The last Kidney Car we posted was a rare, 1980s turbocharged Mitsubishi. Here’s another one, the Starion’s less well-known sibling. This 1985 Mitsubishi Cordia Turbo is currently offered for sale in Raleigh, North Carolina and with just 30,328 miles on the clock, it’s surely among the finest examples left in the country.
The Triple Diamond Clan sure loved their turbos. Even their compact hatchback, the equivalent of a Corolla, had the option of being forcefully inducted. And in case you forgot that fact, they reminded you with the word “TURBO” slathered on every surface imaginable, embossed it into the steering wheel and stitched it into the upholstery.
This brilliantly preserved Cordia appears to be the top-of-the-line model, complete with two-tone paint, alloy wheels and the word “CORDIA” on the mudflaps. The only option it lacks is — and this is a genuine tragedy — the digital dash.
According to the ad, this is a original-owner car and comes with Carfax documentation to show that it was driven about 1,000 miles per year of ownership. The seller says there are no mechanical issues whatsoever, and that its 1.8L Sirius turbo pulls hard and spools smoothly. Despite only 112hp, it weighs only about 2,100 pounds so theoretically it should feel like an AE86, right? Right?
The asking price is $5,000, and once you bring it home you can even build a shrine to it with Shusei Nagaoka’s sci-fi Cordia paintings while Randy Crawford’s “My Baby and Me,” a song devoted entirely to the Cordia, plays on an endless loop. The Australian Police department would be proud. See the ad on Craigslist.
via BringATrailer.
Huh…It’s interesting.
owned one in the uk a 1983 red on silver rare as hens teeth wish I still had it cant find one anywhere in the uk
stew
us mitsuphiles refer to this as the dark ages
Why “the dark ages?”
1. it’s fwd
2. it’s fwd
🙂
Wasn’t there a 4wd model?
more of a novelty than anything else. just like with toyota and nissan who modified fwd cars to be 4wd but were never true rwd cars to start with. small percentage of hp was directed to the rear wheels. enough for extra traction in inclement weather
http://s17.postimg.org/4atuh7zq7/4wd2.jpg
http://s14.postimg.org/wznijyqgh/4wd.jpg
That woulda been mine back in the day, if I’d been interested in J-tin at the time…
Sporty, practical, economical, and it couldn’t possibly have a worse fuel system than U.S. cars of the time (Ford’s 2700VV carb comes to mind; THAT thing’s designer should have been freakin’ HANGED).
I’m pretty sure I couldn’t have afforded a Starion/Conquest then, but this has similar-enough styling, and I’m pretty sure a much lower sticker. Just needs the rear window louvers.
Of course, there weren’t a whole lot of Mitsu dealers around, then, as I recall… Ain’t but one within 10 miles of me right now… Maybe as the crow flies, but not in the driving version of distance.
Terrible torque steer killed lots of turbo Cordia’s, there’s good reason why there isn’t too many around these days !
The only thing more obscure would be a Mitsubishi Tredia. Strangely enough, that makes it appealing to me. Then again, I really dig the obscure, forlorn automotive stuff from this era when I see it as it hasn’t survived in large numbers. Most people couldn’t work on anything without a carburator back then and so many cars like this were simply scrapped.
I don’t know too many people who would give their kidneys for one of these hideous machines …
I can’t say I have ever seen one of those…that is one retro-futuristic ride! Love the wheels.
once u install a 2.5 inch exhaust and boost the turbo, after 3500 rpm nothing in its day will come close . my brother had a 86 model gsr turbo unleaded ex chaser in australia
First time I heard of a Cordia was earlier this year. I had my FB in my mates garage, a guy pulls up in a Mazdaspeed Roadster and tells me about this weird 4wd Mitsubishi he drove across Europe in the 80s. Almost looks like a TA40 front end on an s12 body!
too bad about the usdm nixon bumpers :-(*)
Spent yesterday at the Best of France and Italy car show in Van Nuys, CA. It’s pretty apparent that the weirdness of many of those cars is the very thing that makes them appealing. I think that this Cordia falls into the same category. Not every Italian car can be a Ferrari, and not every ’80s JNC can be an AE86. I like this Cordia BECAUSE it’s offbeat. There’s no way it will ever be a “blue-chip” collectible, but really, is that such a bad thing?
Damn that’s cheap my old as hell but this is the ugly ass us version thank god I own the iron mask Jdm version
I had an ’84 Cordia Turbo around 1990-1993. It’s actually a 1.8L 116HP TBI motor in North American form with the Turbo. Carb was used on the non-turbo models….2.0L IIRC. ’84 was first year of turbo. ’83 was first year of vehicle in states. Sealed beam headlights went away in ’86 IIRC with production ending in ’88. It uses an automated version of the old manual Mitsubishi Super Shift transmission. The one with two sticks. For those that don’t know this was a 4 speed with a high and low range. In the Cordia/Tredia… 1-4 was the low range and 5th was the 5th OD gear in the high range. When you engaged 5th gear you were actuating an electrical connection attached to some vacuum diaphragm of sorts that accomplished the actual 5th gear change in lieu of the old high range stick on the SuperShift. I only found this out because I noticed that 5th gear had the same RPM as 4th gear. FSM showed the electrical pieces around this system and found a bad fuse. Replaced fuse and now 5th gear worked.
I had an 83 Cordia Turbo XP in the late 80s. It was a Japanese Import to New Zealand. It had a 1600 motor with a carburetor. It was the fastest car I had ever driven, up until then, man it was quick. I owned it for around five years and was sad to let it go ! The Turbo blew seals twice and I did the repairs myself. (not much room to get the turbo out, between the firewall and the rear of the motor, lying on your back underneath)
Loved that turbo sound ! !
still for sale ? where ya located?
This was my very first car… in college – loved it – great memories although it did break down at the very wrong times… once from NY to Florida and then Boston to NY when I was on my way to the U2 Concert in 1987 – (Joshua Tree) I believe.
is this car still available?
I owned one in the late 80’s. Fun car to drive but engine block cracked with 2 different engines. It was my 2nd car that I owned and thankfully no monthly payments. After driving back to California from Florida, with my dog and 3 cats as well as having 3rd gear fixed in Mobile, Alabama I decided it was time to retire the car.