1987 Conquest TSi: Japanese Performance Branded as a Mopar

In the 1970s and 1980s, Chrysler and its sub-brands rebadged many Mitsubishi cars and trucks to sell them as their own. Arguably, the most desirable car from this pan-Pacific partnership was the Mitsubishi Starion sports car. Chrysler’s version was called the Conquest, like the one recently for sale on eBay Motors in Kutztown, Penn.

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Captive Imports

These “captive imports” were common practice at the time, as many Americans still balked at the idea of buying anything with a foreign badge. The Conquest, though, didn’t really fit in with the rest of Chrysler’s lineup. Compared to models like the baroque Fifth Avenue and faux-wood-paneled Town and Country wagon, the turbocharged Conquest looked like something out of the sci-fi movie Tron, with angular lines and hidden headlights.

One thing you’ll notice is that the word “Chrysler” doesn’t appear anywhere on the car. Perhaps that made things easier, as it seemed the company couldn’t decide which brand should market it. Starting in 1984, it was available as the Dodge and Plymouth Conquest. From 1987 until the end of production in 1989, it was sold as the Chrysler Conquest.

It was also sold as the Mitsubishi Starion from 1983 to 1989. Each version is nearly identical to the other, except for minor cosmetic differences like badging and trim.

Turbocharged Competitor

The Conquest TSi’s turbocharged 2.6-liter Mitsubishi Astron engine pushed out 176 horsepower from its four cylinders, quite impressive for the Reagan era. The Conquest was marketed as a competitor to other turbocharged imports, such as the Nissan 300ZX, Toyota Supra, and Porsche 924.

The top-most Conquest TSi trim level featured wide box flares that gave the car an aggressive, rally car vibe. Mitsubishi had intended to enter the Starion into the top-tier Group B class of the World Rally Championship and was developing a prototype. Sadly, the series was canceled before the car had a chance to compete.

Unfortunately, neither the Starion nor the Conquest was a big seller. It was priced higher than most of its rivals. Plus, unlike them, it did not offer a non-turbo base model to boost sales. Mitsubishi also didn’t have as large of a sales footprint as its Japanese opponents. Chrysler did, but buyers were confused by how un-Chrysler the Conquest felt compared to the plush LeBarons and New Yorkers on dealer lots.

Sharp Specimen

The example for sale appears to be well-kept. Little ownership history is given in the listing, but the Conquest TSi has only 52,192 miles on the odometer. The body and vibrant red paint look to be in excellent shape. The interior is all original, down to the AM/FM cassette deck and equalizer. The leather seats and shift knob could use some conditioning to make them perfect.

It’s a sharp specimen with a dual identity. It would be a worthy addition to any Japanese car or Mopar collection.