Lonsdale was a
marque
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
of car sold in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
by the
Colt Car Company
Colt Car Company, also known as Mitsubishi Motors UK, was a privately owned business established in 1974 as part of Mitsubishi Motors' global expansion programme for the purpose of importing and distributing cars and light commercial vehicles in ...
between 1982 and 1984. It took its name from the
industrial suburb
An industrial suburb is a community, near a large city, with an industrial economy. These communities may be established as tax havens or as places where zoning promotes industry, or they may be industrial towns that become suburbs by urban spr ...
of
Lonsdale in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
where
Mitsubishi Australia had an engine production facility. The only car sold under this brand was the Lonsdale, a
badge engineered
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 ma ...
Mitsubishi Sigma (GJ). It was sold as the Lonsdale YD41 and the Lonsdale YD45. 700 were produced.
The car was powered by one of three four cylinder engines of 1.6, 2.0 and 2.6 litres, producing respectively 81, 95 and 103 bhp.
The largest of these power units produced a maximum torque of 192 Nm., and was one of the largest post-war four cylinder engines produced.
Although the Sigma was merely an Australian version of
Mitsubishi Motors' Colt Galant which was already available in the UK, the company's plan was to circumvent the "gentlemen's agreement", a voluntary import quota which limited
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese-manufactured imports to 11 per cent of the market (which typically amounted to fewer than 200,000 cars per year). However, the idea proved unsuccessful and most of the cars imported by Lonsdale remained unsold by the time the company ceased trading. The Colt Car Company continued to sell the vehicle in the UK for 1984, although rebranded as the Mitsubishi Galant.
See also
*
Colt Car Company
Colt Car Company, also known as Mitsubishi Motors UK, was a privately owned business established in 1974 as part of Mitsubishi Motors' global expansion programme for the purpose of importing and distributing cars and light commercial vehicles in ...
*
List of car manufacturers of the United Kingdom
:''This list is incomplete. You can help by adding correctly sourced information about other manufacturers.''
As of 2018 there are approximately 35 active British car manufacturers and over 500 defunct British car manufacturers. This page lists ...
References
External links
BBC Top Gear 10 Forgotten cars - Lonsdale
Mitsubishi Motors subsidiaries
Defunct brands
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