Mitsubishi Shows Colt Convertible Concept

GENEVA – With the launch of its new 3- and 5-door Colt under way, financially beleaguered Mitsubishi Motors Corp. unveils at the auto show here the coupe-cabriolet concept model of its European subcompact car.

Output of the production version, slated to launch early next year, will be outsourced to Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina SpA. The 3- and 5-door models are built at Mitsubishi’s NedCar BV plant in Born, the Netherlands.

“To successfully revitalize, we must increase sales (outside of Japan),” says Mitsubishi Chairman and CEO Takashi Nishioka.

Mitsubishi Colt
coupe-cabriolet concept

The Colt coupe-cabriolet concept features a retractable hardtop and a turbocharged 1.5L DOHC I-4 that incorporates variable valve timing.

The concept echoes Mitsubishi’s first-ever show car, the Colt 600 convertible, unveiled at the 1962 Tokyo Motor Show. Built off the 5-door Colt rather than the shorter 3-door version, the warm orange-colored Colt coupe-cabriolet concept is 153 ins. (387 cm) long and sits on 18-in. wheels. Exterior styling includes a shouldered trunk lid, slim horizontal taillamps and a slim rear spoiler. The interior is dressed with leather and suede upholstery.

Tim Tozer, president and CEO-Mitsubishi Motors Europe, tells Ward’s the decision to outsource production of the Colt convertible to a reliable partner was a key factor for the struggling auto maker.

“We’ve had a long relationship with Pininfarina, since 1997,” Tozer says. “We like them. It was a good opportunity to work with a company we trust and to outsource the work.”

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