The Dodge Colt is a
subcompact car
Subcompact car is a North American classification for cars smaller than a compact car. It is broadly equivalent to the B-segment (Europe), supermini (Great Britain) or A0-class (China) classifications.
According to the U.S. Environmental Prote ...
that was manufactured by
Mitsubishi Motors
is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.[Dodge
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...](_blank)
for model years 1971 to 1994 as
captive import
Captive import is a marketing term and a strategy for a vehicle that is foreign-built and sold under the name of an importer or by a domestic automaker through its own dealer distribution system.
The foreign vehicle may be produced by a subsidiar ...
s.
Rebadged
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...
variants include the Plymouth Champ and Plymouth Colt, both were marketed by
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
.
The Colt was initially a rebadged variant of the rear-wheel drive
Galant
The galant style was an 18th-century movement in music, visual arts and literature. In Germany a closely related style was called the '' empfindsamer Stil'' (sensitive style). Another close relative is rococo style. The galant style was drawn in ...
and
Lancer
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...
families before shifting to the smaller front-wheel drive
Mitsubishi Mirage
The Mitsubishi Mirage is a range of cars produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi from 1978 until 2003 and again since 2012. The hatchback models produced between 1978 and 2003 were classified as subcompact cars, while the sedan and stat ...
subcompacts in 1979.
First generation (1971-1973)
![1973DodgeColt-rear](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/1973DodgeColt-rear.jpg)
Introduced in 1970 as model year 1971, the first generation Dodge Colt was a federalized first-generation
Mitsubishi Colt Galant
The Mitsubishi Galant is an automobile which was produced by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi from 1969 until 2012. The model name was derived from the French word ''galant'', meaning "chivalrous". There have been nine distinct generations with ...
. Available as a 2-door pillared coupe, 2-door hardtop coupe, 4-door sedan, and 5-door wagon, the Colt had a 4-cylinder engine. The unibody layout was traditional, front engine and rear-wheel drive with
MacPherson struts in front and a live rear axle. Standard transmission was a 4-speed manual, with a 3-speed automatic being an option. The engine was initially rated for , but dropped to in 1972 when manufacturers revised the method of measuring horsepower from gross to SAE net. For 1973, a GT hardtop coupe model was added featuring rally stripes, sport wheels, and a center console amongst other features. The Dodge Colt was Chrysler's response to the
AMC Gremlin
The AMC Gremlin (also American Motors Gremlin) is a subcompact automobile introduced in 1970, manufactured and marketed in a single, two-door body style (1970–1978) by American Motors Corporation (AMC), as well as in Mexico (1974–1983) by A ...
,
Ford Pinto
The Ford Pinto is a subcompact car that was manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company in North America from 1971 until 1980 model years. The Pinto was the first subcompact vehicle produced by Ford in North America.
The Pinto was marketed ...
, and
Chevrolet Vega
The Chevrolet Vega is a Subcompact car, subcompact automobile that was manufactured and marketed by General Motors, GM's Chevrolet subdivision from 1970 to 1977. Available in two-door hatchback, notchback, station wagon, wagon, and sedan deliver ...
. As a
captive import
Captive import is a marketing term and a strategy for a vehicle that is foreign-built and sold under the name of an importer or by a domestic automaker through its own dealer distribution system.
The foreign vehicle may be produced by a subsidiar ...
from
Mitsubishi
The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries.
Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...
, the Colt also competed directly with other Japanese imports, such as the
Toyota Corolla
The is a series of compact cars (formerly subcompact) manufactured and marketed globally by the Toyota Motor Corporation. Introduced in 1966, the Corolla was the best-selling car worldwide by 1974 and has been one of the best-selling cars in ...
,
Honda Civic
The is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1972. Since 2000, the Civic has been categorized as a compact car, while previously it occupied the subcompact class. , the Civic is positioned between the Honda Fit/City and Honda Acc ...
and
Datsun 1200
The is an automobile built by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1966 to 2006. In the early 1980s, the brand changed from Datsun to Nissan in line with other models by the company. Although production of the Sunny in Japan ended in 2006, the na ...
