Mitsuoka Galue
Encyclopedia
The Mitsuoka
Galue is a name used on two series of cars, which are based on more conventional Japanese and American cars. Both series are available as of February 2008.
, and shared its RB20E 2-litre engine and other mechanical parts with the Crew. The styling of the front and rear was changed to give a more classical appearance; specifically, the chrome grille resembled that found on Bentley
models such as the R-type
. The interior was fitted with leather seats and wood trim. Additions such as chrome on the door handles and wire wheels
were also available. The Galue-I was made from 1996 to 1999 as the Galue, then when the Galue-II was introduced the name was changed to Galue-I and production continued until 2001.
hardtops. (The Cedric and Gloria were very similar in styling and mechanicals.) Once again the front and rear styling was modified, and the interior fittings upgraded. The Galue-II's styling was more extrovert than that of the Galue-I, including spoked alloy wheels instead of the disc wheels or wire wheels
found on the Galue-I; this may well have been necessary to harmonise with the styling of the Cedric hardtop. The mechanicals were taken from the Cedric; 2.5-litre and 3-litre V6 VQ-series petrol engines were offered. Production ran from 1999 to 2005, when the Cedric and Gloria were replaced by the Fuga
; Mitsuoka then replaced the Galue-II with the Galue-III.
, with styling once again modified to suit the new lines. The bumpers were noticeably slimmer than they had been on the Galue-II and the grille surround was thicker, making a considerable difference to the appearance of the front of the car. The interior was upgraded, though since the standard Nissan now had a comparatively luxurious interior the effect of Mitsuoka's modification was less easy to see. 2.5-litre and 3.5-litre VQ-series engines from the Fuga were used. The model was produced from 2005, at first as the Galue and from February 2008 as the Galue-III.
from 2007. Despite the shared name, the only similarity between the Galue-III saloon and the convertible is the front and rear styling. The rest of the car is based on the Ford Mustang, including the car's 4.0-litre V6 and 4.6-litre V8 engines. The convertible is routinely made in left-hand-drive, and seems to be intended for (re-?)export.
. The frontal styling includes circular chrome grilles beneath the headlamps, which are reminiscent of the grilles found on such cars as the Bentley R-type
and the Jaguar Mark 2
behind which electric horns were concealed.
The Galue 204 is intended to capitalise on the trend towards more economical cars by allowing people to buy a smaller car which is still luxurious and has some elements of classic styling.
The 204 in the new model's name is Mitsuoka's internal code for the design: the 2 refers to the class of car while the 04 is the generation of the design.
This is the set of names that was used for the saloon cars:
The convertible has always been called simply Galue, and this has not changed with the advent of the Galue 204.
Mitsuoka
is a small Japanese automobile company. They are noted for building cars with unconventional styling, some of which imitate British vehicles of the 1950s and 1960s. It is primarily a coachbuilder, taking production cars like the Nissan March and replacing the bodywork with its own custom designs...
Galue is a name used on two series of cars, which are based on more conventional Japanese and American cars. Both series are available as of February 2008.
First series
The first series consists of three generations of medium-to-large cars: the Galue-I, the Galue-II and the Galue-III.Galue-I
The Galue-I was based on the Nissan CrewNissan Crew
The Nissan Crew was a midsize sedan manufactured by Nissan Motors, sold only in Japan and available only as a rental or taxicommercial vehicle only....
, and shared its RB20E 2-litre engine and other mechanical parts with the Crew. The styling of the front and rear was changed to give a more classical appearance; specifically, the chrome grille resembled that found on Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
models such as the R-type
Bentley R Type
The R Type is the second series of post-war Bentley automobiles, replacing the Mark VI. Essentially a larger-boot version of the Mk VI, the R type is regarded by some as a stop-gap before the introduction of the S series cars in 1955. As with its predecessor, a standard body was available as well...
. The interior was fitted with leather seats and wood trim. Additions such as chrome on the door handles and wire wheels
Wire wheels
The rims of wire wheels are connected to their hubs by wire spokes. Although these wires are generally stiffer than a typical wire rope, they function mechanically the same as tensioned flexible wires, keeping the rim true while supporting applied loads.Wire wheels are used on most bicycles and...
were also available. The Galue-I was made from 1996 to 1999 as the Galue, then when the Galue-II was introduced the name was changed to Galue-I and production continued until 2001.
