The Plymouth Sapporo was the Plymouth version of the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda, a two-door four-seat hardtop coupe built in Japan from 1976. It was sold in North America from 1978 as a captive import, alongside the closely related Dodge Challenger.
Plymouth Sapporo at a glance
| Maker | Mitsubishi Motors for Plymouth |
|---|---|
| Sold | 1978–1983 in North America |
| Body | two-door four-seat hardtop coupe |
| Also sold as | Mitsubishi Sapporo, Dodge Challenger, Chrysler Scorpion |
| Position | luxury, while the Dodge was the sporting version |
| US engine | 2.6 L four with Silent Shaft balance shafts |
| Gearboxes | five-speed manual or three-speed automatic |
| Second generation | 1981, new bodywork, 2.6 L only in North America |
| Optional | four-wheel disc brakes and alloy wheels in the Open Road package |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda, which describes the Plymouth Sapporo as its North American version.
History of the Plymouth Sapporo
Mitsubishi introduced the Galant Lambda in Japan in December 1976 and called it a “personal luxury car” rather than a coupe, because the smaller Celeste coupe already sat in its range. The car was exported from 1978 under several names: the Mitsubishi Sapporo in Europe and South America, the Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Sapporo in North America and Puerto Rico, and the Chrysler or Mitsubishi Scorpion in Australia. The Sapporo name came from the Japanese city, which was felt to have positive international associations after hosting the 1972 Winter Olympics.
Styling and equipment
Smaller personal luxury cars were a growing trend in the mid-1970s, and the Lambda catered to it with frameless door glass and no B-pillar between the front and rear side windows, canopy vinyl roofs, velour upholstery, wheel covers with whitewall tyres and numerous power assists. In North America the Plymouth was aimed at the luxury buyer while the Dodge Challenger, mechanically identical, was positioned for performance; the earliest Challengers came only in two-tone silver and charcoal, and for 1979 four more colour combinations were offered. Equipment was complete for the time, with a remote-opening boot, electrically controlled exterior mirrors and map lights among the standard items.
The North American cars came in one basic mechanical configuration: the GSR’s close-ratio transmission, a live rear axle and a larger engine. That engine was the 2.6-litre Astron four, which introduced Mitsubishi’s Silent Shaft balance-shaft technology to reduce the vibration of a big four-cylinder; the US version also had a “Jet Valve”, a small secondary intake valve that improved emissions by increasing swirl and allowing a leaner mixture. Both engines could be had with a five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic, and four-wheel disc brakes were optional on the larger-engined cars as part of the Open Road package, which also added alloy wheels.
Second generation
For 1981 the Challenger and Sapporo received all-new bodywork with a longer wheelbase and revised roofline, more shoulder, leg and head room and a new chassis code, moving from A120 to A160. The suspension was revised with improved front geometry and an all-new four-link rear, turbo models arrived and variable-assist power steering gave more help at low speed than at high speed. The interior gained extra carpeting, acoustic damping and a double-thickness front bulkhead, and the second-generation North American cars came only with the 2.6-litre four, rated at 105 hp.
Design and features
- Personal luxury coupe: velour, vinyl roof and power equipment in a compact two-door.
- Mitsubishi engineering: the 2.6-litre Astron four with Silent Shaft balance shafts.
- Two characters: the Plymouth was the luxury version, the Dodge Challenger the sporting one.
- Second-generation refinement: more room, a four-link rear axle and variable-assist steering.
Plymouth Sapporo versions
- Sapporo (1978–1980): the first generation with canopy vinyl roof and whitewall tyres.
- Sapporo (1981–1983): the second generation with new bodywork and the 2.6-litre engine only.
- Dodge Challenger: the same car with Dodge badges and a sportier image.
- Mitsubishi Sapporo: the European and South American version of the same coupe.
The Sapporo came to Plymouth through the same Mitsubishi arrangement as the Colt and Arrow. More cars are in the Plymouth collection.
Video: 81 Plymouth Sapporo Mitsubishi Galant Lambda (Lambda) MOPAR Challenger
Video by Cereal Marshmallows on YouTube.
Sources
- Mitsubishi Galant Lambda, English Wikipedia: styling, engines, North American versions