.
Second generation (1974-1977)
![1978 Dodge Colt wagon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/1978_Dodge_Colt_wagon.jpg)
Based on the
platform
Platform may refer to:
Technology
* Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run
* Platform game, a genre of video games
* Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models
* Weapons platform, a system or ...
of the first generation model, the Galant sedans and coupes received a new, somewhat rounder body in 1973, while wagons continued with the old body with a facelifted front end. The new version, with single headlights rather than the doubles of the previous generation, became the 1974 Dodge Colt in the US, available in the same bodystyles as the first one. The base engine also remained the same, but a larger
G52B "Astron" engine became optionally available, originally only in combination with the automatic transmission. Later, the 2-liter engine became available with a manual transmission as well and was made standard fitment in the GT coupe. The 2-liter engine develops at 5500 rpm, with the California version making two fewer horsepower.
Ratings varied from for the smaller one and for the larger engine in different publications and across the years.
[Flammang, ''Standard Catalog of Imported Cars'', p. 193]
A four-speed manual or three-speed automatic remained available, although the original Borg-Warner automatic transmission was replaced by Chrysler's own Torqueflite unit in the 2-liter version.
[ The Torqueflite later supplanted the old Borg-Warner unit entirely. For 1977 a five-speed manual became available (standard in the GT and Carousel coupes). The Carousel, introduced in 1975 along with larger bumpers, was more luxurious and carried a blue and white paint job. For 1977, the "Silent Shaft" version of the smaller engine became available and was fitted as standard equipment in GT and Carousels. The introduction of the new Dodge Colt "Mileage Maker" meant there was a mix of second and third generation models in 1977. The second-generation 2-door hardtops and wagons continued to be offered alongside the new 2- and 4-door "Mileage Makers". The wagon was also available with an "Estate" package that included woodgrain applique on the body sides and adjustable reclining front seats.
This model was also sold as the Dodge Colt 1600 GS in South Africa, only as a two-door hardtop coupé.]
In Canada, the second-generation Dodge Colt was also available as the Plymouth Cricket for the 1974 and 1975 model years. All 1974 and 1975 Crickets wore the grille that came standard on 1974 - 1977 Dodge Colt station wagons. All Colt body styles were shared with the Cricket, with the Cricket equivalent of the Colt GT being called Cricket Formula S. These second-generation, Canada-only Crickets were rebadged as Plymouth Colts for 1976.
Third generation (1977-1979)
The third-generation Dodge Colt was effectively made up of two lines: coupes and sedans were of a smaller, Lancer-based series, while the station wagons were based on the new Mitsubishi Galant Sigma. In late 1976, for the 1977 model year, the smaller A70-series Mitsubishi Lancer
The Mitsubishi Lancer is an automobile produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors since 1973.
The Lancer has been marketed as the Colt Lancer, Dodge Colt, Plymouth Colt, Chrysler Valiant Lancer, Chrysler Lancer, Eagle Summit, Hin ...
became the Dodge Colt available in two-door coupe and four-door sedan body designs. While the wheelbase was slightly shorter than that of the second generation Colt, overall length was down from 171.1 to 162.6 inches (4346 to 4130 mm). The new Colt was also referred to as the Dodge Colt "Mileage Maker" to differentiate it from its larger predecessor. Second generation coupe and wagon versions remained on sale for the 1977 model year.
The engine was the ''4G32'' iteration of Mitsubishi's Saturn engine family 1597 cc rated at at 5,500 rpm. A "Silent Shaft" (balance shaft
Balance shafts are used in piston engines to reduce vibration by cancelling out unbalanced dynamic forces. The counter balance shafts have eccentric weights and rotate in opposite direction to each other, which generates a net vertical force.
Th ...
