacturer’s dealer network as a McImport seriously eroded any chance of Mitsubishi successfully establishing the Mirage as a viable competitor in a tough segment. Mitsubishi went on to make success with the Evo, but it made sense for both parents of the Colt project to divorce and go their own separate ways. In Chrysler’s case, half-baked development of subsequent models created a ticking time bomb which was handed off to Daimler Benz (who also spurned Mitsubishi) and we all know that story. Like a jilted, bitter and struggling single mother and an aging playboy now in the arms of a demanding mistress, it’s likely Mitsubishi Motors and Chrysler LLC look fondly upon the memory of their tumultuous relationship.
Plenty of Mitsubishi Lancers and Mirages over here some ex JDM some NZ new but really they are very common Lancers came with small V6s as well as 4 bangers and those EVO skirt kits are very popular with the boyracer types, Neons which theoretically replaced them never really took on, derided by the motoring press when first released as junk they just didnt sell for what ever reason but these little Jappas did. The 3 door Mirage seems to have been photocopied by Hyundai I remember seeing them in Aussie though not here only 4door Accents appear to have made the trip.
Evos are the stuff boy racers and chavs dream of.There’s so many home brewed ones about that it’s hard to tell the real McCoy from the few good ones.Neons sold reasonably well here in the UK but are getting fewer now.The ones left tend to be immaculate old peoples’ last cars or battered heaps being run into the ground.
I had the big fog lights in my mirror one night Gem along a twisty piece of road I treat like my driveway there a left LEFT Riiiigggghhhht marked at 65kmh I go through at 130 no brake lights just steer no sweat even in the rain big lights not so close anymore real one? maybe not.
There’s a lot of boy racers can only go fast in a straight line.I remember you writing how you showed them how to go round corners in your Citroen.
Well, I think were all Colt-ed out here….whats next a 7 part series on a Ford AM radios of the 70’s?
Well, the Colt story had to be completed, but I understand your point fully. There wasn’t too much info to come by, either.
Care to make any suggestions?
I disagree. Articles on mostly forgotten cars is one of the main reasons this site is my most-visited on the web!
+1
I like forgotten cars too, but think this maybe could have been covered in a 2 or 3 part series, and mostly the 70’s, 1990’s Mirages just aren’t interesting enough yet, in my opinion. 10 TEN parts..TEN…I was already rolling my eyes at part 6.
Well, if you’d like to make your complaint somewhat productive, I’d be happy to hear any specific suggestions as to what car you’d like to see covered.
There are popular and unpopular cars; we’ve had multiple posts covering single models–and people love them–so a single article covering one generation of a car which sold all around the world and which represents a specific kind of relationship between two manufacturers shouldn’t bother anyone this much.
Why is it that those that complain the most here are ones that contribute the least? There’s a very direct correlation. The answer is of course simple: those that do contribute are generous with their time and effort, and appreciate other’s contributions regardless of whether the post is to their particular area of interest.
Only the slackers are rude enough to complain, instead of being polite enough to keep their mouth shut and just move on to the next article.
You really know how to show appreciation for a free website, and how to keep morale high. Thank for all you do here, Carmine. We all appreciate your good spirits and generosity here sooooo much! Oh, and thanks for your generous donation too, to help with the expenses. We just couldn’t do this without you!
I’m sorry, I thought that this was still America, where people were allowed to have an opinion on things. Hell, lets just make this the Dodge Colt site. Segment 9 is rockin and rollin with 8 or 9 comments last time I checked….I’m just offering some pointers. Some people weren’t fans of “Big Truck Week” either….just a suggestion….
I look forward to installments 20 and 21……
I mean, are contributions that low that we need an 10 plus part story on the Dodge Colt?
Rude people may complain but weak people get easy offended by critique…
To quote Neil Page from Planes, Trains and Automobiles….”I though you could tell I wasn’t interested when I started reading the vomit bag…”
But has it ended Colt was a badge on sale here recently this century.
“You can take your thumb out of my a## any time now, Carmine.”
AHAHAHAHA.
Alright, now turn and face each other. Now fight to the death. Or, you know, you could just keep scrolling if you don’t like what you see. I, for one, actually enjoyed the series-brought back memories of my brother’s “Twin Stick” Champ, and how the shifter kept falling through the floor until it was rigged up with a Bic pen.
You can’t please ’em all….
To me the Colt story is interesting as a side note to Chrysler history and a testament that the business case for “captive imports” is riddled with mediocre results at best that eventually fizzle out without anybody noticing. Oldmobile got a sales bounce from the announcement that it was closing up. The Colt, the Geo, etc., nobody wrote an epitaph.
