Dodge Colt
Encyclopedia
The Dodge Colt and the similar Plymouth Champ and Plymouth Colt, were subcompact car
s sold by Dodge
and Plymouth from 1970 (MY1971) to 1994. They were captive import
s from Mitsubishi Motors
, initially twins of the rear-wheel drive Galant
and Lancer
families before shifting to the smaller front-wheel drive Mitsubishi Mirage
subcompacts in 1979. With the 1994 introduction of the Dodge/Plymouth Neon
, Chrysler felt no need to continue selling captive imports under these badges, although the Eagle Summit
(also a Mirage clone) continued to be available until 1996.
struts in front and a live rear axle. Standard transmission was a 4-speed manual, with a 3-speed automatic being an option. The engine initially produced 100 hp, but this dropped to 83 in 1972 when stricter emissions standards took effect. For 1973 a sporty GT hardtop coupé was added, featuring rally stripes, sport wheels and a center console amongst other features. The Dodge Colt was originally intended to be Chrysler's answer to the AMC Gremlin
, Ford Pinto
and Chevrolet Vega
but because it came from Mitsubishi Motors
and was not a true Chrysler
product, the first Colts actually competed more directly with Japanese imports, such as the Toyota Corolla
and Datsun 510
.
A four-speed manual or three-speed automatic remained available, but for 1977 a five-speed became available (standard in the GT and Carousel coupés). The Carousel, introduced in 1975 along with larger bumpers, was more luxurious and carried a blue and white paintjob. For 1977, the "Silent Shaft"
version of the smaller engine became available, and was fitted as standard equipment in GT and Carousels. The introduction of the new Dodge Colt "Mileage Maker" meant that there was no second generation four-doors for 1977. The wagon was also available with an "Estate" package, including wood grain applique and adjustable reclining seats.
The engine was the familiar 4G32 iteration of Mitsubishi's Saturn engine family
, of 1,597 cc and still with 83 hp at 5,500 rpm. A "Silent Shaft" (balance shaft
) version of this engine along with a five-speed manual transmission (instead of the standard four speeds) were part of a "Freeway Cruise" package, which also included a maroon/white paintjob. For '78 power dropped to 77 hp with the introduction of the "MCA-Jet" lean burn
system.
For 1978 a new, larger Dodge Colt Wagon arrived, a rebadged Mitsubishi Galant Sigma. It came with the same 1.6-litre MCA-Jet four as the smaller sedans and coupés, but a 2.6-litre, 105 hp Astron engine was an option. While the last year for the Lancer-based Colts was 1979, the wagon lingered on alongside the front-wheel drive Mirage-based fourth generation until 1981 when it was effectively replaced by the domestic Dodge Aries
K wagon.
imports into North America
. The Colt and Champ (Plymouth Colt after 1982) was a 3-door hatchback, and came in Standard or Custom equipment levels. These imports used a 70 hp Mitsubishi Orion 4G33 1.4-litre overhead-cam, four cylinder engine at first, but it was joined by the 1.6-litre 4G32 Saturn engine (80 hp) at the end of the year. There were three manual transmissions and one automatic transmission available. There was a KM110 4-speed manual transmission, or a novel "Twin Stick" version of the transmission that used a 2-speed transfer case to give 8 forward and 2 reverse speeds. There was also the option of a KM119 5-speed manual transmission or a TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission.
For 1982 a five-door hatchback joined the lineup. The names of the equipment levels changed to "E" and "DL". At some point claimed power dropped to 64 and 72 hp respectively for the small and large engines. In 1984, which was to be the last year of this model of Colt, the GTS Turbo model arrived. Unique for North America (the turbocharged Colt/Mirages sold elsewhere had a 1.4-litre engine), this used the fuel injected 1.6-litre 4G32BT engine also seen in the next-generation Colt, providing 102 hp and considerable performance. It, too, featured the eight speed Twin Stick transmission.
The Colt Wagon, while never available with the turbocharged engine, did receive a more powerful 1,755 cc engine in the four-wheel drive version. Unlike the FWD version, the DL 4x4 was not available with an automatic transmission. While the Hatchback Colts were replaced for 1989, the Colt Wagon continued to be available until the 1991 introduction of the Mitsubishi RVR-based Colt Wagon, which also replaced the Colt Vista. This car was also marketed as the Eagle Vista Wagon in Canada.
joined the array of nameplates describing the Mitsubishi Mirage.