Galue-II
The Galue-II was based on the Nissan Cedric Y34 and Gloria Y34Nissan Gloria
The Gloria is a large luxury car made from 1959 by the Prince Motor Company, and later by Nissan Motors since its merger with the former - hence being originally marketed as Prince Gloria and later as Nissan Gloria...
hardtops. (The Cedric and Gloria were very similar in styling and mechanicals.) Once again the front and rear styling was modified, and the interior fittings upgraded. The Galue-II's styling was more extrovert than that of the Galue-I, including spoked alloy wheels instead of the disc wheels or wire wheels
Wire wheels
The rims of wire wheels are connected to their hubs by wire spokes. Although these wires are generally stiffer than a typical wire rope, they function mechanically the same as tensioned flexible wires, keeping the rim true while supporting applied loads.Wire wheels are used on most bicycles and...
found on the Galue-I; this may well have been necessary to harmonise with the styling of the Cedric hardtop. The mechanicals were taken from the Cedric; 2.5-litre and 3-litre V6 VQ-series petrol engines were offered. Production ran from 1999 to 2005, when the Cedric and Gloria were replaced by the Fuga
Nissan Fuga
The Fuga is a full-size sedan, rear wheel drive with optional all wheel drive, produced by Nissan of Japan since October 2004 and now in its second generation. It is built on a wider, stretched wheelbase version of the Nissan FM platform. After the Nissan Cima and Nissan President were...
; Mitsuoka then replaced the Galue-II with the Galue-III.
Galue-III
The Galue-III was based on the Nissan FugaNissan Fuga
The Fuga is a full-size sedan, rear wheel drive with optional all wheel drive, produced by Nissan of Japan since October 2004 and now in its second generation. It is built on a wider, stretched wheelbase version of the Nissan FM platform. After the Nissan Cima and Nissan President were...
, with styling once again modified to suit the new lines. The bumpers were noticeably slimmer than they had been on the Galue-II and the grille surround was thicker, making a considerable difference to the appearance of the front of the car. The interior was upgraded, though since the standard Nissan now had a comparatively luxurious interior the effect of Mitsuoka's modification was less easy to see. 2.5-litre and 3.5-litre VQ-series engines from the Fuga were used. The model was produced from 2005, at first as the Galue and from February 2008 as the Galue-III.
Galue Convertible
Mitsuoka also offered a Galue convertibleConvertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
from 2007. Despite the shared name, the only similarity between the Galue-III saloon and the convertible is the front and rear styling. The rest of the car is based on the Ford Mustang, including the car's 4.0-litre V6 and 4.6-litre V8 engines. The convertible is routinely made in left-hand-drive, and seems to be intended for (re-?)export.
Second series - the Galue 204
The second Galue, called the Galue 204, is a smaller model, based on the Toyota Corolla Axio. Like the larger Galues it uses the same mechanicals (including 1.5-litre or 1.8-litre engines) and has modified styling and interior fittings. Although the grille is similar to the Galue-III's, it now has wire mesh instead of chrome slats, and thus is rather reminiscent of the Bentley EightBentley Eight
The Eight was Bentley's "entry-level" offering from 1984 until 1992. Distinguished mainly by a wire-mesh grille radiator instead of vertical slats, the Eight also had somewhat less equipment than the similar Mulsanne on which it was based. A firmer suspension offered slight handling improvements...
. The frontal styling includes circular chrome grilles beneath the headlamps, which are reminiscent of the grilles found on such cars as the Bentley R-type
Bentley R Type
The R Type is the second series of post-war Bentley automobiles, replacing the Mark VI. Essentially a larger-boot version of the Mk VI, the R type is regarded by some as a stop-gap before the introduction of the S series cars in 1955. As with its predecessor, a standard body was available as well...
and the Jaguar Mark 2
Jaguar Mark 2
The Jaguar Mark 2 is a medium sized saloon car built from 1959 to 1967 by the Jaguar company in Coventry, England, as successors to the Jaguar 2.4 and 3.4 models, manufactured between 1957 and 1959...
behind which electric horns were concealed.
The Galue 204 is intended to capitalise on the trend towards more economical cars by allowing people to buy a smaller car which is still luxurious and has some elements of classic styling.
The 204 in the new model's name is Mitsuoka's internal code for the design: the 2 refers to the class of car while the 04 is the generation of the design.
Numbering system
The numbering system of the first Galue series was affected by whether two Galues or only one were in production. If only one was being made, it was generally referred to as Galue; if two, the models were given the number of their order of introduction. Thus while the Crew-based Galue was the only one being made, it was called Galue; but when the Galue-II was introduced as well, it was renamed Galue-I. The exception to this rule is the Cedric-based Galue, which was called Galue-II throughout its life.This is the set of names that was used for the saloon cars:
| Date | Crew-based | Cedric-based | Fuga-based | Corolla-based |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | Galue | - | - | - |
| 1999-2001 | Galue-I | Galue-II | - | - |
| 2001-06 | - | Galue-II | - | - |
| 2006-08 | - | - | Galue | - |
| 2008 to date | - | - | Galue-III | Galue 204 |
The convertible has always been called simply Galue, and this has not changed with the advent of the Galue 204.