Mitsubishi Motors names upcoming global car ‘Colt’

[Jay!]

from auto-asia.com
27/6/2002

Newly installed as president of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Rolf Eckrodt announced on June 25 that the company has decided to resurrect the name ‘Colt’ for its forthcoming global strategic car.

Scheduled for release in Japan this autumn and later globally was developed jointly with its largest shareholder and effective parent company DaimlerChrysler. The revival of the Colt names harks back to one of the company’s best-known models.

The first Colt was a very basic 600cc car introduced in Japan in 1962. It evolved into Japan's first fastback model (Colt 800, in 1965) and the 1200/1500cc versions were the first Japanese cars to be equipped with a tilt steering column. At one point some 10,000 Colts were being snapped up each month, serving as the cash cow that helped Mitsubishi Motors expand internationally. "I wanted to rekindle the sprit that embodies the legacy and pride of Mitsubishi Motors," Eckrodt said.

Mitsubishi has fallen way behind its rivals in the small car market. Toyota has prospered with the Vitz (Yaris) series, Honda with the Fit (Jazz) and Nissan with its recently launch Micra (March). Mitsubishi is relying on the Colt to regain lost market share in Japan, setting a domestic monthly target of 10,000 cars for the 1.3-litre model.

Good news for small car fans... I guess.

[MITSU-EVO]

cool...And when is it coming out?

[feenix z]

Road and Track said something about a colt pack with evo gear (engine, trans, awd) could this be true?

[martinez205]

Originally Posted by feenix z

Road and Track said something about a colt pack with evo gear (engine, trans, awd) could this be true?

hey yall need to follow up w/ some links or show where i can look up this info. this seems like a good deal. a small car with evo engine! show me where!