Today we are sharing an amazing story from Dutch forum member Marv666, who owns a 1983 Mitsubishi Galant GLX. Because of its condition, Marv666 was asked to participate in this event celebrating 40 years of Mitsubishi Netherlands, a older official presence history than the company has in the US. We’ll let him take it from here.
I got the question to show some pictures of the Mitsubishi Classic Cars Tour that is currently happening in the Netherlands. This Classic Cars Tour is a celebration of 40 years of Mitsubishi in the Netherlands. With this tour, a number of classic Mitsubishis is shown at a number of different dealership showrooms across the Netherlands.
Apart from that there was a Classic Cars Tour at the dealership Fase in Alphen aan den Rijn. My ’83 Galant GLX was shown there. The cars where transported there at no charge for the owners by a professional vehicle transporting firm, which at that moment transported two (almost) new BMW’s together with my Galant. Funny to see your classic Mitsubishi being cleaner and shining more than two BMWs with a price tag of over 100,000 euros each.
Fase, Alphen a/d Rijn
I went to that dealership myself, together with a good friend (that took the next pictures). As it is of course a rare opportunity to see your own 31-year-old car being shown in a dealership showroom. The cars shown at that dealership are: my ’83 Galant, a ’76 (Colt) Lancer, a ’78 (Galant) Sapporo, an ’81 Colt, a ’78 Galant, an ’84 Pajero and a ‘78 (Lancer) Celeste.
Polderman, Lisse
Unfortunately I haven’t had the possibility to go to this dealership, as there where interesting Mitsubishi’s shown from a few good friends of me. So these pictures are copied from the Facebook page of the dealership. The cars shown at that dealership are: a ’76 Dodge Minica, a ’78 Galant, a ’78 (Galant) Sapporo, a ’78 (Lancer) Celeste, a ’84 Pajero, an ’81 Colt, a ’96 Eclipse Targa, a ’97 RVR Hyper Sports Gear and a ’76 (Colt) Lancer.
Auto van Zeist, Apeldoorn
At this weekend I couldn’t go to the dealership either, the pictures are taken from the Facebook page of the (Dutch) Mitsubishi Owners Club. The cars shown at that dealership are: a ’76 (Colt) Lancer, a ’78 (Galant) Sapporo, a ’77 Galant, an ’81 Colt, an ’82 (Galant) Sapporo, a ’78 (Lancer) Celeste, an ’84 Pajero and a ’91 Sigma. The RVR should be displayed here as well, but for a reason unknown to me they didn’t want the RVR in the showroom and placed it in the garage instead. When the owner of the RVR found out, he didn’t want to take any part in the rest of the Classic Cars Tour, thereby excluding his ’89 C77 Lancer 4X4 from participating the Classic Cars Tour. The text in the first picture says: “Legends from the past… …inspiration for the present. 40 years in the Netherlands.”
Nice to see this, I didn’t expect there would be made an article about it.
Unfortunately I don’t have any of my own photo’s from the last three shows, as I didn’t have the opportunity to go there. But the organizer of this event has made some photo’s, and I have already asked him if it is ok to post the photo’s on the forum. When he says it is no problem, I will add the photo’s to the forum thread immediately.
And in my last reply on the topic I already placed a link to a Facebook photo album with pictures of the show in Leeuwarden.
Thanks for posting, Marwin. We’d be happy to post the second half of the tour once the photos are available. Your car is beautiful. I love the light green color. It seems there are more well-preserved Mitsubishis in the Netherlands than the US.
So the Minica was sold there as a Dodge?
That Celeste looks very similar to the one that was shown at the Geneva Auto Show. Do you know if it’s the same one?
Thanks for sharing your photos!
Well, the other photo’s are on their way (he said it is no problem to post the photo’s on the website/forum), I’ll upload them as soon as I am ready writing this reply.
The Mitsubishi’s shown are among the best preserved currently in the Netherlands, most of the owners where contacted via either the Dutch “Mitsubishi Owners Club”, or other Dutch (classic) Mitsubishi/JDM clubs/channels. As a few of them are a member of the Mitsubishi Owners Club like me, I know the owners of some of the cars (the Eclipse Targa, The RVR and the brown Celeste).
I don’t believe the Minica is ever sold here (not as Mitsubishi and not as Dodge), although I am not 100% certain. According to the data from the RijksDienst Wegverkeer/RDW (the Dutch DMV), the car is registered as a Dodge Minica Skipper and has a Dutch license plate since June 1976. I suppose the car was imported to the Netherlands in 1976. I can’t find more information about this particular car on the forums. I could ask the organizer of the event if the current owner would like to contact me to get more info on the car. According to the RDW data, the car has switched owners two months ago. Meaning the current owner had this car for two days before it was shown at the Polderman dealership.
And I don’t think the Celeste is the same one as shown at the Geneva Auto Show, as this Celeste is original Dutch. It has a Dutch license plate since February 1978, and has been with the same Dutch owner for the last 15 year.
That’s all sorts of awesum!
Thanks for this read!
In Bulgaria is a guy who owned 1959 Mitsubishi Colt 800! Absolutely amazing, unique, little very rare bijou. More info and pictures you can find on https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.280293012095340.1073741842.182734351851207&type=3
Really like the green Lancer Celeste.
great cars, some pretty wild ones i didn’t even know about as well 🙂
Love the pictures
Again, one of the main reasons I enjoy checking JNC. Something completely off my radar that I knew little about, but quite interesting and some great pics. Dank je!
I really wish manufactures in the US would be a little more proud of their heritage and do something like this…That RVR is so cool, I’ve never seen or heard of it before!
Hello All.
Mitsubishi do this some time’s. at 25th and now 40th years Anniversary they have this show.
To anser some quastions.
The Minica is from a dealer, he buy this car new from japan ( Polderman)
The brouwn Celeste is not the same as into the geneve show, That Car came out off Japan.
Most off the verry old cars showing came from dealers, just a few are from particuliere. owners.
It is nice to see some very old lancers.
Your Car stood also verry nice into the showroom , Marvin.
Greetings Henk
Hi,
This is great!
I have a 1985 colt 45, and am in the process of doing it up.
I’m at a point where I have to decide, do I restore to orriginal, or go a bit different with the trim/ interior and paint?
Would anyone have a suggestion of what would be a good idea?
Thanks
Harriet
Hi, I have recently seen a photo of a red 1976 galant gl1600 hardtop (coupe), it’s reg being 24-Jz-27, the photo was from a show last summer. I had an identical car bought new in 1976, and owned for 7 years, it was a great car and has many memories good memories for me. Here in the uk I only ever saw 12 of them so very rare here. I would love to contact the owner of the car in the picture, even just to see more photos.
Hey Phil, I just checked and I believe I know the owner. Or at least I know the place that car recently went to and probably still is. I’ll send them a message and will let you know when I know more.
Along with that I found a social media post with a few recent pics. Could you maybe send me a DM on the JNC forum, so I can send you the link. As I don’t want to publicly send links to people’s personal Facebook pages.
You can find the article in the forums (and my forum account) here: http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/forum/forum/community/events-meets-gatherings/15029-40-year-mitsubishi-in-the-netherlands-classic-cars-tour