While there may have been a few bright spots, it appears that both contemporary and post-mortem history deems them as mediocre cars at best. In some ways doomed to that fate by a company and dealer network that did not want these cars upstaging their in-house efforts.
I’d have to agree with some of the last being “generic” Japanese cars. It was easier to tell GM, Ford, and Dodge cargo vans apart in this era.
Bill Mitchell is quoted as saying that the styling job on a small car is more difficult. The stylists (if there were any assigned in the first place) basically gave up on these cars and went with what was considered inoffensive and cheap to build.
Kelvinator Kars. Cars to be bought, used, and crushed. With low sales and few people with any recollection of them, they will be mostly forgotten, with a few rally cars kept for the novelty.
“Like tailoring a suit for a midget” is , I believe, what Mr Mitchell said. He was all style!
And yes, while I’ve no burning interest in Colts, I’m gald somebody has and taken the time to make a record. I’ve learned a lot about obscure models this way – some I’ve grown to like for reasons not immediately apparent.
By the early 90’s the Colt name was run into the ground and lost any equity. The Neon took its place, and Eagle brand was withering away.
The Mirage continued until 2001, and the 2002 Lancer replaced it.
Rejected ad concepts for the Evo in oz. I wanted to do them like computer game art. No-one at the agency was listening. Things were already frantically on the decline. Maybe I should have made the headlines bigger.
I take it you worked for an ad agency? Or did you work for Mitsu?
These ads seem a bit too classy for the image they were going for, especially the blue ones. I could see them being used for Saab or VW; maybe Mitsu should’ve gone for this theme.
Yep, Y&R agency who had the account forever, including the Stirling Moss ads for the Valiant VG (not me). To be honest, these cars were brought into oz in such small numbers, and were targeted at those who already knew what they were, so spending money advertising them was not on the cards. Did some work on the 3 door Lancer, that stuff was aimed 100% at younger females.
Could write an entire book on the paucity of quality in some car ads, but what the hay.
The agency closed its doors in Adelaide soon after Mitsi manufacturing ceased in oz.
Perry, what is the white sedan in front of the Summit sedan in the first picture? It’s driving me crazy.
It’s a first generation Saturn SC, I realize this is 6 years late though.
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Nice! I wouldn’t have bought the car but I’d have collected the ads.
Thanks Jim. These have been sitting in my bottom drawer for quite a while. It’s nice to show them where they might be appreciated.
+1, really cool ads!
Almost bought an early 90s Lancer for my better-half back in 99 or 2000. Most had the 1.3 litre single cam motor here. It looked straight enough, except for a brand new set of cheapo chinese tyres. The dealer let us have the car overnight to see how we liked it. I decided the lights were so far out of kilter that it must have had some front-end repair work. I made an offer , it was refused, and I walked away. Never regretted it.
I still like Lancers, can’t understand how Mitsubishi have lot the plot with other models.
The famous vlogger and webcomic artist Christian Weston Chandler owned one of these, but a Mitsubishi-badged Mirage LX Coupe, in silver.
I miss my 1989 Colt Turbo VTS 16V. Mario Andretti once lapped it around Watkins Glen in the summer of 1989, proclaiming it as one of the best (road) cars he has ever driven. Little known fact: Mitsubishi had running prototypes of a new suspension, similar to Ford’s RevoKnuckle in the Focus, running in 1986. However, Kazue Naganuma axed the project as “non-cost effective”. In reality, this was at the request of Lee Iacocca, who pushed for “simplification” of the Colt line. Naganuma actually despised Iacocca, as he once stated that Iacocca “hasn’t driven a modern car in 30 years, and conducts his business as such”. Iacocca actually tried to dump the Colt name several times since heading Chrysler, once attempting to use the Duster name in 1983 (later used for a Plymouth Sundance model), then again in 1987 with the Dart nameplate. I’ll admit, I wish my car was a 1989 Dodge Dart Turbo VTS 16V!
the wheels on that white evo…. are my all time favourite wheel design. there was an article on that just last week. mitsubishi has always been spotty to me in quality…but i speak without ever owning one. the evo…ahh… nice to have a subaru wrx alternative. i briefly owned a 94 blue wrx turbo…. so nice. till the engine blew a gasket. i’ve always wanted an evo… the one pictured.
Loved the whole Colt saga at CC. Don’t care it is ten parts, in fact, for me, the more CC there is to read, the better!
It’s interesting how similar is the first Dodge Intrepid style with this Colt, so for the tail lights of the 98′ LH Concorde.