The Dodge Colt is a subcompact car that Mitsubishi built and Dodge sold as a captive import from the 1971 to 1994 model years. The name covered several different Mitsubishi families, beginning with the rear-wheel-drive Galant and Lancer and later moving to the front-wheel-drive Mirage.
Dodge Colt at a glance
| Maker | Mitsubishi Motors, sold by Dodge |
|---|---|
| Production | 1971-1994 model years |
| Class | subcompact car |
| First generation | 1971-1973, Mitsubishi Colt Galant |
| Second generation | 1974-1977, updated Galant |
| Third generation | 1977-1979, Lancer-based coupe and sedan |
| Wagon | Colt Wagon from 1978, Galant Sigma-based |
| Engines | 1.6-litre four, later 2.0 and 2.6-litre fours |
| Layout | rear-wheel drive until 1979 |
| Rebadged twins | Plymouth Champ and Plymouth Colt |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Dodge Colt.
History of the Dodge Colt
The Dodge Colt was introduced in 1970 as a 1971 model, a federalized first-generation Mitsubishi Colt Galant. It came as a two-door pillared coupe, a two-door hardtop coupe, a four-door sedan and a five-door wagon, all with a 1,597 cc four-cylinder engine, a traditional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with MacPherson struts and a live rear axle. The standard gearbox was a four-speed manual with a three-speed automatic as an option. The engine started at 100 hp but dropped to 83 hp in 1972 when horsepower ratings changed from gross to SAE net. A GT hardtop coupe with rally stripes, sport wheels and a centre console was added for 1973. As Chrysler’s answer to the AMC Gremlin, Ford Pinto and Chevrolet Vega, the Colt also competed with the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Datsun 1200.
The second generation of 1974 to 1977 kept the first car’s platform but received a rounder body, with wagons carrying over the old shape and a facelifted front. The new single-headlight version became the 1974 Dodge Colt in the same body styles. The base engine stayed, but a larger 2.0-litre G52B Astron engine became optional, at first only with the automatic and later with a manual as well and as standard in the GT coupe. The original Borg-Warner automatic gave way to Chrysler’s Torqueflite in the 2-litre version and later throughout. A five-speed manual arrived for 1977, standard in the GT and Carousel coupes, and the Carousel of 1975 was a more luxurious model with special blue and white paint. The second-generation Colt was also sold as the Dodge Colt 1600 GS in South Africa, and in Canada it was rebadged as the Plymouth Cricket for 1974 and 1975.
For 1977 the third-generation Colt split into two lines. The coupes and sedans used the smaller A70-series Mitsubishi Lancer, with a slightly shorter wheelbase and an overall length cut from 171.1 to 162.6 inches, and were called the Colt “Mileage Maker” to separate them from the larger cars; second-generation coupes and wagons stayed on sale through 1977. The engine was the 1,597 cc 4G32 Saturn four with 83 hp, and a Silent Shaft version with a five-speed manual was part of the Freeway Cruise package. Power dropped to 77 hp in 1978 with the MCA-Jet high-swirl system.
The 1978 Colt Wagon was a different car: instead of the Lancer it was a rebadged Mitsubishi Galant Sigma, with the 1.6-litre MCA-Jet engine as standard and an optional 2.6-litre 105 hp Astron unit with a five-speed manual. The Lancer-based Colts ended in 1979, but the wagon continued alongside the front-wheel-drive Mirage-based fourth generation until 1981. The Colt name went on to be used on Mirage-based cars until 1994, and Plymouth sold its own versions as the Champ and Colt.
Design and features
- Captive import: built by Mitsubishi and sold through Dodge dealers without Dodge engineering.
- Three Mitsubishi families: the Galant, the Lancer and finally the Mirage.
- GT and Carousel: sporty and luxury versions with stripes, consoles and special paint.
- Colt Wagon: a Galant Sigma-based estate with an optional 2.6-litre engine.
Dodge Colt versions
- First generation (1971-1973): the Colt Galant in coupe, sedan and wagon form.
- Second generation (1974-1977): the rounder Galant-based range with a 2-litre option.
- Third generation (1977-1979): Lancer-based coupes and sedans, plus the separate wagon.
- Mirage-based Colt (1979-1994): the later front-wheel-drive generation.
The Colt was Dodge’s small import at a time when the Dodge Dart was still the compact offering at home, and it was replaced in spirit by the Dodge Neon. More Dodge models are in the Dodge collection.
Sources
- Dodge Colt, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, body styles, wagon
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