First Generation of Mitsubishi Mirage

Mitsubishi launched the Mirage as a front-wheel drive three-door hatchback in March 1978, as a response to the 1973 oil crisis. A five-door hatchback arrived in September. Since most overseas markets did not have the Minica kei car, the Mirage was usually sold as Mitsubishi's entry-level model.

The Mirage also debuted Mitsubishi's Super Shift transmission, a four-speed manual with a second lever for "low" and "high" range; thus, effectively making the transmission an eight-speed unit.^[5] TheSuper Shift was not originally planned. However, Mitsubishi engineers had to make use of the existingOrion engine designed for rear-wheel drive applications making use of the longitudinal engineorientation. In the Mirage, sizing restraints as a result of the front-wheel drive layout required the engine to be mounted transversely, thus causing the carburetor to face forwards and run into icing issues.^[6] However, the primary implication of the Mirage's powertrain orientation—and the issue that demanded the unconventional transmission—was the mounting of the transmission beneath the engine. This required the gearbox to take power down from the clutch, an action not possible directly as this would have dictated that the gearbox rotated in the opposite direction to that required. To overcome this, the use of an extra "idle" transfer shaft was necessitated.^[5] It was subsequently realized that for a cost no more than developing a new five-speed transmission,^[6] this shaft could be modified as a separate two-speed gearbox controlled by a secondary shift lever mounted alongside the main lever inside the cabin. The ratios on this transfer transmission were, in effect, "underdrives"—consequently marked on the second shift lever as a "power" mode due to increased performance granted by the lower gearing. In contrast, the higher overdrive setting was noted as "economy".^[5]Mirage featured four-wheel independent suspension, rack and pinion steering, plus front disc brakes.^[1] Power initially came from 1,244 and 1,410 cc iterations of the familiar Orion engine, putting out 53 and 60 kW (72 and 82 PS), respectively.^[2] Of particular note, the 1,410 cc variant featured "modulated displacement"—a system that could shut down cylinders under cruising or idle conditions to reduce fuel consumption.^[3] Mitsubishi added the 1.6-liter Saturn engine to the range in March 1979, with a turbocharged, 77 kW (105 PS) version of the 1.4-liter engine made available in Japan from September 1982 as the 1400 GT Turbo.^[4]

Many export markets, such as Europe and Australia received the Mirage under the Colt name. In the United Kingdom, where Colt was the marque itself, it was called the Colt 1200 and Colt 1400, after theengine displacements. Chrysler imported this generation of Mirage to the North America as the Dodge Colt and Plymouth Champ from late-1978 for the 1979 model year.^[1] Then from the 1983 model year, Plymouth retired the Champ and adopted the name Colt as well.^[7]

In February 1982, Mitsubishi facelifted the Mirage range. Distinguished by the installation of flusher fitting headlamps that extended into thefender panels, stylists also designed a new grille insert.

At the same as this facelift, Mitsubishi introduced a four-door sedan variant to Japan under the names Mirage and Lancer Fiore, which is not to be confused with the unrelated regular Lancer.^[3] The Fiore was often abbreviated to Lancer in international markets, eschewing the "Fiore" suffix.^[8] With Mirage hatchback and sedan sales in Japan restricted to the Car Plaza dealerships, the Fiore was intended to duplicate the Mirage's success at the Galant Shop—Mitsubishi's second retail sales channel. Lancer Fiore received the same 1.2- and 1.4-liter engines, and as a Mirage-derived model line, was substantially smaller than the strict Lancer. Apart from the wider axle track dictated by the switch to front-wheel drive, the original 1973-era Lancer offered a similar dimensional footprint.^[3] From August 1982, Japanese buyers could opt for the new turbocharged Fiore 1400GT—aptly named after the 1.4-liter engine specified. Mitsubishi distinguished the 1400GT with a hood mounted air intake, unique interior, uprated suspension and brakes, and the equalization of the drive shaft lengths to reduce torque steering. At the same time as the GT, a limited edition trim joined range, with the Super Edition and Mariee versions launched later in 1982.^[9] Japanese manufacture of all body variants ended in October 1983.

The facelifted model was also manufactured as the Colt by Mitsubishi Motors Australia^[5] at their Clovelly Park, South Australia plant from 1982^[10] to late 1989, with sufficient inventory stockpiled not exhausting until 1990.^[11] Initially offered with the 1.4- and 1.6-liter engines in five-door hatchback form, the sedan was produced from 1984. This model was also briefly exported to New Zealand in the late 1980s, where it shared showroom space with the locally assembled third generation models. Previously, local complete knock down (CKD) assembly of the Colt took place in New Zealand by Todd Motor Corporation, including a variant called the Mirage Panther.