Lot Ended
Description
Exceedingly rare UK supplied from new 2.0 Colt Sapporo found hidden
away with its long term owners (father and daughter) in Malvern; gently
recommissioned after 20 years in storage; wonderully original interior showing
just 62,462 miles
A truly rare survivor, and
likely unknown to many who read this and see the pictures. Badged in the UK as the Mitsubishi
Sapporo, it was also known as the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda, Plymouth Sapporo and
Dodge (Colt) Challenger to cite but a few, depending on which market the car was
in.
Named after the Japanese city Sapporo due
to its positive International connotations following hosting the 1972 Winter
Olympics the Sapporo in the UK was part of Mitsubishi UK’s Colt model
range.
Dating from June 1979 this late model
first generation coupe or, as the Japanese liked to deem it a ‘Personal luxury
car’ and as such is pushed the boundaries of the usual coupe spec and featured
frameless doors, vinyl roofs, velour interiors and as many power gadgets as the
tech dept could throw at it.
Powered here by the 2.0 litre 4G52 4-cylinder petrol engine (although
badged GSR, we do not believe it to be a turbocharged GSR model) driving the
rear wheels via 5-speed manual transmission.
The car has been with our lady owner since July 2004 when she
inherited it from her late father who purchased the car in February 1991. It has been off the road since 2001 and
garaged although started and run once every 6 months since then until it was
finally pulled out in summer 2021 when it was given a sympathetic light restoration including a repaint in the original
colour, the wheels refurbished and painted body colour and some other works
including a repair to the exhaust and a service with new oil, filter and
plugs. The rest of the car was
considered to be in good order and left alone to preserve the
originality.
The mileage in June 2000 was
recorded on the sole MOT we have as 62,116 miles and 62,460 miles in 2005 and it
currently shows 62,462 miles suggesting the car has covered only 300 miles or so
in the last 22 years and just two in the last 18, and thus would likely benefit
from some regular use with a gentle bedding in period.
Finished in Grey/Bronze with light grey velour interior the car has
stood up well, the interior all appearing to work as it should, the seats supple
and comfortable. Starting promptly when we moved it around for these images, it
feels and sounds like one of the rear callipers is binding a
little.
Within the history file, we find only
the V5C, old style V5, sole old MOT certificate, original period 1978 price list
and options brochure, owner’s handbook and a couple of bills for the works
undertaken and parts.
A rare UK supplied car
from new (Gordon Moss Motors Limited, Mitsubishi main dealers of Evesham we
suspect) with low ownership, low mileage and we all know what’s happened to the
rarer Japanese cars of this era of late, values have sky-rocketed – consider the
old Skylines, Supras, Corollas, Celicas etc - they’ve all risen
exponentially.
For more information contact - [email protected]