) version of this engine along with a five-speed manual transmission (instead of the standard four-speed) were part of a "Freeway Cruise" package, which also included a maroon/white paintjob. For 1978 power dropped to with the introduction of the " MCA-Jet" high-swirl system.[Flammang, ''Standard Catalog of Imported Cars'', pp. 194-195]
For 1978 a new Dodge Colt wagon was the larger, rebadged Mitsubishi Galant Sigma. The 1.6-litre MCA-Jet four as the smaller sedans and coupes was standard with the 2.6-litre, Astron engine optional as well as a five-speed manual transmission. While the last year for the Lancer-based Colts was 1979, the wagon was continued alongside the front-wheel drive Mirage-based fourth generation models until 1981 when it was effectively replaced by the domestic Dodge Aries
The Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries are mid size cars introduced for model year 1981 as the first " K-cars" manufactured and marketed by the Chrysler Corporation. The Reliant and Aries were the smallest cars to have the traditional 6 passen ...
K wagon. The larger Mitsubishi Galant Lambda coupé was also marketed as the Dodge Colt Challenger from 1978, although the "Colt" part was later dropped. It shared the chassis as well as the engine options of the Colt wagon.[
]
Fourth generation (1979-1984)
From late-1978 for model year 1979, the Dodge Colt and Plymouth Champ nameplates were applied to the front-wheel-drive
Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional lon ...
Mitsubishi Mirage
The Mitsubishi Mirage is a range of cars produced by the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi from 1978 until 2003 and again since 2012. The hatchback models produced between 1978 and 2003 were classified as subcompact cars, while the sedan and stat ...
imports into North America. The Colt and Champ (Plymouth Colt after 1982) as a 3-door hatchback, and came in Deluxe or Custom equipment levels. These imports used a Mitsubishi Orion 4G12 1.4-liter overhead-cam, four-cylinder engine at first, which received the highest United States Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
fuel economy rating in its debut year. This engine was joined by the 1.6-liter, 4G32 Saturn engine at the end of the year. For 1981, a bare bones "low-line" version was introduced. An RS package also became available, with stiffer suspension, sportier interior with extra gauges, and a larger fuel tank.
There were three manual transmissions and one automatic transmission available. There was a KM110 four-speed manual transmission or a "Twin Stick" (Mitsubishi Super Shift) version of the transmission that used a two-speed transfer case to give 8 forward and 2 reverse speeds. There was also the option of a KM119 five-speed manual transmission or a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission.
For 1982 a five-door hatchback joined the lineup. The names of the equipment levels changed to "E" and "DL". At some point claimed power dropped to 64 and 72 hp respectively for the small and large engines, while the 1.6 was only available with the automatic transmission. In August 1983, for the 1984 model year (which was to be the last year of this model of Colt), the GTS Turbo model arrived along with a naturally aspirated GTS package, similar to the earlier RS one. Unique for North America - the turbocharged Colt/Mirages sold elsewhere had a 1.4-litre engine - this used the fuel-injected 1.6-litre 4G32T engine also seen in the next-generation Colt, providing at 5500 rpm and considerable performance. It, too, featured the eight speed Twin Stick transmission and also received ventilated brakes in front. Both GTS models, available with three-door bodywork only, received a larger gas tank rather than the E and DL's tank. They also featured a sporty appearance with uprated suspension, blacked out trim details, and a sizable front air dam.[
]
Fifth generation (1985)
In September 1984, the fifth generation Dodge/Plymouth Colt appeared (model year 1985). There was also a five-door minivan/station wagon called the Dodge/Plymouth "Colt Vista"; this was simply a rebadged Mitsubishi Chariot
The Mitsubishi Chariot is an automobile manufactured and marketed by Mitsubishi from 1983 to 2003. It is a small multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). Based on the SSW concept car first exhibited at the 23rd Tokyo Motor Show in 1979, the MPV derives its n ...
. A twin-barrel carbureted 1468 cc four was the Colt's base engine, while the 4G32BT turbocharged
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
1.6-litre already seen in the last model year of the previous Colts was optional on the upscale Premier four-door sedan and standard on the GTS Turbo hatchback. Power remained at 5500 rpm, as for the previous generation. A first for FWD Colts was the availability of a three-box four-door sedan body; it and the 3-door hatchback were available in the US from 1985–88; the 5-door hatchback only in 1985 (and only in base E trim) and the wagon not until 1988. The five-door hatchback was only available for a single model year as Chrysler was worried about this car cannibalizing sales of their own Omni/Horizon. The five-door was replaced by the E sedan for 1986. In Canada, the five-door hatchback was also available in DL trim.
