Mitsubishi to auction 14 UK collection models without reserve

Mitsubishi is preparing to part with its collection in the United Kingdom, sending 14 vehicles to auction that together reflect a large slice of the brand’s story in that market.

Auction details for the Mitsubishi UK sale

The auction opens on 1 April, and every vehicle will be offered without reserve. Alongside the cars, a selection of historic registration plates will also be sold.

In the following lines, you can see exactly what Mitsubishi and the Colt Car Company (the firm responsible for importing and distributing the Japanese brand’s models in the United Kingdom) are now putting up for sale.

Pieces of history

The list of 14 Mitsubishi lots begins with a scale replica of the 1917 Model A, the first mass-produced car in Japan. Built using the original Model A plans (none of the 30 originals are known to have survived), this replica is powered by a single-cylinder engine taken from a… lawnmower.

Jumping forwards, Mitsubishi will also auction the first car it sold in the United Kingdom: a 1974 Mitsubishi Colt Lancer (as it became known there) with a 1.4-litre engine, a manual gearbox and 118 613 km.

Also included is a 1974 Colt Galant. This range-topping version (the 2000 GL with 117 hp) was the first example used by the Colt Car Company in its dealer recruitment programmes.

Still among the “old-timers”, there is one of just eight Mitsubishi Jeep CJ-3Bs imported into the United Kingdom. Built in either 1979 or 1983 (the exact year is unclear), this vehicle exists thanks to a licence Mitsubishi obtained to manufacture the famous Jeep in Japan after the Second World War.

Pedigree desportivo

As you would expect, the 14-car Mitsubishi auction lineup includes the “everlasting” Lancer Evolution models. Going under the hammer are a 2001 Lancer Evo VI Tommi Makinen Edition, a 2008 Evo IX MR FQ-360 HKS, and a 2015 Evo X FQ-440 MR.

Alongside them is a 2007 Group N Lancer Evolution IX that won the British rally championship in 2007 and 2008. From the same rallying world, a 1989 Mitsubishi Galant 2.0 GTI will also be auctioned after being converted into a replica of the competition car.

Off-roaders and newer Mitsubishi models

Among the brand’s sports cars in the collection are a 1988 Starion with 95 032 km, a rebuilt engine and a refurbished turbo, plus a 1992 Mitsubishi 3000GT with just 54 954 km.

Finally, for off-road fans, two Mitsubishi Pajeros will be offered-one from 1987 and another from 2000 (the last second-generation example to be registered in the United Kingdom)-as well as a 2017 L200 Desert Warrior, which appeared several times in Top Gear magazine, and a 2015 Outlander PHEV with only 2897 km.