Mitsubishi Colt 1.2 GL Olympique Automatic. Nice to meet you

During the eighties and the first half of the nineties, the Mitsubishi Colt from the generation 78-84 was a regular guest in the traffic scene. Today you hardly see this Japanese anymore. Christiaan Okkema, however, managed to get hold of a late copy. His Colt has a rare powertrain and is also a barely known action model. There is something else that makes the Colt unique: a mileage of just over 43.000 kilometers. The car was stationary for a while, but is back within the traffic picture. Because Christiaan uses his car as a daily summer car.

This Mitsubishi is actually not a Colt, but a Mirage. In Europe, however, it was sold as Colt, also because the name Mirage was not allowed to be used on our continent. Colt was historically a widely used name (and even a brand for a while) within the Mitsubishi group. He ended up in the books from 1978 on this Colt. The front-wheel drive hatchback was an excellent addition to the Mitsubishi range, which also took root in Europe during the second half of the XNUMXs. It is not for nothing that you saw the car regularly, but today it is rare.

Moreover, the combination of the 1244 cc engine (55 DIN hp, 90 Nm at 3500 rpm) and the three-speed automatic transmission is not common, let alone that you will soon find an Olympique version. To stimulate sales during the final phase of this Colt generation, Mitsubishi printed some extras (such as the rear window spoiler) on this Colt, which comes from the facelift series of this generation. So no excess. It fits with the clarity of the Mitsubishi, which comes across as very tidy and spacious.

On the surface, the Colt is already neat, but cosmetically there is still work to be done on the Mitsubishi. For example, Christiaan has the front spoiler refurbished. He did, however, install a new chrome frame on the front, which he ordered in Australia. “This generation of the Colt was delivered there until 1989. I was therefore fairly easy to get to, but that came at a price,” says the owner, who also installed decorative covers of a later Colt generation. “These look good on him”, says Christiaan and we agree with him.

Also in a technical sense, the necessary work was done on the Mitsubishi. The braking system (brake force distributor) received a makeover, and so did the power source. “The engine got a flush, and I had the carburetor cleaned ultrasonically. Initially, the power source did not run smoothly, but that has been solved with this work,” says Christiaan. You will notice what that means when you are on the road with the Japanese hatchback. The power source turns smoothly. In combination with the fine-working and almost smooth-shifting automatic transmission, it provides an economical, good-natured and modest characteristic. In this technical outfit, the Colt is perfectly suitable for daily traffic. No problem, as long as you anticipate a little. The fairly short final ratio of the automatic transmission (3,943) helps with this.

The aforementioned flexibility actually applies to the overall driving characteristics. The no-power steering system works precisely and requires little effort. The chassis provides a comfortable and stable suspension and damping. This is not only due to the excellent tuning, but also to the fact that the wheels were placed far towards the corners of the then modern-looking body. The course stability is fine, in the corners the Colt slopes a bit in French about. This contributes to the relaxed character of the sympathetic Japanese hatchback.

This also gave opportunities to design the interior spaciously. That is also a real plus of the Colt. You have a lot of freedom of movement. As a result, you never get the idea that you are locked up in the Mitsubishi. You will also be treated to a well-arranged service from the well-fitting furniture. Inside this Colt, which has been well-maintained from home, everything makes a tidy impression. And that fits well with the driving characteristics of the Japanese compact. Not only does he appear harmonious; he is too.

As mentioned: the Colt gets another cosmetic upgrade. That does not alter the fact that the first impression of this Mitsubishi is very positive. And also in such a way that we can reassure you that the car is not inferior to the European competitors at the time. In addition, you immediately recognize the Colt. Its long front, its smooth drawing and the large window area give the car its own look.

If you're in the market for a classic in this category, grab the chance when you come across a Colt in good condition. Yes, the parts supply can cause headaches in certain cases. But apart from that: you are assured of a nice driving, technically reliable and balanced classic, which you don't see often anymore. And that certainly applies to Christiaan's car, which is truly unique in this configuration.