Dodge Colt

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dodge Colt was the name of several automobiles manufactured by the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi and sold in North America under the brand name Dodge .

Dodge Colt with rear-wheel drive (model years 1971-1980)

Since the Chrysler group in the USA did not have to offer any of its own vehicles in the increasingly important class of subcompacts (corresponding to the European small car and lower middle class) at the beginning of the 1970s, the company instead imported corresponding models manufactured abroad. While Plymouth initially sold the Hillman Avenger as Plymouth Cricket and the Simca 1100 (both brands were then part of the group), Dodge sold selected Mitsubishi models in North America under the collective name Dodge Colt; Chrysler had acquired shares in the Japanese company in 1970/71.

In the 1971 model year, Dodge began selling the Colt, which corresponded to the Japanese Mitsubishi Colt Galant , as a four-door sedan, two-door coupé and hardtop coupé and five-door station wagon, powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with an initial 101, later 83 hp Power.

Dodge Colt coupe 1974-1977

In 1974 there was a model change that brought slightly larger bodies and a 97 hp two-liter four-cylinder in the Colt GT. In 1977, the slightly smaller Colt Mileage Maker was also offered as a two- and four-door sedan with the 1.6-liter, which was based on the new Mitsubishi Lancer . Of the larger Colt, only the coupés and the station wagon were left on offer. In 1978 the previous Colt station wagon was replaced by a larger version that was based on the Mitsubishi Galant Sigma, which was also available in Europe ; the larger coupes were canceled at the same time. After the 1979 model year, the sale of the Lancer-based Colt models was discontinued, so that only the station wagon was available, the import of which was also ended in 1980.

None of these Colt models had Plymouth counterparts. Around 400,000 of all rear-wheel-drive Colts were sold between 1971 and 1980.

Front-wheel drive Dodge Colt (model years 1979–1994)

From model year 1979 the Mitsubishi Colt with front-wheel drive was marketed in the USA as Dodge Colt and Plymouth Champ , initially only as a three-door, from model year 1982 also as a five-door. Its first generation was powered by four-cylinder engines with a displacement of 1.4 or 1.6 liters (65 to 81 hp), to which a 103 hp turbo variant was added in 1984. Of this model generation, Dodge and Plymouth jointly sold around 425,000 pieces, with Plymouth giving up the name Champ in favor of Colt from model year 1983 onwards.

Dodge Colt 1985-1988

From model year 1985, the Mitsubishi Colt successor model with 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine (69 hp) or 1.6-liter turbo (104 hp) as a three- and five-door hatchback sedan as a Dodge / Plymouth Colt was imported, as was the version with a notchback , which was known elsewhere as the Mitsubishi Lancer . The Lancer Station Wagon was available under the name Dodge / Plymouth Colt DL. About 175,000 copies of this generation could be sold.

Dodge Colt 1989-1994

From 1989 to 1994 Dodge sold the Mitsubishi Colt of the third front-wheel drive generation, which was also available in North America as the Eagle Summit , Plymouth Colt and Mitsubishi Mirage . Initially, this Colt was only available as a hatchback model, the notchback sedan was reintroduced in 1993/94.

Dodge Colt Vista (model years 1984–1994)

The Mitsubishi Space Wagon was offered under this name in North America from 1984 . 116,300 units were sold up to and including 1989. The model was also sold as the Plymouth Colt Vista through the Chrysler-Plymouth dealer network.

source

  • Covello, Mike: Standard Catalog of Imported Cars 1946-2002 . Krause Publications, Iola 2002. ISBN 0-87341-605-8 .

Web links

Commons : Dodge Colt  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files