The Mitsubishi Celeste was the coupé and liftback version of the first-generation Lancer, the A70. It was sold from 1975 to 1981 and used the same mechanical parts as the saloon, which had been launched in February 1973 to fill the gap between the Minica kei car and the larger Galant.
Mitsubishi Celeste at a glance
| Maker | Mitsubishi Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1975–1981 |
| Based on | Lancer A70, launched February 1973 |
| Body | two-door coupé and liftback |
| Engines | 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6-litre fours |
| Top engine | 1600 GSR, 110 PS |
| Layout | front engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Export names | Colt Lancer, Dodge Colt, Chrysler Valiant Lancer |
| Saloon production | ended 1979; vans continued to 1985 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Lancer A70, which covers the Celeste only as the coupé derivative of the saloon. This page is therefore shorter than the others and the Celeste’s own equipment is not described in detail.
History of the Mitsubishi Celeste
The Lancer underneath
The Lancer A70 was introduced in February 1973 in two- and four-door saloon form, with a rarely seen five-door estate added that September. It replaced the Colt 1200 and filled the gap between the Minica and the Galant. Twelve models were launched, from a basic 1.2-litre saloon to the 1600 GSR that became successful in rallying, and the saloon and estate adopted the coke-bottle styling fashionable in the 1970s.
The engines were the overhead-valve 1.2-litre Neptune 4G42 with 70 PS, the overhead-camshaft 1.4-litre Saturn 4G33 with 92 PS and the 1.6-litre 4G32 with 100 PS, in models coded A71, A72 and A73. From September 1973 the 1600 GSR added two Mikuni-built twin-barrel Solex carburettors and produced 110 PS at 6,700 rpm. The coupé shared this range.
A coupé for export markets
The Lancer was sold under many names. In Britain, Ireland and several European countries it was the Colt Lancer, and in El Salvador it was first known as the Dodge Lancer, because Mitsubishi was wary of using its own name in markets that remembered the A6M Zero. In Australia the first-generation car was sold as the Chrysler Valiant Lancer, with about 11,800 sold between late 1974 and 1979, and in the United States the 1977 and 1978 models were the Dodge Colt, with the Plymouth Colt name in Canada.
Changes through the 1970s
A facelift in November 1976 replaced the upright rear lamps with wide rectangular units, enlarged and moved the front indicators, added bigger rubber bumpers and new grilles, and dropped the 1200 Standard in favour of a low-cost 1200 Populaire. In April 1977 the 1.2-litre Saturn engine gave way to the 1,244 cc Orion G11B with 70 PS, a lean-burning MCA-Jet design with a tiny second inlet valve that created a swirl; the MCA-Jet system was added to the 1.4 and 1.6 engines that June, when their outputs fell to 82 and 86 PS.
The 1600 GSR was developed for off-road racing, above all the Safari Rally in Kenya, where repeated wins earned it the nickname King of Cars in Africa. Saloon production ended in 1979, the coupé in 1981, and the estate continued until 1985.
Design and features
- Coupé body: a two-door liftback on the Lancer A70 floorpan.
- Shared engines: 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6-litre fours, up to 110 PS in the GSR.
- Rally pedigree: the 1600 GSR was built for the Safari Rally.
- Export names: Colt Lancer, Dodge Colt and Chrysler Valiant Lancer.
- Longer life: the coupé outlived the saloon by two years.
Mitsubishi Celeste versions
- Celeste coupé (1975–1981): the liftback version of the A70.
- 1600 GSR: twin-carburettor engine with 110 PS.
- 1976 facelift: rectangular rear lamps and larger bumpers.
- 1977 MCA-Jet engines: lean-burn 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 units.
The Celeste shares its story with the Lancer, and its place in the range was later taken by the Cordia and Tredia. More cars are in the Mitsubishi collection.
Sources
- Mitsubishi Lancer (A70), English Wikipedia: engines, coupé, facelifts, export names
