The is an automobile which was produced by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi from 1969 until 2012. The model name was derived from the French word galant, meaning "chivalrous". There have been nine distinct generations with total cumulative sales exceeding five million units. It began as a compact sedan, but over the course of its life evolved into a mid-size car. Initial production was based in Japan, but from 1994 the American market was served by vehicles assembled at the former Diamond-Star Motors (DSM) facility in Normal, Illinois.
First generation (A50; 1969)
The first generation of the car, initially known as the Colt Galant, was released in December 1969 at a new Mitsubishi Japanese dealership called Galant Shop. 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- (AI model) or 1.5-liter (AII and AIII) configurations. 1.4- and 1.6-liter versions (14L and 16L) replaced these in September 1971. A larger 1.7-liter arrived for the top GS model in January 1973. Initially only available as a four-door sedan, five-door estate and two-door hardtop (A53) variants were added in 1970. The hardtop was Mitsubishi's first production passenger car with full side windows and no side pillars. In March 1973, with only two months of production left, the cleaner "MCA-II" version of the 1.6 arrived. With it was three horsepower down on the regular version.
The Galant was offered as a competitor to the Toyota Corona, Nissan Bluebird, Honda Accord, and Mazda Capella. It became Mitsubishi's first car to be sold in the United States in 1971 when the Chrysler Corporation, the company's new partner and stakeholder, began importing the car as the Dodge Colt. It was also produced by Chrysler Australia and sold alongside the larger Chrysler Valiant models as the Chrysler Valiant Galant. In South Africa, the A53 Colt Galant arrived in late 1972 as the Dodge Colt 1600 GS (AY series). The car had already been rallied there, in 1300 and 1600 forms, and only the Hardtop GS version was sold to capitalize on the car's sporty image. Gross power claimed was at 6700 rpm and the car was fitted with Rostyle wheels as also used on locally assembled Hillman Vogues.
From 1970, a fastback coupé model was developed, the Galant GTO. Fashioned after contemporary American muscle cars, the hardtop GTO was available with a choice of two "Saturn" engines and the 2-litre Astron 80, and was available until 1975. The nameplate was sufficiently highly regarded in Japan for it to be resurrected for the 1990 Mitsubishi GTO coupé.
A third, more compact coupé was introduced on a chassis shortened by 12 cm in 1971, the Galant FTO. Powered by the 4G41 1.4 L engine, it too would leave a legacy for the company to return to in the 1990s with the Mitsubishi FTO.
New Zealand
Although the earlier Colt had been imported in limited numbers, this generation, in 1.6-litre coupé form only, was the first model to establish the Mitsubishi brand in New Zealand from 1971 when newly appointed distributor Todd Motors, which also imported and assembled Chrysler and Hillman, started selling a small number of Japanese-assembled cars to supplement its mainstream Hillman Avenger and Hunter models.
The coupé was assembled in New Zealand from 1972, firstly at Todd's Petone factory, on the Avenger/Hunter line and, from 1974, at the brand-new purpose-built factory in Porirua (closed in 1998).
Second generation (A112, A114, A115; 1973)
The second generation Mitsubishi Colt Galant A11* series was built from 1973 and received a replacement in 1976. Introduced on 24 May 1973 (on sale 1 June) in the Japanese domestic market, the second generation Galant was more widely exported as Mitsubishi's ambitions grew. It was again sold by Chrysler in many different guises; as the Dodge Colt in the United States, as the Plymouth Colt and Plymouth Cricket in Canada (from 1974), as the Chrysler Valiant Galant and as the Chrysler Galant in Australia, and in Europe as the Colt Galant. Transmissions were now all floor mounted and include a four-speed manual and a five-speed unit for sportier models. A three-speed automatic transmission was also available. The smaller 1600 engine was also available in the cleaner "MCA-II" version right from 1973, a model which met Japan's 1975 emissions standards. This version was marginally less powerful, with rather than the engine seen in the previous model.