The Colt Galant was the name under which Mitsubishi launched its new compact car in December 1969. Sold through the company’s new Galant Shop dealerships in Japan and exported as the Dodge Colt, the Chrysler Valiant Galant and the Colt Galant, it was the model that took Mitsubishi from kei cars and small saloons into the growing compact class.
Colt Galant at a glance
| Maker | Mitsubishi Motors, Japan |
|---|---|
| Also called | Dodge Colt, Plymouth Colt, Chrysler Valiant Galant, Chrysler Galant |
| Production | first generation from December 1969; second generation from May 1973 to 1976 |
| Design | “Dynawedge”, with aerodynamic influence on the silhouette |
| Engines, 1969 | 1.3-litre (AI) and 1.5-litre (AII, AIII) Saturn |
| Engines, 1971–73 | 1.4- and 1.6-litre (14L, 16L), then a 1.7-litre of 115 PS for the GS |
| Body styles | four-door sedan, five-door estate, two-door hardtop (A53) |
| Hardtop | Mitsubishi’s first passenger car with full side windows and no side pillars |
| Second generation | A11* series, Astron engines up to 125 PS in 2000 cc form |
| Gearboxes | floor-mounted four-speed and five-speed manuals, three-speed automatic |
| Rivals | Toyota Corona, Nissan Bluebird, Honda Accord, Mazda Capella |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Mitsubishi Galant, which describes the Colt Galant in its first two generations.
History of the Colt Galant
The first Colt Galant was released in December 1969 at a new Japanese dealership network called Galant Shop. Mitsubishi called the shape “Dynawedge”, a reference to the way aerodynamics had influenced the silhouette. Three models were offered at launch, powered by the new Saturn engine in 1.3-litre form (the AI) or 1.5-litre form (the AII and AIII). In September 1971 the range was revised with 1.4- and 1.6-litre engines (the 14L and 16L), and in January 1973 a larger 115 PS 1.7-litre unit arrived for the top GS model.
Only a four-door sedan was available at first. A five-door estate and a two-door hardtop, the A53, were added in 1970. The hardtop was Mitsubishi’s first production passenger car with full side windows and no side pillars. In March 1973, with only two months of production left, a cleaner “MCA-II” version of the 1.6-litre engine joined the range; with 97 PS it was three horsepower down on the regular unit.
The Galant was aimed at the Toyota Corona, Nissan Bluebird, Honda Accord and Mazda Capella. It also became Mitsubishi’s first car sold in the United States, when Chrysler – the company’s new partner and shareholder – began importing it as the Dodge Colt in 1971, as an answer to the Ford Pinto, Chevrolet Vega and AMC Gremlin. Chrysler Australia sold it alongside the larger Valiant as the Chrysler Valiant Galant, and in South Africa the A53 hardtop arrived in late 1972 as the Dodge Colt 1600 GS.
Second generation, 1973–1976
The second-generation Colt Galant, the A11* series, was introduced on 24 May 1973 and went on sale on 1 June; it was replaced in 1976. It was exported much more widely than the first car and was again sold by Chrysler in many guises: as the Dodge Colt in the United States, the Plymouth Colt and Plymouth Cricket in Canada, the Chrysler Valiant Galant and Chrysler Galant in Australia, and as the Colt Galant in Europe. The body was more curvaceous, influenced by contemporary “coke bottle” styling, and the engine range grew to include Astron units of up to 125 PS in 2000 cc form. It was during this generation that the first Astron 80 engines with Mitsubishi’s Silent Shaft balance-shaft technology appeared in some markets.
The coupés
The first-generation Galant also produced two separate coupés. From 1970 there was a fastback, the Galant GTO, fashioned after contemporary American muscle cars and available with two Saturn engines or the 2-litre Astron 80 until 1975. A third, more compact coupé followed in 1971 on a chassis shortened by 12 cm, the Galant FTO, powered by the 1.4-litre 4G41 engine.
Design and features
- Dynawedge styling: Mitsubishi’s name for a shape shaped by aerodynamics, used for the whole first generation.
- Saturn and Astron engines: a new four-cylinder family at launch, joined by larger Astron units in the second generation.
- Pillarless hardtop: the A53 of 1970 was Mitsubishi’s first passenger car with full side windows and no side pillars.
- Export under many names: Dodge Colt, Plymouth Colt and Cricket, Chrysler Valiant Galant and Colt Galant, depending on the market.
- Silent Shaft: balance-shaft technology from the Astron 80 engine appeared in some markets in the second generation.
Colt Galant versions
- AI, AII, AIII (1969): the original 1.3- and 1.5-litre Saturn-engined cars.
- 14L and 16L (1971): the 1.4- and 1.6-litre replacements.
- GS (1973): top model with the 115 PS 1.7-litre engine.
- A53 hardtop (1970): pillarless two-door coupé.
- Second-generation A11* (1973): larger body, Astron engines and new trim levels such as GL-II, SL-5, GT and GS-II.
- Estate A112V: commercial-vehicle version in Japan with the 100 PS 1600 engine.
The Galant’s smaller stablemate was the Colt Celeste coupé, and the front-wheel-drive car that eventually took over the Colt name is covered in Colt Mirage. More cars are in the Colt collection.
Sources
- Mitsubishi Galant, English Wikipedia: launch, engines, body styles, export names, second generation
