(first posted 5/1/2018) Even the hardiest of cars and trucks have to expire eventually and it’s pretty hard to think of something hardier than a simple, old, Japanese pickup. It’s a rare sight to see these old Mitsubishi utes – pardon me, force of habit, we call all pickups here “utes” – as even they have to pack it in eventually. How refreshing to see this one still in use: a simple old pickup towing a simple old boat. How even more refreshing to see a similar pickup just a few doors down.
I had just parked my car and was walking to Brisbane’s best Mexican restaurant, La Quinta, when I spotted this charming scene. I knew right away it was a Mitsubishi but the name eluded me. Was it Triton, as its descendant is marketed in Australia today? No, that name came later.
Look closely and you’ll see the classic three-diamond badge on the grille and a name on the fender: L200 Express. That pegs this Mitsubishi as being from 1980 or later. Although badged Forte back in Japan, Mitsubishi had become just as involved with Chrysler Australia as they had that company’s corporate parent and therefore the Forte was launched here as the Chrysler D-50. For 1980 it became the Chrysler L200 Express – to establish a kinship with the also newly launched L300 Express van – and then late in 1980, when Mitsubishi bought out Chrysler’s Australian operations, it switched the Chrysler badge for a Mitsubishi one.
Yes, much like in North America, there were plenty of Mitsubishis being sold here with Chrysler badges. The peculiar thing is the Mitsubishi Galant, for example, was first launched here as the Chrysler Valiant Galant. Eventually Mitsubishi realized the Valiant name wasn’t exactly synonymous with small, economical cars and ditched the Valant prefix. Another peculiar naming oddity: Chrysler sold ute versions of its Valiant under the Chrysler Valiant name but also simultaneously as a Dodge. By its final year, 1976, the blandly named Dodge utility was the only car here under the Dodge name.
But back to this L200. Or, as North Americans would know it, the Dodge D-50. And then from 1981, the Dodge Ram D-50. Oh, and for several years, the Plymouth Arrow truck. Today, the L200 name is still used in many markets worldwide, as is the Triton name the pickup picked up in its second generation. Today, too, the pickup market is dramatically different from the early 1980s. Basic, single cab utes are still found in fleets but the market has shifted to crew cab utes in increasingly higher levels of trim, like this Volkswagen Amarok. Predominantly powered by four-, five- and six-cylinder diesel engines, vehicles like the Amarok, Ford Ranger, Holden/Chevrolet Colorado and Nissan Navara have become not only boat towers and construction site goers, but also family vehicles.
Not everyone wants a new, flashy, crew cab ute, however. Just down the street, I saw another old Mitsubishi. What is this, Eugene, Oregon? The fender badges on this one say D-50 and 2000, signifying this is powered by the 93 hp 2.0 Astron four-cylinder. The Mitsubishi was also available with a smaller 1.6 as well as a larger 2.6 Astron.
Ah, but this little Mitsu is suffering from an identity crisis. It doesn’t appear to be wearing its original tailgate, instead having received one from a later (1981+) four-wheel-drive L200 powered by the 2.3 diesel engine.
Based on the D-50 badge, this Mitsubishi must be a 1979 Chrysler D-50. Well, no matter what name it wears, it’s still a pleasure to see an old workhorse still in use. Lately, I’ve spotted a Ford Courier and a Mazda B-Series from the 1970s, as well as an old Datsun 720. All that’s left to complete the set is an old Hilux–now where did they all go?
Maybe I’ll end up finding two of them on the same street, too!
Photographed in Bulimba, Brisbane, QLD in April 2018.
Although they look pretty plain now, these were quite handsome trucks in 1980. I liked the fact that on the upper level trims you got extra gauges in the console. Yes, I was easily amused.
You’re not the only one. I loved the extra gauges VW, for instance, would stick in the console as well. Gave the car a sort of airplane-cockpit feel.
Besides the various Dodge and Plymouth badges, this truck was also sold as the Mitsubishi Mighty Max in the US. Many names indeed.
Lots of these L200 utes around here both in petrol and diesel they must have sold really well in NZ I wasnt here for that but survivors abound, later model L200s also came in crew cab and many are still hard at work, yes there are even Plymouth badged versions here, why? I have no idea but they are RHD like their local bretheren so perhaps they landed here new or used from Japan.
I was quite surprised to see a later model of this truck recently. I had pulled into a slot in the parking lot at LOWES and a few spaces away was a D50, regular cab, 4×4, and somewhat surprisingly….it had a V6 engine.
