(first posted 10/16/2018) This week, while looking in a local junkyard for a part for my newest COAL (yes, you knew it had to happen sooner or…uh, ok, sooner), I came across this often forgotten sibling of the Mitsubishi Expo LRV. You can be forgiven if you forgot about the Mitsubishi as well as they didn’t have a hugely successful career on the sales floor either. This particular one is a 1993, they were offered in the US between 1992 and 1996.
Although offered for five years, these wagons never seemed particularly common, either in Mitsu or (especially) Eagle form. The Eagle Summit Wagon was just a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi Expo LRV (RVR in other markets) and obviously was created to help fill out Eagle showrooms.
Eagle didn’t take any great pains to try to hide the Mitsubishi roots, the engine clearly has the donor’s name on it. A 1.8liter 4-cylinder, this engine was offered in various Mitsubishi and by extension, Dodge, Plymouth, and Eagle branded vehicles.
For an inexplicable reason I was a big fan of these (well, more the Mitsu version) when they were new and for some time thereafter. I’m not entirely sure why, but I think I liked the shape, and I found the single sliding door interesting as well (but wasn’t interested in “real” minivans at the time at all). I tried to open this one but it was either locked or jammed and I didn’t exactly feel like crawling into it to investigate the situation further.
There is a white one in town (also an Eagle) that I’ve been trying to take pictures of for a few years now but it always eludes me. It’s sort of my Moby Dick I guess. Come to think of it I haven’t seen it in many months now, maybe it’s gone for good. So I was excited to see this one, in this extremely 90’s shade of teal no less.
Jason Fish Automotive in Iowa appears to be a used car dealer so who knows where this guy came from originally. The rust around the side sill and wheel arch areas hints that it was from at least there and likely even further east.
An AWD version was available as well which probably would have been handy out here or whereever it came from. Until today I somehow had no idea that this was even available in AWD, back in the 90’s I would have harbored fantasies about one with a transplanted engine from an Eclipse Turbo…They should have rallied that instead of the Lancer Evo.
This area is probably where the little Cub Scout that was referenced in the window’s bumper sticker hung out, well, with the seat rear unfolded of course. Now there’s just a clutch plate back here, who knows where that came from since this one is an automatic. Still, with the seat folded as here, there is quite a bit of cargo space. That hatch opening is quite tall for something with this small of a footprint.
The seats look fairly comfortable with a very durable cloth, beyond that it’s acres of gray and black plastic. Actually the whole interior looks pretty good considering all the rust on the sides; this seems to have seen a lot of wet weather. This one also has the universally despised motorized seatbelts but is very basic otherwise.
That there is some bare bones instrumentation, but still quite attractive and easy to read. 135,000 miles isn’t a huge number by 90’s standards, and there isn’t any crash damage, so likely something mechanical went horribly wrong (timing belt or transmission?).
Here’s the side without a slider. Apparently the right hand drive markets have a slider on this side instead which makes sense. The next logical step would be to just build it with sliders on both but presumably cost, weight, and/or structural reasons precluded that at the time.
Of course, as we all know, a one sided sliding door minivan would be a non-starter these days but for some reason a full size passenger or cargo van is considered perfectly adequate even today with a slider on the passenger side only which is maybe a little odd if you think about it. Actually I think perhaps VW does offer sliders on both sides on the European market Transporter, are there others?
It does not appear that there is much demand for parts from this van as it was remarkably complete. Of course it could have just been placed in the yard very recently but most other vehicles were more picked over and there were a fair amount of people there on a mid-week morning. I guess it will be out here for some time yet before it goes for its final voyage into the shredder…
Actually I think perhaps VW does offer sliders on both sides on the European market Transporter
Yes and no. I’ve ridden in many VW Transporter (T3 to T6) over years in Europe, and most of them have one-sided sliding doors. The dual sliding doors are extra cost option, depending on trim levels.
The RAM ProMaster (FIAT Ducato) full size van has optional driver-side sliding door.
The Mercedes Metris/Vito/V-class is offered with twin sliding doors (it’s a competitor to the Transporter) as is the Mercedes Sprinter. I know the second slider is an option on cargo models of the Sprinter; not positive of the Passenger model.
For a time after it’s mid-cycle refresh the Chevy Express and GMC variety were offered with drivers side swing-out doors , although I distinctly remember the option being dropped.
In a CC effect, I think I saw one of these in traffic a few days ago, and remember how long it was since I had seen one.
Did these come in two lengths? Or am I confusing it with something else?
Yes, that passenger-side-only-van-door thing can cause childhood scars. Even though my family has not owned a Ford Club Wagon since 2006, my children will still line up outside the passenger side door whenever we go somewhere in one of our minivans. Those behavior patterns run deeply, I guess.
