UK's rarest cars: 1982 Mitsubishi Colt Galant 2000 Turbo, one of only two left
When we display cars from this series at classic events, some immediately attract the observation that someone's father/mother/next-door neighbour once owned the model in question. Others attract double takes as befitting a car that was an exclusive sight even when new. Michael Birkett's Colt Galant 2000 Turbo falls into the latter category and is believed to be one of only two left on the road.
Mitsubishi launched the Galant range of medium-sized saloons in 1969; this fourth-generation, rear-wheel drive A160-series version debuted in 1980. By then, the Japanese corporation had imported cars into the UK for six years, using the Colt badge, promising A160 owners 'Elegance in Action'.
One motoring writer at the time believed that while the Ford Cortina was for the 'Company Man', the Galant was for 'Family Man'. Such an owner was 'lured by a combination of the lowest retail price and standard 'goodies', the wife's personal preference for colour and upholstery, and the car's performance and 'image''.
The Turbo made its bow in early 1982 and it certainly had its fair share of 'goodies', from alloy wheels, electric windows and a tilt-adjustable steering wheel to power-assisted steering and a stereo radio-cassette player. But the Turbo's appeal extended rather beyond the headlight wipers and the claim that 'the Galant boasts the world's only reclining rear seat'.
The 1,997cc four-cylinder engine, first seen in the smaller Lancer Turbo, combined an in-house-designed turbocharger and the Mitsubishi-Bosch 'throttle-body' fuel injection, resulting in a top speed of 127mph. The Galant Turbo could also accelerate from 0-60mph in 8.3 seconds, while the suitably beefed-up bodywork featured air dams front and rear.
At £9,397, the Galant Turbo was more expensive than the BMW 323i at £8,995, the Audi 80 CD at £8,560 and the Renault 18 Turbo at £7,464. However, your friendly local dealer could point out it was cheaper than the £12,435 Saab 900 Turbo 4-Door, while Colt Cars GB carefully marketed the Galant as an exclusive machine. Here was a saloon that 'beats any other 2.0-litre 5-seater' and 'the maximum speed of any one of our direct competitors is only 122mph'.
A further purpose of the Galant was to add lustre to the entire Colt Cars line-up. Sales copy claiming 'all our cars now come with the option of turbo engines' gave the brand an air of high technology, differentiating them from more mainstream fare offered by Datsun or Toyota. At this time, some people regarded the term 'turbocharging' with a certain awe. A few ironic drivers even applied aftermarket 'Turbo' decals to their 1973 Morris Marina 1300 De Luxes.
Autocar thought 'the turbo treatment for the Galant saloon – Colt's Cortina – seems rather incongruous'. However, it went on to say it was: 'A highly civilised high-speed saloon – a wonderful 'Q Car' with the only external hint to its true nature provided by the blood-red Turbo script on the boot lid below the discrete rear spoiler.'
The front-wheel-drive, fifth-generation Galant debuted in August 1983 and in 1984 UK-market cars featured Mitsubishi rather than Colt badges. Birkett has long been an enthusiast of the marque; we have previously featured his 1978 Sigma 2000. He was initially offered the Galant Turbo circa 2000 but explains: 'Unfortunately, my finances wouldn't stretch that far, so a fellow Lancer Turbo Owners' Club member bought it.
'But not long after he purchased the Galant, the clutch failed, so he put it in his garage – and there it stayed for 20 years.' When the Turbo finally joined the Birkett fleet, 'I stripped it down, repainted and reassembled it. I had to acquire some 'new old stock' parts from as far away as Croatia.'
And today, the Galant justifiably attracts attention owing to its handsome, faintly 1970s Detroit lines and the fact that it could indeed live up to the promise of its TURBO badging. Or, as Colt Cars put it: 'Quick! Name The Fastest 2 Litre Five Seater.'
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