Beginning in early 1988, Chrysler Canada began sourcing Colts from Thailand, assembled there from Japanese parts, planning on bringing in 8,000 cars per annum. From 1988 (and lasting until 1991), the Colt/Mirage was also marketed as the ''Eagle Vista'' in Canada.
Early cars have small rectangular headlights in black inserts, while later models received more aerodynamic, flush-fitting units. The facelift model appeared for the 1987 model year, presented in late September 1986. The lowest-priced model was the "E" (for economy), followed by the "DL" and topped by the turbocharged but slow selling Premier and GTS Turbo models. In 1987 the turbocharged engine became an option for the DL hatchback, which replaced the GTS. Power for the turbo versions crept up to for the 1988 model year. The DL Turbo remained available through 1988. 1988 also marked the introduction of the wagon, initially only available with front-wheel drive. Unlike the remainder of the lineup, the 1988 wagon received a fuel injected version of the 1.5-liter engine which produces at 5500 rpm.
The Colt wagon, while never available with the turbocharged engine, did receive a more powerful 1,755 cc engine in the four-wheel-drive version which was added for 1989. The Wagon was only ever offered in DL trim. Unlike the FWD version, the DL 4x4 was not available with an automatic transmission.[ The larger engine produces .] For the fifth generation Colt's final year in the United States, the DL model received fully body-colored trim (including bumpers, mirrors, and so on) for what Plymouth referred to as a "dipped look."[
While the hatchback Colts were replaced for 1989 in the United States, the Colt Wagon continued to be available until the 1991 introduction of the Mitsubishi RVR-based Colt Wagon, which also replaced the Colt Vista. The late Colt Wagons of this generation received the newer, twin cam Sirius 1.6-liter engine with when equipped with front-wheel drive.][ This model was also marketed as the Eagle Vista Wagon in Canada. In Canada, this generation Colt sedans and hatchbacks also continued to be offered alongside the next generation under the Colt 100 moniker, as a lower-priced alternative to the new model which was badged "Colt 200". The Colt 100 was still available with the turbo engine as well as in luxuriously appointed LX trim in 1990, but by 1991 only the E and DL models remained.
File:1985 Dodge Colt E 5-dr hatch, front.jpg, 1985 Dodge Colt E five-door (US)
File:1988 Dodge Colt DL 3-door in White, rear left.jpg, 1988 Dodge Colt DL in model-year specific monochrome trim
]
Sixth generation (1989-1992)
For the 1989 model year, Eagle began marketing its Summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
as another rebadged
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...
Mitsubishi Mirage. Sales started in August 1988. In Canada, the previous generation continued as a carryover model with Eagle Vista
The Eagle Vista name has been used on two subcompact cars sold from 1988 to 1992 in Canada. Along with the Eagle Summit, the car replaced the Renault Encore because of Renault's withdrawing from the United States and Canada at that time. It was a ...
or Colt 100 badging, replacing the earlier Colt sedan. The new model was sold as the Dodge/Plymouth Colt 200 in Canada, to distinguish it from the previous version.
Since the demise of the Dodge Omni
The Dodge Omni (and the nearly identical Plymouth Horizon) is a subcompact car that was produced by Chrysler Corporation from the 1978 to 1990 model years. The first Chrysler model line produced with front-wheel drive, the Omni and Horizon were a ...
/Plymouth Horizon
The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...
in 1990, the Colt was the only subcompact in the Dodge and Plymouth lineups. The Colt sedan was not sold in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
for the sixth generation (though it was sold in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
), as it would be replaced by the Dodge Shadow
The Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance are economical 3-door and 5-door hatchbacks that were introduced for the 1987 model year by the Chrysler Corporation. For 1991, a 2-door convertible variant was added to the Shadow lineup; this bodystyle wa ...