Since the demise of the Dodge Omni
/Plymouth Horizon in 1990, the Colt was the only subcompact in the Dodge and Plymouth lineups. The Colt sedan was not sold in the United States
for the sixth generation (though it was sold in Canada
), as it would be replaced by the Dodge Shadow
/Plymouth Sundance
liftbacks for 1989 (along with the Canada-only Eagle Vista
, a carrover model that replaced the Colt sedan), when the Colt underwent a redesign. The Dodge/Plymouth Colt sedans returned for 1993-94 as a variant of the Eagle Summit
. The Dodge/Plymouth Colt, Eagle Summit, and Mitsubishi Mirage of this generation used a 1.5 or 1.6-litre inline-four engine.
A model powered by the 1.6-litre 4G61T 135 hp turbocharged four-cylinder was produced for the 1989 model year only. There are a rumored 1500 of these special editions to have been produced. The engine was only offered in the Mirage and the Colt GT Turbo, which were distinguished by their ground effects and spoilers (although these parts were also available for a price as add-ons to other model ranges) and by their extra features not normally found on base model ranges such as power seats, power windows, power locks, and power mirrors, special colored interior and seats, as well as a 150 mph/9000 rpm gauge cluster. The Turbo Colt/Mirage Turbo was one of Car and Driver
magazine's Ten Best
for 1989. A naturally aspirated version of this engine was available for the following years Colt GT, with power down to 113 hp.
Power of the 1.5-litre 4G15 was up to 82 hp thanks to multi-point fuel injection. Top speed was 160 km/h (99 mph).
The Colt Wagon was redesigned in 1991, now based on the RVR
, and continued in production until the 1996 model year.
, both in the United States and abroad. The Colt was the most widely utilized of these variants, appearing in events through the 1970s and 1980s. A Colt was run to a third-place finish in the first ever Sno*Drift rally in 1973, and repeated the feat the following year, as well as a third time in 1982.
between 1973 and 1975, after Chrysler stopped using the Plymouth Cricket name for a rebadged Hillman Avenger
-based model sourced from the United Kingdom (and sold across North America between 1971 and 1973).
The Plymouth Arrow was offered from 1976 to 1980 as a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste, not to be confused with the rebadged Mitsubishi truck sold as the Plymouth Arrow starting in 1979.
Subcompact car
Subcompact car is a North American term used to describe automobiles whose class size is smaller than that of a compact car, usually not exceeding in length, but larger than a microcar...
s sold by Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
and Plymouth from 1970 (MY1971) to 1994. They were captive import
Captive import
Captive import is a marketing term and a strategy for an automobile part or entire vehicle that is foreign-built and sold under the name of an importer or by a domestic automaker through its own dealer distribution system....
s from Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors
is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...
, initially twins of the rear-wheel drive Galant
Mitsubishi Galant
The first generation of the car, initially known as the Colt Galant, was released in December 1969. The design was dubbed "Dynawedge" by Mitsubishi, referring to the influence of aerodynamics on the silhouette. Three models were available, powered by the new 'Saturn' engine in 1.3 or 1.5 L ...
and Lancer
Mitsubishi Lancer
The Mitsubishi Lancer is a family car built by Mitsubishi Motors. It has been known as the Colt Lancer, Dodge/Plymouth Colt, Chrysler Valiant Lancer, Chrysler Lancer, Eagle Summit, Hindustan Lancer, Soueast Lioncel, Mitsubishi Carisma, and Mitsubishi Mirage in various countries at different times,...
families before shifting to the smaller front-wheel drive Mitsubishi Mirage
Mitsubishi Mirage
Mitsubishi launched the Mirage as a three-door front wheel drive hatchback in 1978, as a response to the first fuel crisis some years before. It had a distinctive design with large windows and Mitsubishi's Super Shift transmission . A five-door joined the range in 1979...
subcompacts in 1979. With the 1994 introduction of the Dodge/Plymouth Neon
Dodge Neon
The Plymouth/Dodge Neon, sold in Europe, Mexico, Canada, and elsewhere outside the United States as the Chrysler Neon, is a compact front wheel drive car introduced in January 1994 for the 1995 model year by Chrysler Corporation's Dodge and Plymouth brands...
, Chrysler felt no need to continue selling captive imports under these badges, although the Eagle Summit
Eagle Summit
The Eagle Summit was a subcompact car produced by Mitsubishi Motors from 1989 to 1996. It was sold as a captive import by the Jeep-Eagle sales division that was created after Chrysler Corporation purchased American Motors Corporation in 1987...
(also a Mirage clone) continued to be available until 1996.