It was in very good condition for the year, and I almost envied the owner. Unfortunately, at 6 foot 4 I know from experience that these trucks can be quite tight inside.
Something tells me that I won’t be seeing another one of these trucks in a very long time.
BTW, the US market got D50s in 1600, 2000, 2600, and V6 forms.
…”I had just parked my car and was walking to Brisbane’s best Mexican restaurant, La Quinta”…
In that case, the boat on the trailer is a true omen.
The Fiat Fullback, as pictured below, is the current rebadged Mitsubishi L200.
My father had a Dodge D-50 of this generation, a 1980. It looked just like the one in the photo below, minus the grill guard. I’ve heard from some sources the 2.6 Silent Shaft I-4 wasn’t the most reliable engine, but it was indestructible in this truck. That little pickup likely would have lasted forever if it weren’t for one major flaw, and that was rust. Rocker panels, pickup bed, wheel arches, side sheet metal… Being Minnesota, it was apparent within 3 years, and the last time I saw the truck and its second owner around 1990, it was completely rotted out. I was told it still ran like a top, however. I’m sure it ended up scrapped with a perfectly good drivetrain.
You’ve made me wonder about something: what did Japan use for de-icing roads at the time when their cars were so rust-prone? Could our salt treatments have been so much more corrosive than what was used in the home market that they didn’t see this problem coming? Just idle curiosity.
Nowdays they seem to use salt their cars still rust badly from those areas where it snows a lot. As used imports the cars look ok on arrival but usually fail WOFs for rust within a couple of years
I had both 2.0 and 2.6 Astron engines in station wagons one was a rusty oil burner that I drove around the top of Aussie from south of Perth to Sydney it never missed a beat, the 2.6 was bought in NZ cheap from an old mate it ran and drove great, I thought they were good engines though the Cyclone four found in many Mitzis here is a better engine.
I drove one of these (Ram 50) for an autoparts place in Pickering Ontario in the late eighties and boy was it fun.
I thrashed it about with the abandon that only comes from a young age, a low wage and a truck not registered in your name.
I’d pick one up again in a heartbeat but then I would have to baby it and that was not where the fun was. Besides I never see one.
Tiny today for sure. Wish I could get something this size but a lot newer. The Mazda B-something or other was a good one too and a little newer.
Nice find. There’s still a few around here; saw one in traffic just yesterday.
I had a Datsun 720 pickup and a friend briefly had D50 (I think a 2 liter. not 2600) at the same time. The Mitsubishi/Dodge always felt more refined and at the same time sportier. Whether you call it plain or handsome, I think the styling on these was far better than the other Japanese mini trucks. This gen is pretty thin on the ground here in California … and like similar vintage Toyotas, Nissans etc, are almost exclusively driven by residential landscape maintenance guys.
I still see versions of 1987-1996 generation Mitsubishi Mighty Max (Dodge Ram 50) running around in Bakersfield CA. Most of those sold here were no-frills base models with manual transmissions.
Saw a dodge version a few months back.
Nice find(s), I’d prefer the silver one, it seemed like over here they were all yellow and most had some kind of disco stripe package as well. I suppose the stripes added 5hp so it’s all good…It’s good to see something smaller than an F-250 towing a (any) boat.
Of all the versions, I think the Mitsubishi with the “Mighty Max” name is probably one of the best-named little trucks ever.
What’s the yellow car/hatchback/wagon in the first two pics with the lights in the bumper? And what is the white Ute in the last pic around the corner?
The yellow hatch is a Holden Cruze, a mildly restyled version of the Suzuki Ignis. Yes, Holden used the Cruze name several years before it ended up on the sedan we are all familiar with.
The white ute is a Ford AU Falcon ute, or possibly a BA or BF which retained the same rear sheetmetal.
I try not to crop out too many background cars from my photos because I know there’s always something to intrigue Curbivores outside of Australia…
Also called a Chevrolet Cruz, not sure where originally probably Japan but there are examples here of the Suzrolet version. Holden would have been the Australian market badge.
And just so you’re all fully filled on trivia of the day, the Suzuki-sourced “4wd” Cruze is without question the worst new car I have ever driven. The poorly-located live rear axle on this tall, cheapo, skinny Japanese hatch was apparently installed as the main steering mechanism. The whole gutless combo felt about as steady on the road as some ’50’s car, no kidding. Just horrid.
