Mitsubishi · 1970–1977

Mitsubishi Galant GTO

The Mitsubishi Colt Galant GTO (Gran Turismo Omologato) is an automobile which was produced by Mitsubishi Motors from 1970 to 1977. It was first shown as the Galant GTX-1 showcar at the 1969 Tokyo Motor Show. Sales began in November 1970, when it was the flagship hardtop variant of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries's then-new Colt Galant sedan. The nameplate was revived in 1990 for the Mitsubishi GTO, although this name was only used in the Japanese domestic market.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Mitsubishi Galant Lambda

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

History

The Colt Galant GTO exterior was penned by Hiroaki Kamisago, who had previously been sent by Mitsubishi to study at the Art Center College of Design, then located in Los Angeles, California. The design incorporates a number of stylistic cues from contemporary American muscle cars such as the Mustang, Firebird and Cougar, including a long hood, raised cut-off ducktail rear, and rounded quad-headlamps and tail-lamps. The GTO was Mitsubishi's second production car to have full, roll down, side windows and a pillarless design and after the Toyota T40 series Corona of 1966 and Mitsubishi's own Galant Hardtop launched earlier in 1970; the GTO was the third such Japanese car. Mitsubishi Racing Development (AKA Colt Speed) intended for the Colt Galant GTO to compete in the prestigious JCCA Grand Prix circuit. However, the OPEC oil embargo of 1973 sounded the demise of GP racing, so the GTO race program was mothballed. Initially, there were three Colt Galant GTO (A53C) models offered, all powered by the Saturn engine: the M1 (1600 cc SOHC, 4-speed single carb), the M2 (1600 cc SOHC, 4-speed, using twin Mikuni-built Solex carburetors for a total of 110 hp)(SAE).and the top-spec MR (1600 cc twin-carb, DOHC five-speed), a 125 PS (92 kW) version only available in Japan. In February 1972 Mitsubishi upgraded the power plants, replacing the lower powered versions with a somewhat larger (1.7 litre) version of the Saturn engine. These cars received the A55C chassis code, while the twin-cam MR continued to use the smaller but more powerful 4G32 engine until January 1973, when stricter emissions standards made it obsolete. The higher-end versions then received Mitsubishi's all new Astron engine, with either 110 or 125 PS (81 or 92 kW), along with a new A57C chassis code. The range now co

Export

Mitsubishi chose not to aggressively export the Colt Galant GTO. Besides the home market of Japan, few examples (all right hand drive) were sold abroad. Most were distributed to New Zealand, and smaller numbers ended up in various Asian countries including Papua New Guinea. It was also exported to the United Kingdom and Ireland between January 1975 and late 1976. Retailing at almost £3,000 (£600 more than a Celica GT coupé) it failed make a UK market impact. At the time, Mitsubishi rarely used their own brand name abroad, so all were sold simply as the "Colt Galant GTO". In Japan, the few remaining good examples have reached "collector" money status, recent examples at auction have commanded over ¥1,000,000, with MR variants reaching almost twice that amount.

GTO name revived

After Colt Galant GTO production ceased in 1977, the name lay dormant for 13 years, but it retained sufficient cachet that Mitsubishi resurrected it for their flagship Mitsubishi GTO sports GT in 1990. However, in order to avoid offending automotive connoisseurs, who might have objected to the evocative nameplate from the highly regarded Ferrari 250 GTO (1962), and Pontiac GTO being used on a Japanese vehicle, it was sold as the Mitsubishi 3000GT in overseas markets. == References ==

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Mitsubishi Colt Galant GTO
Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Motors
Production: 1970–1977
Assembly: Japan: Okazaki, Aichi (Nagoya Plant)
Successor: Mitsubishi Galant Lambda
Class: Sports car
Body style: 2-door hardtop
Layout: FR
Engine: 1597 cc 4G32 I4 (A53, 1970–1973), 1686 cc 4G35 I4 (A55, 1972–1977), 1995 cc 4G52 I4 (A57, 1973–1977)
Transmission: 4/5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 2420 mm
Length: 4125 mm
Width: 1580 mm
Height: 1310 mm
Kerb weight: 980 kg
Related: Mitsubishi Galant (1969–1976), Mitsubishi Galant FTO
Designer: Hiroaki Kamisago

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4387720CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Galant_GTOCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1306993629 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mitsubishi_Colt_Galant_GTO_MR.jpgCC0 · 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.