First generation
Introduced in 1970 as model year 71, the first generation Dodge Colt was a federalized first generation Mitsubishi Colt Galant. Available as a two-door pillared coupé, 2-door hardtop, 4-door sedan, and 5-door wagon, the Colt had a 1597 cc four-cylinder engine. The unibody layout was traditional, front engine and rear wheel drive with MacPhersonMacpherson
MacPherson or Macpherson can refer to:*Clan Macpherson, a Scottish clan*MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co.*MacPherson strut, a car suspension system*MacPherson, Singapore*Macpherson Stadium -In sports:...
struts in front and a live rear axle. Standard transmission was a 4-speed manual, with a 3-speed automatic being an option. The engine initially produced 100 hp, but this dropped to 83 in 1972 when stricter emissions standards took effect. For 1973 a sporty GT hardtop coupé was added, featuring rally stripes, sport wheels and a center console amongst other features. The Dodge Colt was originally intended to be Chrysler's answer to the AMC Gremlin
AMC Gremlin
The AMC Gremlin is a two-door subcompact car produced in the United States and Canada by the American Motors Corporation between 1970 and 1978. AMC reduced its development and manufacturing costs by adapting a shortened Hornet platform with a Kammback-type tail...
, Ford Pinto
Ford Pinto
The Ford Pinto is a subcompact car produced by the Ford Motor Company for the model years 1971–1980. The car's name derives from the Pinto horse. Initially offered as a two-door sedan, Ford offered "Runabout" hatchback and wagon models the following year, competing in the U.S. market with the AMC...
and Chevrolet Vega
Chevrolet Vega
The Chevrolet Vega is a subcompact, two-door automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1971-1977 model years. Named after the star Vega, the car was powered by a lightweight aluminum-block inline four-cylinder engine...
but because it came from Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors
is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...
and was not a true Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
product, the first Colts actually competed more directly with Japanese imports, such as the Toyota Corolla
Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, with over 35 million...
and Datsun 510
Datsun 510
The Datsun 510 was a series of the Datsun Bluebird sold from 1968 to 1974, and offered outside the U.S. and Canada as the Datsun 1600. According to AutoWeek's G.D...
.
Second generation
Based on the underpinnings of the first generation model, Galant sedans and coupes received a new, somewhat rounder body in 1973, while wagons continued with the old body and new nose. The new version, with single headlights rather than the doubles of the previous generation, became the 1974 Dodge Colt in the US, available in the same bodystyles as the first one. The base engine also remained the same, but a larger G52B "Astron" engine became optionally available (standard in the GT coupé). This one developed 96 hp at 5,500 rpm. Ratings varied from 79-83 hp for the smaller one and 89-96 hp for the larger engine in different publications.A four-speed manual or three-speed automatic remained available, but for 1977 a five-speed became available (standard in the GT and Carousel coupés). The Carousel, introduced in 1975 along with larger bumpers, was more luxurious and carried a blue and white paintjob. For 1977, the "Silent Shaft"
Balance shaft
In piston engine engineering, a balance shaft is an eccentric weighted shaft which offsets vibrations in engine designs that are not inherently balanced...
version of the smaller engine became available, and was fitted as standard equipment in GT and Carousels. The introduction of the new Dodge Colt "Mileage Maker" meant that there was no second generation four-doors for 1977. The wagon was also available with an "Estate" package, including wood grain applique and adjustable reclining seats.
Third generation
The third generation Dodge Colt was effectively made up of two lines: coupés and sedans were of a smaller, Lancer-based series, while the Wagons were based on the new Mitsubishi Galant Sigma. In late 1976, for the 1977 model year, the smaller A70-series Mitsubishi Lancer became the Dodge Colt, with two-door coupé and four-door sedan bodies. While the wheelbase was only slightly shorter than that of the second generation Colt, overall length was down from 171.1 to 162.6 inches (4,346 to 4,130 mm). The new Colt was also referred to as the Dodge Colt "Mileage Maker" to mark it as different from its larger predecessor. Second generation Coupé and Wagon versions remained for the 1977 model year.The engine was the familiar 4G32 iteration of Mitsubishi's Saturn engine family
Mitsubishi Saturn engine
The Mitsubishi Saturn or 4G3 engine is series of straight-4 internal combustion engines introduced by Mitsubishi Motors in 1969, along with the Astron, Orion, and Sirius. Displacement ranges from 1.2 L to 1.8 L.-4G30:...
