As Mitsubishi’s direct rival to the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Nissan Cherry, the Colt had developed its own loyal following and proved to provide the correct ingredients for painless and convenient motoring. Like its rivals, the Colt was offered in a wide variety of trims, specs and body options, including a turbo version. It was also sold in the UK with a 1.8-litre diesel option – a novelty for a small Japanese hatchback of this era.
Mitsubishi’s were well made and partly due to their ownership profiles, quite a few survived beyond their expected lifespans, with hundreds still providing useful service to their undemanding owners deep into the 2000s. Although badged as the Mitsubishi Colt, it was often referred to as the 1200/1300/1500/1800 and also known as the Mirage outside of Europe. To add to an unnecessarily confusing naming structure, saloon and estate versions were badged as the Lancer.
Less ambiguously, it became the Proton, the car that promoted Malaysia as a car-building country. This late example is typical of the model, a long-term elderly owner with a handful of scrapes and bumps but retains a low mileage and evidence of care. The current owner Callum has decided to part with the car as it’s become somewhat of a responsibility to try and keep it standard.