You are right, these came in wheelbases. I don’t know the branding because here Mitsubishi called the longer one (a four door, no sliders) the Space Wagon, while the sorter (the model pictured) escapes me at the moment.
The Chariot/Space Wagon was the larger car. We in North America got it as the Expo (w/o the LRV appendage, and with no Mopar-branded version).
We did get the previous generation as the Plymouth/Dodge Colt Vista Wagon. It looked pretty much like the rectilinear ’83 Colt but supersized in all dimensions. Then the new one was a more rounded off version of that.
It didn’t look as “charming” as the subject car of this post. The extra length and regular doors just made it look more like a semi-futuristic transportation pod and perhaps a little dorky(er). 🙂
Takes us back to when Mitsu was a viable brand in USA.
I had a ’88 Colt hatacback…with that same engine if memory serves. I spent an afternoon under the hood changing the timing belt in 1996…and that view looks familiar.
Overall, a solid little car. Other than a rotted exhaust flex pipe under the engine, no issues.
This takes me back to a time 25 years ago when I was considering what to do if/when one of our cars were to puke. My youngest was a newborn and I thought that one of these would be an acceptable alternative to a Caravan (not Grand), as by then I thought that minivans were getting pretty large. Where have you heard that before…
IIRC, the pricing wasn’t too far off of the strippo SWB Voyagers and I think the new car loan terms were better on the domestic Chrysler product.
I have seen online where someone has transplanted the Evo motor into one of these, but that was a while back. It made for a great sleeper.
I had a Plymouth Colt Vista version with the manual transmission, kept it around until my boys were teenagers and they no longer fit. Had to upgrade to a Dodge Caravan for 3 6 foot tall Boys. Colt was fun to drive and easy to park, same length as my 92 Honda Accord
I just want to make a general comment about dashboard gauges. On a modern race car everything is on the steering wheel. Now look at this thing and all the wasted space for the fuel and temperature gauge. Frankly not a lot has changed.
Cool vehicle. Haven’t seen one in years. That is the most 90s color ever too.
Double CC effect. Last week one of our new CDL drivers was telling me about an accident he had some years back in his Vista as we drove to pick a rental for him. At the opposing traffic light an Eagle version pulled up!
As several others mentioned, I haven’t seen one of these in ages, probably around 2000 when I last noticed one. An interesting concept, the next logical step from the high roofed Civic and Tercel wagons of a few years earlier.
The concept of the MPV seemed to get more traction in Europe, but now they seem to be losing out to SUVs.
It’s quite simple for automakers to offer both a panel van and an MPV version of the same compact model. There are plenty of them, to name a few: VW Caddy, Renault Kangoo, Peugeot Partner and Citroën Berlingo.
All of them are tall, boxy (at least from the B-pillar to the hatch/cargo doors), highly practical and fuel efficient.
None of them wins a prize though for best looks or styling. The Renault Captur (Clio based) CUV is a bestseller, whereas the Renault Kangoos on the road are almost always panel vans/commercial vehicles.
These Summit wagons were tidy and right-sized little vanlets – I sort of wanted one in the early ’90s to haul musical gear in. Too bad it wasn’t built by Honda.
JP Cavanaugh – There was a related, larger version with four doors and called the Mitsubishi Expo.
The Expo with 4 hinged doors, is the 2nd generation Mitsu Chariot (Colt Vista).
And the 2nd-gen Chariot was also built under licence by Hyundai as the Hyundai Santamo. https://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-Hyundai_model-Santamo.html
I liked all of these vanlets when I was young, the only cars in recent history to fit this category are the Mazda5 and maybe the Kia Rondo. Also if I recall, most of the Mopar-badged Mitsubishis has no name on the valve covers, maybe they got lazy in the later years or this one had a replacement?
For a true unicorn, probably as rare if not moreso, anyone remember the 1990-only Nissan Axxess?
I don’t remember the Axxess. Was it sold in the US?
Yes, for the one year 1990 and from 1990 to 1995 in Canada.
I found a pristine 2nd-gen Axxess, white over blue cloth, no rust or damage anywhere, a 100% complete and perfect interior, and just over 100k in the U Pull It 2 years ago in eastern PA. It was insanely well preserved. Power options, cruise control, A/C. Amazingly flexible interior. Thing was perfect. Dealer “As-Is” pamphlet in the window, completely faded, and “4 Sale $500 OBO” scrawled on the back window. Guess nobody bit. Couldn’t see any obvious mechanical failures, either. Will always wish I had documented it. I visited 4-5 times while it was there, and it did get picked over pretty well (by who?!). Then it was gone.
