Back in the 1980s, the rear-wheel-drive coupe was a thing for numerous manufacturers, and Mitsubishi was in on the game. Its proposal was called Starion, and it was a two-door, four-seat coupe with a hatchback trunk that made it quite practical. It was sold under the Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth brands as the Conquest, not just as the Mitsubishi Starion.
It was all a part of the company's deal with Chrysler during the time, which also led to interesting products in the 90s, as well, and the deal went on well into the 2000s, even though not all of Mitsubishi's performance-oriented products have been turned in to Chrysler, Dodge, or Plymouth products.
In its day, the Starion was the first Japanese turbocharged performance automobile with electronic fuel injection that was manufactured in volumes.
Due to Japan's tax regulations back in the day, there were two body dimensions offered, with the initial one being what is now described as a "narrowbody,' and later with the addition of a "widebody" in the range. The latter was sold in the U.S. from the 1986 model year up until the 1989 model year, which was the last for the Starion.
The Starion was replaced by the GTO, which was also offered as a Dodge Stealth, Plymouth Laser, and Eagle Talon, but its most famous name is the Mitsubishi Eclipse. The latter model was addressed to a new audience, which had different tastes, so the Starion was then forgotten in favor of its replacement, at least in the public eye.
This example is a 1988 Mitsubishi Starion, which was used as a daily driver up until 1996, when it began to have overheating issues. From that point, its owner parked it in a garage and then stopped driving it altogether.
One year passed, then another, and… poof! 26 years went by. We are still a bit scared of the fact that 1996 was 26 years ago, so take your time to process that as you see fit.
Now, this 1988 Starion will get another chance at life, as it will be used once again after Larry Kosilla of AMMO NYC does his magic with it.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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