Mitsubishi · 1964–1999

Mitsubishi Debonair

The Mitsubishi Debonair (Japanese: 三菱・デボネア, Hepburn: Mitsubishi Debonea) is a four-door executive sedan introduced by Mitsubishi Motors in 1964 to serve as their flagship passenger vehicle in the Japanese market. The word "debonair" means gentle, courteous, suave, lighthearted, or nonchalant. Three distinct generations were available during its 35-year production run until it was discontinued in 1999. The first and second generation models were built mainly for senior level executives of the Mitsubishi Group and affiliated companies, essentially a Mitsubishi senior executive company car made by the motor vehicle division of Mitsubishi.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Mitsubishi Proudia|Mitsubishi Dignity

All Mitsubishi Debonair data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Overview

The Debonair was first introduced at the 10th All Japan Motor Show (later renamed the Tokyo Motor Show) in October 1963. Its appearance at the time was described as "dignified". It was one of the first Japanese-built luxury sedans, using a 2.0-liter six-cylinder engine, with exterior dimensions just under the Japanese government dimension regulations for "compact" vehicles while offering a spacious interior. At its introduction, it was the largest sedan Mitsubishi had built to date. In Japan, it was sold at a specific retail chain called the Galant Shop starting in 1969 with the introduction of the Galant. At the time of the Debonair's introduction, Mitsubishi had a market reputation of building small, economical sedans, letting other manufacturers build larger, more expensive sedans. The Debonair was seen as a special purpose vehicle, and was not widely marketed towards the general motoring public. Production began in time for the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo in October 1964. Three distinct generations were available during its 35-year production run until it was replaced in 1999 with the Proudia in an attempt to continue to offer a top-level luxury sedan. The first and second-generation models were predominantly used by senior level executives of the Mitsubishi Group and affiliated companies. Aside from a very minor export push in the 1960s, the Debonair was mainly sold in Japan, although the second and third generations met with considerable success in South Korean license production. As a result of the Debonair's perceived primary purpose as a "senior executive vehicle", it did not undergo regular improvements to its exterior appearance, while the mechanicals were routinely updated with the latest advancements as the years progressed. The engine displacement w

First generation (A30/A31/A32/A33; 1964)

The Debonair was Mitsubishi's competitor to the Nissan Cedric, Prince Gloria, Isuzu Bellel and Toyota Crown, and during the first generation's production, the appearance remained generally unchanged from 1964 until 1986, sharing a tradition with the Toyota Century, that being also recognized as a senior executive sedan exclusive to the Japanese market. Although it received several minor redesigns (denoted I through IV), the vehicle proved popular enough in the Japanese market to remain in production for 22 years without major appearance modifications. The Debonair was largely the result of former General Motors designer Hans S. Bretzner, while the result was largely influenced by the 1961 Lincoln Continental designed by Elwood Engel, as evidenced by the slab-sided body panels, squared wheel wells, extended protrusions at the front of the vehicle, wraparound turn signals in the front, and tapered fins at the rear, with a rear taillight cluster, exhibiting a "Continental-esque" appearance. It used a double wishbone front suspension with leaf springs and a differential for the rear axle for the entire generation. Powered initially by the KE64 1,991 cc six-cylinder engine with twin carburetors and dual exhausts, the original A30 series developed 105 PS (77 kW; 104 hp) at 5,000 rpm, and had a maximum speed of 155 km/h (96 mph). This engine has overhead valves and a high mounted camshaft (not overhead), similar to Opel's cam-in-head design. The front grille had an "MMC" badge, denoting the newly formed Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. From September 1970 the 6G34 "Saturn 6" (1,994 cc) engine was installed, increasing the engine's power output to 130 PS (96 kW; 128 hp) which gave the car a top speed of 180 km/h (112 mph). From now on, the Debonair was only available in an "Execu

Second generation (S11A/S12A; 1986)

In July 1986, Mitsubishi changed the appearance of the Debonair, as its previous version was seen as extremely rare and not a sales leader or image maker of Mitsubishi vehicles. The second-generation Debonair adopted a front-wheel drive layout, a cost-effective way to increase interior space without investing money on engineering in an executive sedan, shared with the E11 Galant. It also came with Mitsubishi's first V6 engines, the 6G71 2.0-liter and the 6G72 3.0-liter under the "Cyclone" moniker, which were shared with the Galant model line later. So as to comply with the Japanese government regulations concerning exterior dimensions and engine displacement, vehicles installed with the 2.0-liter engine were installed in a shorter and narrower body–accomplished by fitting smaller bumpers. Fitted with the 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp) 3.0-liter V6 engine, the Debonair could reach 195 km/h (121 mph), if it wasn't for the mandatory 180 km/h (110 mph) limiter used in Japanese cars. The Debonair took advantage of the front-wheel drive layout to allow for more passenger space. The trunk was also designed so as to ensure that two sets of golf clubs could be carried. The Debonair was a reasonable success; sales in its first full year (1987) were 6,230 cars in Japan, compared to 205 by its predecessor in 1985. A 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp) supercharged version of the 2.0-liter engine was added to the lineup in February 1987, using the world's first needle roller rocker arm assembly. This generation was badge engineered and was introduced to the Asian luxury car market as the Hyundai Grandeur, giving Hyundai a luxury sedan to shuttle foreign dignitaries during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. As Mitsubishi and Chrysler had a business relationship where automotive technology was being shared and u

Third generation (S22A/S26A/S27A; 1992)

The third-generation Debonair debuted in late 1992, which were longer and wider than its predecessors. The wider range of available engines was topped by a 260 PS (191 kW; 256 hp) 3,496 L 6G74 DOHC V6 engine, and as Mitsubishi's domestic flagship incorporated much of the company's technology. It was introduced after the more mainstream 1990 Diamante. Some of the technologies used were: Four-wheel steering Four-wheel anti-lock braking system Electronically-controlled suspension GPS-guided automotive navigation system Rear-focused camera Self-closing doors Lidar-based distance detection system (Japanese market only). Marketed as "distance warning", this early system only warned the driver about vehicles ahead, without influencing throttle, brakes or gear shifting. INVECS 5-speed automatic transmission with traction control system In July 1993, a limited edition, long wheelbase model called the Debonair 150 (as it was extended by 150 mm) was added to the lineup. It was only available in a single model with the 3.5-liter V6 engine and the top, Executive III equipment grade. The Debonair 150 was discontinued in September 1994, when the lineup underwent a gentle update and rearrangement. As this generation was Mitsubishi's flagship model, the body style that was compliant with Japanese government regulations concerning exterior dimensions and engine displacement was no longer offered. The rear suspension was upgraded to a multilink setup. Much of the technology installed in this generation Debonair was shared with the GTO/3000GT. There were a multitude of trim packages with varying levels of equipment. The trim level names started with Executive (I, II, and III), Exceed, Exceed Contega, and Exceed Type A, B, and C. Each model year rearranged the trim level names according t

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Specifications

name: Mitsubishi Debonair
Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Motors
Production: 1964–1999
Assembly: Japan: Okazaki, Aichi (Nagoya Plant)
Class: Executive car
Body style: 4-door sedan
Layout: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (1964–1986), Front-engine, front-wheel-drive (1986–1999)
Successor: Mitsubishi Proudia, Mitsubishi Dignity

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1186119CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_DebonairCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1374047786 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mitsubishi_Debonair_S20.jpgPublic domain · Photo: TTTNIS · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.