, of 1,597 cc and still with 83 hp at 5,500 rpm. A "Silent Shaft" (balance shaft
Balance shaft
In piston engine engineering, a balance shaft is an eccentric weighted shaft which offsets vibrations in engine designs that are not inherently balanced...
) version of this engine along with a five-speed manual transmission (instead of the standard four speeds) were part of a "Freeway Cruise" package, which also included a maroon/white paintjob. For '78 power dropped to 77 hp with the introduction of the "MCA-Jet" lean burn
Lean burn
Lean burn refers to the use of lean mixtures in an internal combustion engine. The air-fuel ratios can be as high as 65:1, so the mixture has considerably less fuel in comparison to the stoichiometric combustion ratio ....
system.
For 1978 a new, larger Dodge Colt Wagon arrived, a rebadged Mitsubishi Galant Sigma. It came with the same 1.6-litre MCA-Jet four as the smaller sedans and coupés, but a 2.6-litre, 105 hp Astron engine was an option. While the last year for the Lancer-based Colts was 1979, the wagon lingered on alongside the front-wheel drive Mirage-based fourth generation until 1981 when it was effectively replaced by the domestic Dodge Aries
Dodge Aries
The Dodge Aries is an automobile sold by the Chrysler Corporation from 1981-1989. It replaced the Dodge Aspen as Dodge's family car with "mid-size room" in a size and front-wheel drive format commonly associated with compact cars...
K wagon.
Fourth generation
From 1979, the Dodge Colt and Plymouth Champ nameplates were applied to the front wheel drive Mitsubishi MirageMitsubishi Mirage
Mitsubishi launched the Mirage as a three-door front wheel drive hatchback in 1978, as a response to the first fuel crisis some years before. It had a distinctive design with large windows and Mitsubishi's Super Shift transmission . A five-door joined the range in 1979...
imports into North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The Colt and Champ (Plymouth Colt after 1982) was a 3-door hatchback, and came in Standard or Custom equipment levels. These imports used a 70 hp Mitsubishi Orion 4G33 1.4-litre overhead-cam, four cylinder engine at first, but it was joined by the 1.6-litre 4G32 Saturn engine (80 hp) at the end of the year. There were three manual transmissions and one automatic transmission available. There was a KM110 4-speed manual transmission, or a novel "Twin Stick" version of the transmission that used a 2-speed transfer case to give 8 forward and 2 reverse speeds. There was also the option of a KM119 5-speed manual transmission or a TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission.
| Colt US Sales | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | 3-door | 5-door |
| 1979 | 60,521 | — |
| 1980 | 83,711 | — |
| 1981 | 84,144 | — |
| 1982 | 52,355 | 22,675 |
| 1983 | 46,479 | 27,192 |
| 1984 | 44,724 | 19,657 |
For 1982 a five-door hatchback joined the lineup. The names of the equipment levels changed to "E" and "DL". At some point claimed power dropped to 64 and 72 hp respectively for the small and large engines. In 1984, which was to be the last year of this model of Colt, the GTS Turbo model arrived. Unique for North America (the turbocharged Colt/Mirages sold elsewhere had a 1.4-litre engine), this used the fuel injected 1.6-litre 4G32BT engine also seen in the next-generation Colt, providing 102 hp and considerable performance. It, too, featured the eight speed Twin Stick transmission.
Fifth generation
In 1984, the fifth generation Dodge/Plymouth Colt appeared (model year 1985). A carbureted 68 hp 1,468 cc four was the base engine, while the upscale Premier four-door sedan and GTS Turbo models received the 4G32BT turbocharged 1.6-litre already seen in the last model year of the previous Colts. A first for FWD Colts was the availability of a three-box sedan body, though this was no longer available after 1986. From 1988 (and lasting until 1991), this car was also marketed as the Eagle Vista in Canada.The Colt Wagon, while never available with the turbocharged engine, did receive a more powerful 1,755 cc engine in the four-wheel drive version. Unlike the FWD version, the DL 4x4 was not available with an automatic transmission. While the Hatchback Colts were replaced for 1989, the Colt Wagon continued to be available until the 1991 introduction of the Mitsubishi RVR-based Colt Wagon, which also replaced the Colt Vista. This car was also marketed as the Eagle Vista Wagon in Canada.
Sixth generation
In 1989, the Eagle SummitEagle Summit
The Eagle Summit was a subcompact car produced by Mitsubishi Motors from 1989 to 1996. It was sold as a captive import by the Jeep-Eagle sales division that was created after Chrysler Corporation purchased American Motors Corporation in 1987...
joined the array of nameplates describing the Mitsubishi Mirage.
