RE: PH goes big in Japan: part one

RE: PH goes big in Japan: part one

Thursday 8th December 2011

PH goes big in Japan: part one

Following the Tokyo show PH goes digging into Japanese car culture, first at the Mitsubishi museum



Manufacturer museums are wildly different around the world, with the neglected ones giving you the feeling you've stumbled on a barn find. And so it goes for the Mitsubishi museum at the firm's longstanding R&D base in Okasaki, south west Japan.

On the ground floor of a dreary office block, the small space has all the appeal of a 1980s provincial car showroom. The pond-green, stained carpet tiles anchor a colour scheme that Ricky Gervais would have rejected from The Office film set for being too contrived in its drabness.

But all is forgiven when you see the cars. As appropriate for this time-warp, the newest is a 1992 Galant VR4 WRC, as driven to victory in the Ivory Coast WRC round.

Not an Evo in sight, but you quickly realise this is like walking through an episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, starring Mitsubishi's iconic super saloon. Hot Lancers stretching back to the early 70s are displayed in some exquisitely period colours. Military green was a challenging hue, to say the least.

But also on display is Mitsubishi itself - establishing the company as a fascinating, engineering-led renegade of the Japanese car industry. From a shrunken model of its first car, a Fiat-derived Model A from 1917, to the post-war three-wheelers and the dinky minicars, it's all here. The place also traces the firm's 4x4 history right back to a 1935 Army staff car.

There's a massive warehouse nearby holding all the cars that didn't make it, and a look at the model chart on the wall shows there are some ridiculous names in hiding: like the Zinger, Mirage Dingo and Toppo BJ. You can bet the Dignity had none (shades of the Carisma there). On the other hand, the full range of Silver Pigeon mopeds are present.

Mitsubishi's performance engineering might be out of favour with the market at the moment, but this place gives you confidence it'll be back, once again using technology to spearhead its return.


Mitsubishi 500, 1960
Three year after Fiat's 500 came this 21bhp mini - Mitsubishi's first car since 1921. Also the first car in Japan to be wind tunnel tested.


Galant GTO MR coupe 1970
The Evo starts here. Hot version of standard Galant had US muscle car styling touches, plus twin-carbs on its 1.6 to make 123hp. Gran Turismo Omologato named revived for car we knew as 3000GT.


Galant FTO 1600 GSR Coupe, 1973
The hardcore version of the shorter-bodied Fresco Turismo Omologato introduced the name now famous to Mitsubishi fans. Limited-slip diff as standard.


Colt F2000 single-seater, 1971
Mitsubishi's last ever single-seater had a side-mounted radiator the company boasts was installed before Colin Chapman came up with the idea.


Colt Galant 16L GS rally car, 1972
Entered into the Aussie Southern Cross rally, this saloon strained its 158hp 1.6 to snatch victory. As the sign boasts, "this was our opening act of glory in our international rally activity."


Lancer 1600 GSR rally car, 1974
Mitsubishi's most successful rally car, says the (surely out of date) sign. Achingly cool though, and twice winner of the Safari rally.


Lancer 2000 Turbo Rally 1982
The first Evo template. Turbocharged two-litre four making 276bhp. One of the stars of the museum.


Starion 4WD rally car, 1984
Mental long-distance rally car making an astonishing 345bhp from its turbo-charged two-litre. Standard car famous for its smooth 'silent-shaft' (no sniggering) balancer tech licenced to Porsche for 944.


Pajero Paris Dakar, 1985
First entered in 1983, the truncated 4x4 romped to victory two years later. An awesome achievement.

 

 

Author
Discussion

Denorth

Original Poster:

559 posts

170 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
this is an interesting one. I had experienced visiting small private collection /museum in Uruguay, but there were plenty of old cars (Ford T etc), nothing of racing heritage (apart from Messerschmitt Kabinenroller smile ) But the main thing was that the owner drives all of them regularly

RobCrezz

7,892 posts

207 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
Very cool. I love that Glant GTO MR coupe from the '70s!

Codswallop

5,250 posts

193 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
Looks like my virtual garage from Gran Turismo hehe

I especially like the 1973 Galant FTO 1600 GSR Coupe.

LuS1fer

41,086 posts

244 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
I love the way that the Japanese, like the Americans, respect, preserve and celebrate their automotive history in museums like this. Every country should have one.

