CarBrandLogos archive · Mitsubishi · 1969

MitsubishiMitsubishi Galant

The car that carried Mitsubishi from domestic supplier to global exporter.

Photo: IFCAR · Public domain

The story

A defining chapter in Mitsubishi history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Mitsubishi Galant, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

The Colt Galant of 1969 was Mitsubishi's first serious attempt at a modern family car, and it arrived just as the car division was being spun out as Mitsubishi Motors and tied to Chrysler. That connection shaped its early life. Galants were sold across America as Dodge Colts and in Australia and Britain under assorted badges, and the export volume they generated paid for everything that came after.

04-06 Mitsubishi Galant · IFCAR · Public domain

1975 Chrysler Valiant Galant GL station wagon

Design and engineering

Mechanically it moved with the times, from a longitudinal rear-drive layout to transverse front drive in the 1980s, and it carried technology Mitsubishi wanted to be known for: the balance-shaft Astron engine of the 1970s, licensed to several rivals, and later four-wheel steering and full-time four-wheel drive.

1975 Chrysler Valiant Galant GL station wagon · Chris Keating from Mel-bourrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrne, Australia · CC BY 2.0

1971 Mitsubishi Colt Galant Estate V 16L GL

In production

The version that counts is the VR-4. Built from 1987 to homologate the Galant for the World Rally Championship, it combined a turbocharged four with four-wheel drive and delivered Mitsubishi's first world championship rally wins, with Ari Vatanen and Kenjiro Shinozuka among the drivers. When the car grew too large and heavy for rallying, its drivetrain was transplanted into the smaller Lancer, which is how the Evolution came to exist.

1971 Mitsubishi Colt Galant Estate V 16L GL · TTTNIS · CC0

Legacy

The Galant itself continued as a mainstream saloon until 2012, latterly built in Illinois for the American market and largely forgotten there.

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

1969–2012

Technical specification

The Mitsubishi Galant, in detail.

Production: 1969–2012
Class: Compact car (1969–1987); Mid-size car (1983–2012)
Layout: Longitudinal front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (1969–1987); Transverse front-engine, front-wheel-drive (1983–2012); Transverse front-engine, four-wheel-drive (1987–2006)
Assembly: Japan: Okazaki, Aichi; Okazaki (Mitsubishi Motors#Locations; Nagoya Plant: 1969–2006); Australia: Port Melbourne (1971–1972); Australia: Tonsley Park (Mitsubishi Motors Australia; MMAL: 1972–2008); United States: Normal,
Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Motors

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