In the 1970s, American car companies were looking for fuel-efficient cars to combat popular imports from Europe and Asia. And Mitsubishi was searching for a way to sell cars in America, the largest auto market in the world. So the Japanese company struck a deal with Chrysler.
ChryCo sold Mitsubishis as Dodges and Plymouths, but slapped the Colt name on everything, giving little thought to continuity. It was applied to Lancers, Galants, Tredias, and others. This 1980 Dodge Colt RS recently for sale on eBay in Pasadena, Calif., was based on the first-generation Japanese-market Mitsubishi Mirage.
Low-Cost Cars Deserve Praise
In some ways, the ’80 Colt is a precursor to the current Mitsubishi Mirage, which is derided—perhaps unfairly—as a bad car. Of course, there will always be compromises on low-priced cars. Unfortunately, the affordable end of the new-car market is fast disappearing as automakers abandon small sedans and hatchbacks. So it’s easy to forget that the low end of the cost spectrum once had interesting cars with novel features.
For example, this Dodge Colt RS is graced with a Twin-Stick transmission, a standard four-speed manual with an additional two gears that could be used with any of the four. Like a multi-speed bicycle, this effectively gave the car eight gears for added performance or fuel economy, depending on the driver’s preference. It helped make the most of the Orion 1.4-liter inline-four’s middling 70 horsepower and 78 pound-feet of torque.
Despite its small stature as a three-door compact, the Colt didn’t skimp on its underpinnings. Mitsubishi installed four-wheel independent suspension for improved handling, rack-and-pinion steering for better feedback, and front disc brakes for enhanced stopping ability. These features were rarely found on a humble hatchback—or even performance cars—in the late 1970s.
Discotastic Style
The Dodge Colt RS instrument cluster has a full suite of gauges, including speedometer, tachometer, and fuel and temperature readouts. Prominent lights for “Power” and “Economy” identify the Twin-Stick’s mode. Battery voltage and oil pressure meters are found on the center console.
The yellow-green apple color of the car for sale was one of the Colt’s trademark paint options. For some reason, the unique color disappeared from the modern automotive palette. The RS trim adds a unique decal package for contrast.
The ultimate expression of this generation Colt would have been the 1984 GTS Turbo, which was like science fiction for a compact hatchback. Unfortunately, it was only offered for one year and is as rare as hen’s teeth these days. This perfect ’80 example is perhaps the next best thing.
This Dodge Colt RS Has Been in the Barn for Too Long
The Buy-It-Now price of $15,000 might be steep for an economy car dating to the Carter administration. It’s been sitting a while, so it will likely need a battery and a few other bits to be ready to drive. But the Colt has charms that might entice collectors of small cars, fans of captive imports, or aficionados of arcane automotive features.
Back in the day, cheap cars were bought to save fuel during commutes and were driven into the ground. But this surviving Dodge Colt RS, one of the best of the breed, reveals their previously hidden value.
