Mitsubishi Colt 800

Manufacturer	Mitsubishi Motors
Production	1965 to 1968
Body style	2-door fastback 3-door lift back 4-door fastback 3-door wagon/van 2-door coupé utility/pickup
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine	843 cc 2-stroke I3
Wheelbase	2,200 mm (86.6 in)
Length	3,620–3,740 mm (142.5–147.2 in)
Width	1,450 mm (57.1 in)
Height	1,365–1,420 mm (53.7–55.9 in)

The Mitsubishi Colt 800 is a small fastback design passenger car manufactured in the 1960s and sold by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the predecessor of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.

History

Mid-1965 Mitsubishi replaced the 600 by the much larger Colt 800 This was technically designed completely different. Instead of the two-cylinder four-stroke rear engine in the Colt 600, this had a water-cooled three-cylinder two-stroke front engine with 843 cc displacement and a power of 33 kW / 45 hp top speed was 120 km/h (75 mph). The car was available as a three-door hatchback coupe, later as a four-door hatchback a "Ute" utility version in Australia and van in Japan.

The 800 engine a three-cylinder two-stroke of 843 cc capacity. Mitsubishi introduced the three-cylinder two-stroke engine at a time when DKW and Saab said goodbye to this design. But even in Japan, the two-stroke engine did not meet with undivided approval. From autumn 1966 there was therefore also the Colt 1000F with the one-litre four-stroke four-cylinder engine of the larger Colt 1000 with 40 kW (55 hp). 1968 appeared even the Colt 1100F with the engine of the Colt 1100. At the same time the Colt 800, in May 1969 also the Colt 1000F was adjusted. All that remained was the Colt 1100F produced since 1968 (Colt 11F from 1969) with a 1.1-liter four-cylinder engine, which was also available as Super Sport version with 74 SAE-PS (54 kW).

Mitsubishi gave up on the two-stroke engine in 1968. The similarly sized and-engine Suzuki Fronte 800 was discontinued without replacement around the same time; these were the last Japanese two-strokes bigger than a Kei car. In general, the 700-800 cc class was dying away in Japan at this time, being replaced by 1000 cc cars.it was developed as a full-fledged front-engine, rear-drive compact mass-market car to enter the 800cc-class mass-market car market centred on the Daihatsu Compano and Mazda Familia. The "800" is a model developed by Mizushima Automobile Works in Okayama Prefecture, which was once the development and production base for the three-wheeled truck "Mizushima," and which had already produced the first-generation minicar minicar. The fact that the 2-stroke engine was originally installed was also based on the experience with the Minica that preceded it from domestic production a development group centred on the Nagoya Automobile Works in Oe, Nagoya City and the Kyoto Factory in Kyoto City, which was also involved in the Mitsubishi 500 and Colt 600. The Colt 1000, a 4-stroke engine car that was in his hands, was a model of a completely different system, although the 800 was the same old and new Mitsubishi Heavy Industries system.

There is no technical continuity or relationship with the Colt 600 or 1000, which preceded it, and in particular, it would inevitably cause internal competition with the Colt 1000 in a similar class. The fact that the double investment of developing a different model by diversifying the company's resources was allowed was a reflection of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (and Shin Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the predecessor of its small car division), when the independence of each plant was excessively strong at the time. It can be said that this incident exposed the rigid system of the government. The case in which Mitsubishi Heavy Industries developed and released a competing model of the same class at separate plants had previously occurred with medium-duty trucks, and in any case, it was clear that it was meaningless from a management point of view. Based on this reflection, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was forced to organize its vehicle development system prior to the independence of the automobile division (establishment of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in 1970).

In contrast to the conservative notchback style 2-door and 4-door sedans Colt 1000, the unique fastback style that was popular internationally at the time was the biggest feature of the 800 series. Although it did not have a gate, a pickup truck was added in 1966, a hatchback (3-door) was added at the end of 1967, and a 4-door was added at the beginning of 1968.

The engine was initially a 3G8 type 2-stroke water-cooled in -line 3-cylinder 843cc, with a maximum output of 45PS/4,500rpm and a maximum torque of 8.4kgm/3,000rpm. It was changed to a general FR that had been. The front suspension uses double wishbones and transverse leaf springs, while the rear wheels use a rigid axle and leaf springs. Except for the engine, it has a very ordinary and solid configuration.

PERFORMANCE

• Engine capacity: 51.44 cu in, 843 cu cm
• Fuel consumption: 53.3 m/imp gal, 44.4 m/US gal, 5.3 1 x 100 km
• Max speed: 72 mph, 115.9 km/h
• Max power (DIN): 41 hp at 4,500 rpm
• Max torque (DIN): 57 1b ft, 7.8 kg m at 3,000 rpm
• Max engine rpm: 5,500
• Specific power: 48.6 hp/l
• Power-weight ratio: 40.4 lb/hp, 18.3 kg/hp
• Acceleration: standing 1/4 mile 22.5 sec
• Max speeds: 22 mph, 35.4 km/h in 1st gear; 34 mph, 54.7 km/h in 2nd gear; 50 mph, 80.5 km/h in 3rd gear; 72 mph, 115.9 km/h in 4th gear

The Colt 800, along with the Suzuki Fronte 800 of the same period, was a unique group equipped with a 3-cylinder 2-stroke engine, which was rare among Japanese small passenger cars. The inline 4-cylinder 4-stroke engine had no chance of winning in terms of practical superiority, and there were even competing cars in the 800-1000cc class. In addition, the 2-stroke engine emits a lot of smoke, so air pollution was a social problem at the time, and sales were sluggish as people avoided it. The 800-production ended late in 1968, with now the larger 1100 model.