TALES OF THE LOST COLT LANCER TRANSPORTER

Three years ago, my good friend and motoring photographer Darren Rungasamy and I found ourselves in a scenario reminiscent of Tales of The Unexpected. We had just completed a photo shoot on an industrial estate near Aylesbury and were awaiting the arrival of the transporter for one of the star cars.

But, after more than an hour, the café attached to the gatehouse extinguished its lights, darkness began to envelop Buckinghamshire, and still there was no sign of the transporter. Were we to spend the night in one of Mitsubishi's first UK press cars with only a packet of Polo Mints for sustenance? Or would one of us have to take an extremely A70-Series Lancer home for the night?

When Mitsubishi began UK sales in 1974 as the 'Colt Car Company', the Society of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Traders negotiated a 'voluntary restraint' of imports from Japan. A mere ten years earlier, the motoring press regarded the pioneering Daihatsu Compagno as somewhat of a novelty. In 1965 Toyota had a stand at the London Motor Show, with a Honda S800 Coupe appearing at Earls Court in the following year,

Under the Datsun brand, official Nissan sales commenced in 1968, the same year Mitsubishi loaned a Colt 1100F to various magazines. However, Japan's fourth largest motor manufacturer would not make a concerted effort in the country until 1974, with the concessionaire aiming for sales of 4,500 in their first year. The UK was also the concern's first European export territory.

Colt promoted the Lancer as a "Tough New Breed of Car"; your dealer would also enthuse about its 1974 and 1976 victories in the East Safari Rally. The more sedate motorist was probably equally impressed by George Bishop's review – he thought the A70 demonstrated how "the old way of doing things still works very well for the undemanding everyday driver".

The Daily Telegraph's reviewer thought "our" Lancer's sister model, SDG 2 N, reminded him of the Alfa Romeo GT Junior. "It is the same sort of car aimed at the same kind of driver and bearing in mind that in two-door form it is £1,000 cheaper, the Colt hit the target". This was praise indeed, even if Car moaned about the ride and the handling.

Production of the A70 ended in 1979, and four decades later, Darren and I found ourselves in one of the few surviving examples. We had also consumed all the Polos and were on the brink of desperate measures – i.e., sending for a takeaway KFC – when the headlights of a transporter came into view. Surely the driver would instantly spot the only 1970s vehicle in the car park, even if he was not an early Mitsubishi fan.

However, we were very wrong indeed. The lorry rumbled past us, and neither Darren nor I felt inclined to give chase in the fashion of a Norman Wisdom film. Nor did we have a contact number for the haulier. Nearly an hour later, the transporter emerged, having travelled several miles of internal roadway; someone had apparently given the driver the wrong address.

Our adventure was at an end, and we were both saddened when Mitsubishi UK sold its Heritage Fleet last year. Mr. Rungasamy and I had formed quite an attachment to this very likeable small car - even if we did keep expecting to hear that Ron Grainer theme tune…

With Thanks To: Darren Rungasamy