Chrysler and Mitsubishi had a deal going for a long time that saw Mitsubishi-built cars brought into the United States and rebadged as Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge products. In a move that the current FCA group has seemed to all but forget about, the Chrysler-Mitsubishi partnership actually worked out pretty well: Mitsubishi got their foot in the door of the U.S. market and Chrysler not only got small cars like the Colt, Arrow and D-50 pickup truck, but a couple of Japanese surprises. One of which went to each of the Chrysler marques plus sold as a Mitsubishi. With the Diamond Star badge on it, it was the Mitsubishi Starion and was best remembered as the gadget-laden car Jackie Chan and Richard Kiel drove in the movie Cannonball Run II. But for Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge, it was the Conquest. Packing EFI, a turbocharger, and one of two Mitsubishi-sourced four-bangers (either the 4G63 2.0L that is the early version of the engine found in the Eclipse and Lancer Evolution or the 4G54 2.6L engine) and for it’s day, was potent (just shy of 200 horsepower) and a competent handler.
Thirty years later, there’s no doubt that this is a car of the Eighties, but look at the options you have for power! Both the 2.0 and 2.6 have strong tuning bases, and we’ve seen just about every possible V8 swapped into these cars, from Chrysler engines, to Toyota’s 1UZ-FE, to Ford 351s. Since they are rear-drive, you’re limited only by your imagination and fabrication skills. Finding a clean car to start with, however, isn’t easy, so locating this gem for $4,500 running and driving is a score! We’d get to hunting for the rare 16×8 and 16×9 stock wheels immediately, but in the meantime you’ll have a unique car that very few will be able to identify and plenty of time to plan out your build. While you are waiting, go auto crossing!
Craigslist Link: 1987 Chrysler Conquest
Yes – this was known as a Starion in most countries. You know why?
They wanted to call it a Stallion, but ended up with the Japanese pronunciation.
You couldn’t make that one up – this is absolutely true by the way…
I had one of those ages ago. It was a great car, I had upgraded the turbo and clutch and done a few small mods. It was a really fun car that was pretty quick. It had a great limited slip diff and tons of tech for its age. I loved it because people didn’t know what it was.
Downside, it was like riding an old Harley everyday. It leaked oil every chance it got, if it wasn’t leaking oil it was leaking coolant. It was reliable in the since it would get you where you were going but it required constant attention. A good friend of mine ran it through some fence and a lawnmower shed. Sometimes I am mad about that and sometimes I am glad lol.
I had one of these, an 1989. I don’t recall leaking oil/coolant, but then I had it in 1994, and with around 30K on it, was pretty much like new. The staggered size wheels made buying tires a more frequent endeavor. And while it did indeed have a great limited slip differential, I vividly recall being stranded in 1″ of snow on a virtually flat road.
Remember when these came out back in the 80’s. Always wanted to do a V8 conversion but money and talent fell short.
I had a stock one a few years ago. On paper, it seemed like you couldn’t go wrong. In real life, it was a slug, even with the 2.6. Handled like a marshmallow too. Sold that one quickly.