Edited by LuS1fer on Thursday 8th December 10:17

Japcarnut

189 posts

176 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
Am I the only one who thinks the lancer 2000 turbo rally 1982 looks a lot like the MkIII escort (1980-86 according to wikipedia)?

Love the stance of that Galant GTO MR coupe from 1970!

Squirrelofwoe

3,181 posts

175 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
Pah, not a pop-up headlight in sight on the Starion, heresy!!

I'll keep my one I think... hehe

...I'll take the 345hp however...

ndj

222 posts

221 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
I know a lot of folk just don't get Japanese cars. I do; and the more time I spend in Japan the more I get it. There is passion in the creation of their cars; it's just "Japanese style".

I also have a soft spot for Mitsubishi as they are slightly odd and left field. Have even dropped real money into a couple of their cars over the years.

I shudder to think what Mitsubishi Japan would think if they really knew what a shower if to$$ers their dealers and distributor in the UK are!

oO Trouble Oo

170 posts

148 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
Lancer 1600 GSR rally car, 1974 is sweeter than a mosquito on a match!

And it is right, their most successful rally car, surely?

Dan Trent

1,866 posts

167 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
Story now updated with added rally Pajero and the correct image for the 1973 FTO too. Hands up on the latter!

Dan

900T-R

20,404 posts

256 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
ndj said:
I know a lot of folk just don't get Japanese cars. I do; and the more time I spend in Japan the more I get it.
yes The more I read on Japanese car culture, the more I want to know - I feel our outlook at Japanese cars is tarnished mostly by them bringing the sensible, straight laced stuff to the export markets and leaving the interesting, the weird, the exotic and the outright bonkers at home...

At least you folks have it good given you're sharing the RHD format with Japan...

dave stew

1,502 posts

166 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
900T-R said:
ndj said:
I know a lot of folk just don't get Japanese cars. I do; and the more time I spend in Japan the more I get it.
yes The more I read on Japanese car culture, the more I want to know - I feel our outlook at Japanese cars is tarnished mostly by them bringing the sensible, straight laced stuff to the export markets and leaving the interesting, the weird, the exotic and the outright bonkers at home...

At least you folks have it good given you're sharing the RHD format with Japan...
Totally true - I used to go to Japan in the late 90s with work and the car culture over there is amazing. Look at their drift cars and Skyline GTRs. Throw in their dominance of World Rally in the same period and you can start to get it.

Rhythmeister

58 posts

170 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
If it ain't Jap it's scrap!

Arbedark

174 posts

190 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
Drool...WANT!

Fabric

3,818 posts

191 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
That Colt F2000 is cloud9.

Pistonheads should make a few calls and try to get a tour round the Nissan Heritage Collection in Kanagawa, there's some amazing finds hidden away in there.

http://www.twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=ge...

Cheib

23,113 posts

174 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
Some nice kit there. Weird they don't have any of the WRC's ?

Been to Japan on business a couple of times that museum is so typical of Japanese office....for some reason they love grey walls/furniture...bloody depressing.

pSyCoSiS

3,581 posts

204 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
Some of those Jap cars have serious retro charm!

M666 EVO

1,124 posts

161 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
[quote=Japcarnut]Am I the only one who thinks the lancer 2000 turbo rally 1982 looks a lot like the MkIII escort (1980-86 according to wikipedia)? [quote]

No. I thought that too...

Its a handsome thing

alex_rsa

127 posts

198 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
1971 Dodge Colt/Mitsubishi Colt/Plymouth Cricket. The very orange car parked next to the "Galant GTO MR coupe 1970" was my 2nd car (any more photos??)

1.6 litre on twin Mikunis, reclining bucket seats and a few extra guages. A lot more modern that even the MKII Escort and had 100hp.

They used to rally them in South Africa but without much sucess as they had to compete against the factory Escorts. I cannot imagine there was ever on in the UK although they did make in to the states badged as Plymouth Cricket.

My car is still going after 40 years in daily use in Harare (Zimbabwe) where is was exported in 1995.

Loved that car.....

TheHeretic

73,668 posts

254 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
More great pics, PH, now, we need to get some of these pics as pic of the week!

dinkel

26,887 posts

257 months

Thursday 8th December 2011
quotequote all
Japan has produced such a large variety of top automobilia.
My favourite:

Godzuki said:
dinkel said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAXGuD_f3Kw

Hands down. That's where BMW got the idea from BTW.
Who says jap cars don;t have soul. Beautiful car, and Gan San is The Dude.