/Plymouth Sundance
The Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance are economical 3-door and 5-door hatchbacks that were introduced for the 1987 model year by the Chrysler Corporation. For 1991, a 2-door convertible variant was added to the Shadow lineup; this bodystyle was ...
liftbacks in the Dodge/Plymouth lineup for 1989. The sedan bodywork, however, was available to American consumers as an Eagle Summit
The Eagle Summit is a line of subcompact cars produced for two generations by Mitsubishi and sold by Eagle from 1989 until 1996. It was marketed as a captive import by the Jeep-Eagle sales division that was established after Chrysler Corporati ...
. Dodge and Plymouth Colt sedans returned for 1993-1994 as a variant of the next-generation Eagle Summit. The Dodge/Plymouth Colt, Eagle Summit, and Mitsubishi Mirage of this generation used 1.5 or 1.6-litre inline-four engines.
A model powered by the 1.6-litre 4G61T turbocharged four-cylinder was produced for the 1989 model year only. There are a rumored 1,500 of these special editions to have been produced. The engine was only offered in the Mirage and the Colt GT Turbo, which were distinguished by their ground effects and spoilers (although these parts were also available for a price as add-ons to other model ranges) and by their extra features not normally found on base model ranges such as power seats, power windows, power locks, and power mirrors, special colored interior and seats, as well as a 150 mph/9000 rpm gauge cluster. The Turbo Colt/Mirage Turbo was one of ''Car and Driver
''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was fou ...
'' magazine's Ten Best for 1989. A naturally aspirated version of this engine was available for the following years Colt GT, with power down to 113 hp.
Power of the 1.5-litre 4G15 was up to thanks to multi-point fuel injection. Top speed was .[''Tutte le Auto del Mondo 1990'', p. 185]
The Colt Wagon was redesigned in 1991, now based on the RVR, and continued in production until the 1996 model year.
Seventh generation (1993-1994)
The seventh generation of the Colt was the same as Plymouth's version, and also the same as the Eagle Summit. As usual, they were all simply badge-engineered versions of the Mitsubishi Mirage/Lancer. There was no hatchback version of the seventh generation Dodge/Plymouth Colt. Originally available in Base and GL versions, the ES (with supposedly more sporting intentions) was added later.
1.5 and 1.8 litre four-cylinder engines were used, with the larger engine originally only available to four-door Colts. While the sporting variants offered in the sixth generation were not renewed, the two-door ES was available with the more powerful sixteen-valve SOHC 1.8 for the 1994 model year. The smaller engine has while the larger version has . The previous Colt Wagon (Mitsubishi RVR
The Mitsubishi RVR is a range of cars produced by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors from 1991 to 2002 and then from 2010 until present. The first two generations were classified as compact multi-purpose vehicles (MPV), and the model intr ...
) continued to be sold until 1996, while the Dodge and Plymouth Colts were replaced by the new Neon
Neon is a chemical element with the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is a noble gas. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with about two-thirds the density of air. It was discovered (along with krypton ...
after the 1994 model year.[
]
Related versions
The Plymouth Cricket nameplate was used (in addition to Dodge Colt) on Galants sold in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
between mid-1973 and 1975, after Chrysler stopped using the Plymouth Cricket name for a rebadged Hillman Avenger
The Hillman Avenger is a rear-wheel drive small family car originally manufactured by the former Rootes division of Chrysler Europe from 1970–1978, badged from 1976 onward as the Chrysler Avenger. Between 1979 and 1981 it was manufactured by ...
-based model sourced from the United Kingdom (and sold across North America between 1971 and 1973).
The Plymouth Arrow was offered from 1976 to 1980 as a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste, not to be confused with the rebadged Mitsubishi truck sold as the Plymouth Arrow starting in 1979.
References
External links
Colt/Champ/Cricket infos on Allpar
Colt/Summit/Mirage US based forum
*
{{Plymouth Timeline
Colt
Colt(s) or COLT may refer to:
*Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age
People
* Colt (given name)
*Colt (surname)
Places
*Colt, Arkansas, United States
*Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...
Compact cars
Front-wheel-drive vehicles
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Coupés
Hatchbacks
Sedans
Station wagons
Cars introduced in 1970
1980s cars
1990s cars