I remember seeing a black Nissan Axxess somewhat regularly about 2004 or so. Even then I knew it was a rare vehicle. I can’t recall seeing one ever since.
The Axxcess was involved in some kind of buy back by Nissan. Then they were cut in half.
Great find Jim, even if it is not roadworthy! And in ’90s teal/aqua!
These mini-minivan, in any form (Dodge, Plymouth, Eagle, Mitsubishi) were never all that common even when new. I can’t imagine that sales figures were very substantial for any variant in North America.
The fact that Chrysler sold this under the Eagle brand was just another sign that upper management had no idea what to do with the Eagle brand. If the alleged strategy for Eagle was to make it somewhat of an upscale-ish, performance-ish, import fighter brand, then an economy-minded mini MPV hardly fit.
“The fact that Chrysler sold this under the Eagle brand was just another sign that upper management had no idea what to do with the Eagle brand.”
We could almost say that Eagle was Chrysler’s version of GEO? 🙂
We could almost say that Eagle was Chrysler’s version of GEO? 🙂
Except that GEO was the product of deliberations by the finest minds in the US auto industry.
Eagle was the product of a quick and dirty search for a means of Chrysler not being sued by the 1400 AMC dealers who were without products to sell, other than Jeeps. Interesting how the world has turned upside down, and Jeep is now FCA’s mainstream, rather than niche, product.
Jeeps are like tattoos. Once the domain of manly men, but now the domain of young hipster women. No longer a niche.
There was a version of the regular Mirage (Dodge Colt) sedan as well for even less of that premium feel…
There was a disproportionate amount of these in Ithaca, it scratched the same itch as a lot of the other “tallboy” wagons of the late 80s/early 90s: it was utilitarian, it was Japanese. A local bike shop owner had one and loved it for transporting bikes upright in it.
Sliding door aside, I think this is the conceptual ancestor to the 1G Scion xB. A compact footprint with a tardis-like interior.
OFF-TOPIC DRIFT: Are the 1987 Chrysler Fifth Avenue, Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury going to be “features” during AMC Week? After all, they were built by AMC in the Kenosha, WI assembly plant!!!
Chrysler acquired the Kenosha plant, along with the rest of American Motors, for 1988-1989 model year production.
This was suggested by a friend who built cars in the AMC Kenosha plant, before that occurred.
These mini wagons were actually a very good seller for Mitsubishi in Japan as the RVR. Marketed as a rugged yet manageable SUV alternative, most came equipped with front brush guards, skid plates, and a rear mounted spare to up the off-road image. Turbocharged AWD models were available from the get go, including manual transmission models eventually reaching 250ps by the end of the run:
The most surprising model, however, was the 1993 intro of the 3 door “Open Gear”. These featured a power retractable steel targa panel over the front seats, and could also be had with the turbo/AWD combo:
There was a fair amount of these in Howard County MD during my school years. Mostly in ether red or white.
There were also a bunch of the previous Colt Vista van/wagon that were also tooling around too.
I would love to see a Stanza Wagon out and about instead of in the local junk yards. The sliding doors and roomy interior along with a small foot print made it a good vehicle.
I can never really understand why these things failed, especially now 25 odd years down the road in this Crossover-Outback heavy market. Perhaps they were just ahead of their time or ahead of their marketing. I can definitely see adding some butch cladding to this and a roof rack and some lights Outback style and making it a hit.
There was an earlier Stanza wagon which had the same tall roof small car style, which morphed briefly into the Axxess, then a couple of these models including the Colt Vista and then the Kia Rondo/Mazda 5. The first Odyssey was closer to a mini-minivan than today’s regular size minivan. This was almost certainly a better driving car than the Japanese delivery trucks marketed as minivans in the ’80’s and considerably less expensive than the Previa.
Why weren’t they more successful? For most people, this size of minivan is sufficient. Then again, it is even dorkier than a minivan and makes the statement, “I cannot afford a Real Minivan!”
These weren’t well marketed either.
Mitsubishi didn’t have very effective marketing for these, Dodge was so busy pushing K cars and minivans out the door the Colt Vista was largely forgotten, Nissan was plenty busy with its successful Maxima and other products, and Eagle had some success with the Vision and Talon and forgot everything else.
I suspect this ended up as a failure for much of the same reasons that a compact/midsize truck does not do well in the United States: It is significantly smaller inside and with a lot less cargo space than a full size truck/minivan and a lot less powerful, but with no real advantage in price, fuel efficiency, and not that much smaller on the outside. I probably don’t use all 8 feet behind the driver’s seat Very Often in my Pacifica, but when I do, it’s really important and I’d hate a compromise.