Somebody I knew headonned a furniture truck in a Suzuki Ignis, she survived, the car disintegrated around her as its meant to, I’ll stay with my larger car methinks.
Ah, Brisbane, capital of the tropical State of Queensland, Australia.
We used to say on crossing the border, usually for holidays, put on your sunnies (sunglasses), grab a beer, and wind back your uptight southerner attitude about 30% – and your political expectations about the same.
In years.
Which accounts for this Mitsubishi, hell, it’s practically new up there. (Just irresistable shit-stirring, ofcourse, William).
Haven’t seen an L-200 ute in a long, long time down south. The current wealth of this place means you’d only have such an oldie as some conscious fashion statement, not as a daily with a boat or at the flats as your car.
Great finds.
Reset your watch for 10 years ago exiting Brisbane airfield, Queensland just north of Australia, yeah I was up there when Joh from Dannevirke NZ ran the place, and big Russ ran everything, the police minister was the bagman, the good old 80s.
An honest to goodness old work truck being used as God intended. Haven’t seen one of those “old time” L200s in years! Its successors were the biggest selling pickups in Barbados from 1991 to about 2006, when the Toyotas, Nissans and Isuzus began to outsell them – I think it was that first generation Triton’s looks, which were probably a bit too futuristic initially. Today new Mitsus aren’t being sold anymore and the Chevy Colorado has taken over. I also noticed the rebadged Suzuki Ignis in front of it; there are one or two of those with that style called the Chevy Cruze here, which were likely personal imports.
Very rakish looking trucks. Locally, the coin op arcade supplier moved his equipment with a fleet of D50 Sports. A sporty minitruck with a Galaxian standing in the bed is about as cool as a teenager could want.
We had an 81 Plymouth Arrow with the 2600 engine and 5-speed manual. It was brown with gold stripes and a very long-wearing tan and brown interior. Also airconditioning. The only repair it ever required was a new clutch at about 70,000 miles. It was a lot of fun to drive and was a good highway cruiser and trips between New York and Augusta, Georgia, which we made many of. It’s too bad no one makes anything like it these days.
Hey all, here’s another first gen survivor Mitsubishi L-truck .. 1982 Mitsubishi L200 Express MB 4wd .. One owner – Genuine 66,000 klms .. 4G52 2.0L Astron engine .. 4spd on the floor .. (Originally bought from Beaudesert Mitsubishi, QLD .. Original paint, immaculate interior with leather bench seat .. Had been dry stored in a shed in Jimboomba, Qld .. for the past 20yrs + .. A very rare find .. from any corner of the globe, Tucked away in Western surburbs of Brisbane. Truly great original example.
1982 Mitsubishi L200 Express 4WD – MB .. Concourse orig. interior
Brisbane, Qld .. 1982 L200 Express MB 4WD
1982 L200 Express MB 4WD – Brisbane, Qld.
The demand for these small pickups is growing, perhaps in proportion to how new full-size and “mid-sized” pickups keep getting larger. In my area (Pacific Northwest), it’s not uncommon to see 30+ old Ford Courier, Nissan/Datsun, Izuzu/Chevy, Toyotas fully restored or at least lovingly maintained. I need to get one!
My late Father in law had a D15 version, it was a good little truck, he didn’t work it much .
I had to keep it going, mostly by visiting the Millikan LKQ Pik-A-Part yard in Ontario, Ca. .
There were always lots and lots of really clean old man trucks no one wanted there to choose from .
Many underhood parts varied between the Mitsubishi and Dodge branded versions .
The 4 cylinder’s carby had an expanding wax pellet that operated the automatic choke, different and interesting .
-Nate
Minor corrections to the US-market badging: These were rebadged as the Dodge D-50 for ’79-80 only, then changed to Ram 50 (not “Ram D-50”) for ’81 on, along with a Power Ram 50 4×4 variant; there was also a Plymouth Arrow Truck version from ’79-82, taking its name from the Plymouth Arrow hatchback coupe (a rebadged Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste) sold here from ’76-80.
These trucks were updated to a 2nd-generation for ’87-96, basically just a new body and interior on the existing frame and mechanicals, sold in the US as the Mitsubishi Mighty Max and Dodge Ram 50 / Power Ram 50 4×4. I’ve got an ’87 Ram 50 longbed that I rather like with over 173k on the odo and a 2.6L Astron inline-4 that’s surprisingly smooth thanks to its balance shafts, and pleasantly car-like to drive.