CarBrandLogos archive · Mitsubishi · 1973

MitsubishiMitsubishi Lancer

Four decades of ordinary saloon that kept turning up sideways in the forest.

Photo: IFCAR · Public domain

The story

A defining chapter in Mitsubishi history.

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

Origins

Introduced in 1973 below the Galant, the Lancer had one job, which was to sell in volume, and it did that for 44 years across a bewildering number of generations, platforms and badges. It was a Dodge, a Plymouth, a Proton, a Colt and a Mirage depending on where you bought it, and it moved from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive in the 1980s without much ceremony.

06-Mitsubishi-Lancer · IFCAR · Public domain

Design and engineering

The reason anyone remembers it is what Mitsubishi kept doing to it. The original 1600 GSR won the East African Safari Rally in 1974 and again in 1976, on an event that regularly finished under a fifth of its starters, and Joginder Singh's victories in it made the name across Africa and Asia. The 1980s brought the turbocharged EX 2000 Turbo, and from 1992 the Lancer became the basis of the Evolution.

1988-1990 Mitsubishi Lancer SE sedan 02 · OSX · Public domain

In production

Ordinary Lancers were competent rather than special: durable, cheap to fix, and popular with buyers who wanted a small saloon that would not surprise them. The last generation lingered for close to a decade without a proper replacement while Mitsubishi's money went into SUVs. Production ended worldwide in 2017, though Taiwanese assembly continued until 2024.

1982 Mitsubishi Lancer EX 1800GSR rear · TTTNIS · CC BY-SA 4.0

Legacy

For most of the world the Lancer's legacy is not the saloon at all, but the four letters that followed the name on the boot lid of the fast ones.

Technical specification

The Mitsubishi Lancer, in detail.

Production: February 1973 – August 2017 (worldwide); December 1993 – April 2024 (Taiwan)
Class: Subcompact car (1973–1995); Compact car (1996–2024)
Layout: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (1973–1987); Front-engine, front-wheel-drive (1982–2024); Front-engine, four-wheel-drive (2007–2017)
Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Motors

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