A rare first-generation Mitsubishi Debonair, created for the Japanese domestic market, has appeared in Zaporizhzhia. The executive sedan, which at one time competed with the Toyota Crown and Nissan Cedric, has joined the collection of the “Phaeton” museum. This is reported by AC Garage News.
Mitsubishi Debonair became the Japanese flagship in 1964
The first generation of the Mitsubishi Debonair debuted in 1964 and was produced until 1986, and the sedan’s exterior was not radically changed over 22 years. The design was developed by former General Motors stylist Hans Bretzner, and the styling showed the influence of the American Lincoln Continental.
A characteristic detail of the early Mitsubishi Debonair is its unusual rear doors. On the Zaporizhzhia car, they are mounted on rear hinges and open against the direction of travel, forming, together with the front doors, wide access to the interior.
The first Mitsubishi Debonair A30 was 4670 mm long and had a wheelbase of 2690 mm. Under the hood was a 2.0-liter inline six-cylinder KE64 gasoline engine with 105 hp. The maximum speed was 155 km/h.
Rare Mitsubishi Debonair stayed on the assembly line for 22 years
The Mitsubishi Debonair was rear-wheel drive. Initially, the model was equipped with a 4-speed manual gearbox, and a 3-speed Borg-Warner automatic was also offered. Later, the engine range was changed, in particular, a 2.0-liter 6G34 “six” and a 2.6-liter four-cylinder engine appeared.
The first generation remained in production until 1986. After that, Mitsubishi introduced the Debonair V, while the Debonair model itself existed until the end of the 1990s.