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Junkyard Gem: 1978 Plymouth Sapporo

Chrysler began selling rebadged Mitsubishis in the United States in the 1971 model year, when the first Mitsubishi Colt Galants appeared as Dodge Colts here. This relationship prospered as the decade progressed, and the Galant Lambda coupe acquired Plymouth Sapporo and Dodge Challenger badges and went on sale in North America for the 1978 model year. We've seen a MitsuChallenger in this series, and now it's time for an example of its Plymouth sibling, found in a Colorado yard last month. Thanks to the increasingly good reputation of reliable and fuel-efficient Japanese machinery in the United States during the 1970s, the "manufactured in Japan" plaque became a selling point for these cars. The Sapporo had a 1.6-liter straight-four as its base engine, but this car has the optional 2.6-liter Astron. Its 105-horsepower output was fairly serious stuff for a small car in 1978. Later on, turbocharged Astrons powered the legendary Mitsubishi Starions, while naturally-aspirated versions went into Chrysler's K-Cars. The interior sports tri-tone bucket seats, racy-looking steering wheel, and full gauges. In the late 1970s through early 1980s, you needed opera lights on your car to be truly classy. The Chrysler Cordoba had them, the Lincoln Continental Town Car had them, the Oldsmobile Toronado had them, and this Sapporo has them. AM/FM stereo radios (or any radio, for that matter) and power remote mirrors were expensive options on most cars in 1978. The 1972 Winter Olympics took place in Sapporo, Japan, so the name had some recognition. Mitsubishi didn't start selling cars under its own badging here until the 1983 model year, and the Galant (sedan only) didn't arrive on these shores until 1985. The interior in this one got pretty well roasted from long-term outdoor parking (apparently in Nebraska, if we are to judge by the 2002 license plate I found inside the car). These cars aren't worth very much even in good condition, and so I still find numerous Malaise Era sporty Chryslerbishis during my junkyard travels. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. What a deal! This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In the Sapporo's homeland, the TV ads for the Galant Lambda were less about cheapness and more about the glamorous Lambda lifestyle. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV production restarts after five-month delay

Back in March, production of both the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid and the all-electric i-MiEV ground to a halt over a pair of incidents where overheated lithium-ion batteries caused vehicle fires. Following the rocky start, The Japan Times is reporting that production of the Outlander PHEV has recommenced following the five-month stoppage.
The battery fires were tracked down to a supplier issue before more than 4,300 vehicles were recalled in June, but Mitsubishi received heavy criticism from the Japanese government for the delayed recall. According to the report, though, that hasn't slow down enthusiasm for the plug-in crossover - Mitsubishi has received close to 18,000 for the Outlander PHEV. To keep up with demand, the automaker is planning to double production to 4,000 units a month.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV selling well in Netherlands

Talk about a Dutch treat. Mitsubishi says sales of its Outlander Plug-in Hybrid are brisk in Europe, helped in a big way by plug-in vehicle tax incentives in the Netherlands that are getting more people there to buy the world's first production plug-in hybrid CUV. The Japanese automaker has taken more than 12,000 orders for the model from Europeans and had delivered about 8,200 of them as of the end of last year, all but 200 of which were to the Netherlands. Mitsubishi will start broader sales throughout the continent this year and is also expected to start sales in the US by next year. The company is looking for plug-ins to account for 20 percent of its global sales by the end of the decade. Mitsubishi, which also sells the model in Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, hopes to reach an annual production rate of 50,000 Outlander PHEVs by the end of the year. Last August, the company resumed full-scale battery production after shutting things down for a few months for a safety probe stemming from a short-circuiting issue. The Outlander PHEV can run for 32 miles on electric power alone and gets a European-rated 124 miles per gallon. Check out Mitsubishi's press release on its Euro sales below. MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV CY13 SALES – EUROPEAN INAUGURATION With a plan for EVs and EV-derived PHEVs to represent 20% of its global sales by 2020, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has set itself an ambitious, yet realistic target. More so in Europe, Mitsubishi Motors' largest market for these technologies. 12,000+ orders / 8,000+ deliveries In this respect, the successful sales launch of Outlander PHEV in Europe – MMC's first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and forerunner of a wider PHEV range – tends to vindicate the Corporation's objectives. First launched in selected markets (The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland) from October 2013,Outlander PHEV has collected over 12,000 orders in Europe and these have already translated into 8,197 deliveries to end-customers by the end of December, of which 8,009 units for The Netherlands, the latter boosted by a tax scheme favourable to eco-friendly technologies such as low-emission vehicles. With more cars currently on their way to Europe, Mitsubishi Motor Sales Netherlands will soon be able to deliver the 11,000+ orders currently in its books and growing.