The 1970 Mitsubishi GalantThe 1970 Mitsubishi Galant is a great example of how Mitsubishi started its venture into the sports car world. Hiroaki Kamisago was the original designer of the exterior of the Galant. It featured a long deck, short hood and four prominent headlights, which sat alongside many other American styling influences. Many considered the Mitsubishi Galant one of the earliest Japanese ‘pony’ cars.
The first generation of the model, which was originally known as the Colt Galant, made its debut in December 1969 at a brand new Mitsubishi Japanese dealership known as ‘Galant Shop’. The motor company dubbed the design ‘Dynawedge’, which referred to the harshly edged take on the car’s silhouette.
The Galant certainly had some rivals, and the Mitsubishi Galant was up for a fight. They came in the form of the Toyota Corona, Nissan Bluebird, Mazda Capella and Honda Accord. From 1970, a fastback coupe was developed, known as the Galant GTO. As previously mentioned, it was fashioned after contemporary American muscle cars, and it certainly made itself known in the automobile industry.
We Adore The 1970 Mitsubishi Galant's Cabin
If you were ever lucky enough to sit within a 1970 Mitsubishi Galant, you’d certainly feel like a race-car driver. The GTO had many motorist-friendly touches, and amongst those was the ‘fight-cockpit’ dashboard, which featured a center console veering towards the driver with a whopping eight instrument gauges. A sporty three-spoke steering wheel came as standard with the Galant, as was a 4-speed manual transmission - which was later updated to a 5-speed. It was the original idea that the designers would match the interior of the car to its exterior, but that was quite quickly deemed too costly, and they had to settle for a dark leather feel.
And the black leather certainly did give a sporty feel. Despite a slither of rosewood inside the cabin, the car was all black leather. It felt sleek and sophisticated, but still racey and exciting. It was a perfect balance for what many people were looking for back 50 years ago.
The interior felt light and roomy, despite its low-rise hood. There was plenty of legroom for the driver to work with, and this was an ideal environment for a driver to sit back and relax whilst they take their Galant for a run through the back roads.
The 1970 Mitsubishi Galant could be bought in its standard white and red stripe exterior model version or a daring burnt orange color. The white car with its lavish red stripe certainly screamed ‘racer’, it was just like a motor you’d see out on the rally track and this was cool! The orange version of the Galant offered a unique color to customers, allowing the car to stand out on the roads, and this definitely made people stop and stare.
The 1970 Mitsubishi Galant Has An Exciting Powertrain
The standard Mitsubishi Galant GTO was originally available in three different configurations. The ‘M1’ came equipped with a 1600 cc SOHC four-cylinder engine and a four-speed manual gearbox - pretty standard for its day.
The ‘M2’ went on to upgrade the gearbox to a five-speed unit, and the ‘MR’ had both an upgraded gearbox and a modified engine.
The top-spec GTO was introduced by Mitsubishi in December 1970 and was known as the ‘MR’, which stood for motorsport and rally. Taking a look under its long hood, you’d find a 1.6-liter DOHC four six, with a Solex twin-choke carb which was good for hitting 125PS at 6800 rpm. Beneath a valve covered in lustrous gold paint was Mitsubishi’s first mass-produced twin-cam head, mounted to the company’s evergreen Saturn block. The MR was able to reach an impressive 125-horsepower, which was rather rare in the 70s.
An impressive list of standard features came with the Galant, including a sporty suspension package and smooth styling; this cool setup made the Galant extremely popular and one of the most desirable Japanese collector cars of the 1970s.
The MR was sadly discontinued in 1972 after only 540 were built, making them an extremely rare find.
The 1970 Mitsubishi Galant: A Collector's Dream
Now some 50 years on, it is very difficult to spot one out on the road, and it may be that there are some hidden away in some small town workshops which are in some desperate need of tender loving care.
On the rare occasion that a 1970 Mitsubishi Galant hits the market, car enthusiasts around the world certainly go crazy. They’re still an iconic vehicle in today’s world, they’re a vision of the very beginning of Japanese sports cars.
Their value in the classic car market can reach $12,000 for an original looking until, whilst a rust bucket sitting in a village compound could be worth as little as $1,200.
One thing is for sure, the motor industry isn’t over the 1970 Mitsubishi Galant just yet.
Sources: conceptcarz, car and driver, carfolio