Since the demise of the Dodge Omni
Dodge Omni
The Dodge Omni and the similar Plymouth Horizon were front wheel drive cars introduced by the Dodge and Plymouth divisions of the Chrysler Corporation in North America in 1978, and were based on a European Simca-based design of the same name...
/Plymouth Horizon in 1990, the Colt was the only subcompact in the Dodge and Plymouth lineups. The Colt sedan was not sold in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for the sixth generation (though it was sold in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
), as it would be replaced by the Dodge Shadow
Dodge Shadow
For 1987, Chrysler Corporation introduced two new compact cars, the Dodge Shadow and the Plymouth Sundance , intended to replace the Dodge Charger - Dodge Omni and Plymouth Turismo - Plymouth Horizon, respectively...
/Plymouth Sundance
Plymouth Sundance
The Plymouth Sundance is a compact car model that was produced for model years 1987 to 1994. It was designed to compete with upmarket compacts such as the Geo Prizm, Ford Escort and the Honda Civic after the production of the Horizon was to be extended...
liftbacks for 1989 (along with the Canada-only Eagle Vista
Eagle Vista
The Eagle Vista was used on two subcompact cars sold from 1988 to 1992 in Canada. Along with the Eagle Summit, the car replaced the Renault Encore because of Renault withdrawing from the United States and Canada that time. It was a rebadged version of the second generation Mitsubishi Mirage...
, a carrover model that replaced the Colt sedan), when the Colt underwent a redesign. The Dodge/Plymouth Colt sedans returned for 1993-94 as a variant of the Eagle Summit
Eagle Summit
The Eagle Summit was a subcompact car produced by Mitsubishi Motors from 1989 to 1996. It was sold as a captive import by the Jeep-Eagle sales division that was created after Chrysler Corporation purchased American Motors Corporation in 1987...
. The Dodge/Plymouth Colt, Eagle Summit, and Mitsubishi Mirage of this generation used a 1.5 or 1.6-litre inline-four engine.
A model powered by the 1.6-litre 4G61T 135 hp turbocharged four-cylinder was produced for the 1989 model year only. There are a rumored 1500 of these special editions to have been produced. The engine was only offered in the Mirage and the Colt GT Turbo, which were distinguished by their ground effects and spoilers (although these parts were also available for a price as add-ons to other model ranges) and by their extra features not normally found on base model ranges such as power seats, power windows, power locks, and power mirrors, special colored interior and seats, as well as a 150 mph/9000 rpm gauge cluster. The Turbo Colt/Mirage Turbo was one of Car and Driver
Car and Driver
Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011...
magazine's Ten Best
Car and Driver Ten Best
Car and Driver magazine annually nominates a list of what it considers the Ten Best cars and Five Best trucks.All production vehicles for sale in that calendar year are considered with these restrictions:# The vehicle must be on sale by January...
for 1989. A naturally aspirated version of this engine was available for the following years Colt GT, with power down to 113 hp.
Power of the 1.5-litre 4G15 was up to 82 hp thanks to multi-point fuel injection. Top speed was 160 km/h (99 mph).
The Colt Wagon was redesigned in 1991, now based on the RVR
Mitsubishi RVR
The Mitsubishi RVR is Mitsubishi Motors compact MPV introduced in 1991, with the second generation released in 2002, and a compact crossover which was introduced in 2010....
, and continued in production until the 1996 model year.
Seventh generation
Sports
Not unlike the related Mirage, the Colt and other similar vehicles were well utilized in rallyingRallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
, both in the United States and abroad. The Colt was the most widely utilized of these variants, appearing in events through the 1970s and 1980s. A Colt was run to a third-place finish in the first ever Sno*Drift rally in 1973, and repeated the feat the following year, as well as a third time in 1982.
Related versions
The Plymouth Cricket nameplate was used (rather than Dodge Colt) on Galants sold in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
between 1973 and 1975, after Chrysler stopped using the Plymouth Cricket name for a rebadged Hillman Avenger
Hillman Avenger
The Hillman Avenger was a rear-wheel drive small family car originally manufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes Group from 1970–1976, and made by Chrysler Europe from 1976–1981 as the Chrysler Avenger and finally the Talbot Avenger...
-based model sourced from the United Kingdom (and sold across North America between 1971 and 1973).
The Plymouth Arrow was offered from 1976 to 1980 as a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste, not to be confused with the rebadged Mitsubishi truck sold as the Plymouth Arrow starting in 1979.