Mitsubishi Colt

Lore & Background

The Colt nameplate debuted in 1962 with the Mitsubishi Colt 600, a small family car powered by a 594 cc air-cooled straight-twin engine. This was followed by the Colt 1000 in 1963, the Colt 1500 in 1965, and the fastback Colt 800 series from 1965 to 1971. During this period, Mitsubishi did not yet exist as an autonomous company; vehicles were produced by three regional subsidiaries of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Between 1978 and 2002, the Colt name was applied to export versions of the front-wheel drive Mirage in markets such as Europe and Australia. Five generations were sold, with new generations released in 1983, 1987, 1991, and 1995. In Europe, the Colt name was typically restricted to hatchback variants, while coupes, sedans, and station wagons were sold as the Lancer.

In November 2002, a new Colt was released in Japan, designed by Olivier Boulay and built on the same platform as the Smart Forfour. A European version followed in 2004, offering 1.1, 1.3, and 1.5-litre petrol engines, a turbocharged 1.5 T producing 150 PS, and a 1.5 L turbo-diesel. The Colt CZC coupé cabriolet with a retractable hard-top was introduced in 2005. The Colt Ralliart Version-R, launched in Japan in 2006, featured a turbocharged 4G15 engine with MIVEC producing 154 PS, Recaro seats from the Lancer Evolution VIII MR, and a stiffer chassis.

Reader's Guide

The Mitsubishi Colt nameplate has a long and varied history, spanning over five decades and multiple vehicle types. It began as a line of small family cars in the 1960s, then became the export name for the Mirage subcompact from 1978 to 2002, and later served as the international name for a subcompact hatchback from 2002 to 2013. The name was also applied to unrelated models such as the L200 pickup truck in South Africa and a series of light commercial vehicles including the Delica-based Colt T100/T120/L300/1400 and the Suzuki Carry-based Colt T120SS. In the United Kingdom, Colt was used as a marque from 1974 to 1984 to market Mitsubishi vehicles. The Colt Ralliart Version-R, with its turbocharged engine and performance-oriented features, represented a sporty high point in the model's history. The Colt MIEV, an all-electric test vehicle with in-wheel motors, demonstrated Mitsubishi's early work on electric vehicle technology. The nameplate was ultimately replaced in 2013 when the subcompact model reverted to the Mirage name.

Did You Know?

• The Colt Ralliart Version-R used Recaro bucket seats borrowed from the Lancer Evolution VIII MR.
• The Colt MIEV test vehicle used two 20 kW in-wheel electric motors.