Cars that were ahead of their time in styling often become outdated quickly. This Mitsubishi Lancer might be an exception to that rule. Moreover, this particular example is in excellent condition.
Imagine the street scene of 1987. In a world full of D-Kadetts, Mk4 Escorts, and Golf IIs, these Mitsubishi Lancers and their hatchback siblings, the Colts, suddenly appeared from Japan. You can imagine that with their ‘shark nose,’ they caused quite a stir. To be honest, the Lancer sedan may not have aged the best among all the Lancers/Colts of that generation, but this model still looks quite good for a nearly 40-year-old design.
Although the color (or lack thereof) of this specific example doesn’t do it any favors, the car’s condition certainly does. This Lancer, spotted by AutoWeek forum member Dave R1517, appears to be in pristine condition. Impressive, because on a white car like this, unsightly spots tend to show up quickly. Aside from a very small spot near the right taillight, we can’t find any external flaws. This car has clearly received a lot of love throughout its nearly 37-year existence.
As you might expect, the ownership history has played an important role in this. The Lancer stayed with its first owner for over twenty years. That owner clearly took good care of it as it aged. The current owner has had this 1.5 GLXi for two and a half years now. They probably bought the Lancer out of a fondness for this model or for Japanese cars in general. Judging by the stuffed animals inside the Mitsubishi, it might belong to a Japan enthusiast in a broader sense. Nice!