Mitsubishi built the Mirage as a direct answer to the 1973 oil crisis, with a dual-range gearbox called Super Shift.
Median 57 hp across 101 similar cars
Lead trim: 1.2 4G11 (72 PS) · up to 87 hp
Mitsubishi Mirage / Colt A150 first generationA150 · 1978–1983
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Mitsubishi Mirage / Colt A150 first generation yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactMitsubishi built the Mirage as a direct answer to the 1973 oil crisis, with a dual-range gearbox called Super Shift.
Mitsubishi launched the Mirage in March 1978 as a front-wheel-drive three-door hatchback, a response to the 1973 oil crisis, with a longer-wheelbase five-door following in September; abroad it was sold as the Colt, Champ and Dodge/Plymouth Colt. It had four-wheel independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and front disc brakes, and debuted the dual-range "Super Shift" gearbox. Engines were 1.2 and 1.4-litre Orion fours, a 1.4 turbo, and from March 1979 a 1.6-litre Saturn in the 1600 GT. A February 1982 facelift added the Mirage Saloon / Lancer Fiore sedan; Japanese production ended in October 1983, Australia continued to 1989.
Collectors Spotted in the Mitsubishi Mirage Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Mitsubishi Mirage yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 4G11 (72 PS) | 1978–1983 | 1.2 L Inline-4 | 71 hp | — | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.4 4G12 (82 PS) | 1978–1983 | 1.4 L Inline-4 | 81 hp | — | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.4 4G12T turbo | 1978–1983 | 1.4 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1600 GT 4G32 (88 PS) | 1979–1983 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 87 hp | — | — | FWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
In the Community
Open CommunityNo notes tagged with the Mitsubishi Mirage / Colt A150 first generation yet.
Photographs
This Mirage generation is the lightest 4-door car sold in North America — only the tiny 2-seat Smart Fortwo weighs less.
Demand for the Eclipse cut US-market Mirage sedan production for 1999 so hard that only 4,783 Mirage DEs were built.
Mitsubishi once squeezed a V6 into this little Mirage at just 1.6 litres — the smallest V6 ever put into mass production.
The Mirage's weird twin-lever gearbox wasn't a gimmick — it was a cost-saving fix for an engine never meant to go sideways, and it accidentally gave the car eight effective gear ratios.
Mitsubishi built the Mirage as a direct answer to the 1973 oil crisis, with a dual-range gearbox called Super Shift.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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