There’s actually one of these I see at work sometimes.
These RVRs are funny little things. Not sure why they needed a sliding door. We didn’t get them in Australia (except as grey imports), instead getting the larger Expo/Chariot as the Nimbus. It sold reasonably well, being one of (or perhaps) the cheapest 7-seaters on the market without having to buy some converted delivery van like the Mitsubishi Starwagon or Toyota Spacia.
I’m just so shocked that Jim Klein went to the junkyard for a part.
Don’t you just get a different vehicle at that point? 🙂
I’m working in reverse this time. Next I’m going to ask Paul to send me a bottle of the healing rains of Eugene to sprinkle on it.
I did see lots of Focuses, all filled with rust free parts. We could have kept yours on the road indefinitely…
Mitisubishi RVR NZ is littered with them the good ones had a turbo [petrol engine and the 4×4 powertrain is shared with the EVO, alright when they are going but dead ones are pretty common now theyre getting old and unreliable and dirt cheap too.
But of course the one found is only the first generation they were updated a couple of times or did you not get the more modern versions, they also came in turbo diesel.
Thanks for posting this! I had completely forgotten that before we bought our ‘93 Corolla, we test drove one of these, in that same color. AWD and 5 speed. It just seemed a tad too small for two kids, at least with only one side access to the rear. My sister had the full-size Colt Vista, AWD with 3 rows of seats, very handy with 4 kids before there were any AWD minivans as far as I know.
I’d won’t bother transplanting an Eclipse Turbo engine as it may be easier to import a RVR Sportsgear from Japan which has slightly detuned Evo running gear apart from the hood mounted intercooler fed by a scoop.
Actually forgot about the Sports Gear, not to mention the full power the Hyper Sports Gear R.
Used to keep up of prices of them locally as a manual was half the cost of a comparable Evo 1.
Wasn’t too keen on the minivan style and much prefer first gen Eterna/Galant VR4 hatches for similar money although now I find them attractive thanks to my current contempt and loathing of SUV/CUVs.
Eternal VR4 are now classics certainly far more than I’m willing to pay but Sports Gears are cheap locally on Trade Me, one auto is currently advertised for US$1300.
I guessing Hyper R versions are already considered classic in Japan.
On the other hand this Eagle with a budget of US$15-20,000 and handy with wrenches you could built a 500hp sliding door destroyer of SUV’s such as the Lamborghini Urus at impromptu traffic light drags and ZR1 Corvettes and 911’s on the track.
Perhaps Hellcats/Demons on the dragstrip as well.
The only expense would be getting the 4G63T pro built, new forged rods, pistons, crank, machining and balancing.
Lancer Evo 1-3 front cuts would be easy to import from Japan and without a doubt a US importer would have one in stock.
Below is a Hyper R but an Eagle Summit 4G63T would be cooler and more sleeper on NA roads.
I still have mine from new. Except for 1 transmission rebuild it just wont break. Creeping up on 250,000 miles now. Everything still works. It’s my daughter’s going to college car now.
These were crossover before crossover was cool.
Selling these under four brand names (Mitsubishi, Dodge, Plymouth, Eagle) didn’t help gain it recognition; indeed it probably diluted any chances of it getting noticed. If, say, a BMW 3-series was also available under three other brands, would it help their sales any, or just dilute their image?
Just realised how long it is since Ive seen an RVR, they seem to have evaporated from the roads age lack of parts rust, Something took them out.
https://www.theautopian.com/back-in-the-1990s-mitsubishi-was-crazy-enough-to-put-a-lancer-evolution-powertrain-into-a-tiny-minivan-holy-grails/
It was the heyday of ”monospace” on the NA market. Nissan Axxess and its ilk.
Only the Mazda5 was able to reach an era closer to us. I like the long version of this Eagle , the Mitsubishi Expo Wagon.
The first generation Premacy sold only in Japan will then become the Mazda5 .She then looked more like this Eagle.
I always liked tall wagons – especially 4WD/AWD with a manual transmission. Such as the Toyota Tercel, and others mentioned in comments. Nice find and photos. At the time the only part I could see salvaged was the console cover. I haven’t seen anything like this on the road in years. AMC (or in this case Mitsubishi) had a practical vehicle back then. Then AMC did in the early 80s with the Eagle 4WD wagon.
It seems tall wagons are now a thing of the past, and sometimes I wonder why. I guess replaced by small SUVs, like my Subaru Forester.
Not much separating some “crossovers” from tall wagons – the Mitsubishi Expo wagon shown a few comments above needs only larger-diameter wheels/tires to make it a crossover.