Lonsdale spot!

[Guest]

Well nearly - saw this old ep of Harry Enfield last night and ran a quick search online:

 

 

DVLA sez it lasted till 1997

[ChinaTom]

So they did exist!!!Seriously though, this is the first I've seen, even in photo form since I was about 12.

[Spottedlaurel]

Top spot!

[binhoker668]

Never heard of - any info pls?Looks like a Charmant in that photie....

[reallyloud]

Lonsdales were based on the hirst era Colt Galant - made under license in Oz and imported here for about 18 months. It was Mitsubishis way of getting around the import quotas. They were quite good value and some were sold via the Mitsubishi dealers. This looks like a saloon too, I seem to recall the estates were marginally more popular. Well spotted!

[Guest]

You can tell the Lonsdale ones by some minor detail differences, most obvious being that it has an A-pillar mounted aerial.

[Milford Cubicle]

What about the weird badge-less grille, is that standard on Lonsdales? It makes it look like one of those disguised cars in adverts.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Lonsdales were based on the hirst era Colt Galant - made under license in Oz and imported here for about 18 months. It was Mitsubishis way of getting around the import quotas. They were quite good value and some were sold via the Mitsubishi dealers.

The equivalent of Sao Penza to Mazda?

[Jonnyvalenta]

I remember seeing the odd road test in What car? mag in the 80s,about 1983 I think,thought they looked great! Wasn't there a 2.6 version? I think we got 1.6 and 2.0 models here.

[Mr Lobster]

So do we know if any Lonsdales actually still exist?

[trigger]

And as by magic!

 

 

[Cavcraft]

Well nearly - saw this old ep of Harry Enfield last night and ran a quick search online:

 

 

DVLA sez it lasted till 1997

I don't believe you wanted to do that

[Guest]

Someone should scan the brochure, it has all kinds of ridiculous Australian stereotypes in it. At one part it is referred to as being "as cosy as a kangaroo's pouch".

[Mr_Bo11ox]

the hirst era

I remember this era! Ah those were the days etc

[Guest]

9.00pm I Love The Hirst-era

Jimmy Carr presents a two hour "talking heads"

nostalgia show about the largely unknown

Hirst-era. Contains Peter Kay scratching his

head and going "Eee, what's one of them blinkin'

Charmants all about? I dunt remember those at

all! Garlic bread?!" Videoplus 3744444

 

11.00pm NEW SERIES: The Brittas Empire

Confusion abounds at the leisure centre when

Colin is mistaken for a local sex offender and

fast-tracked through the system in order to

receive the newly-reintroduced death penalty.

Only Gavin and Councillor Drugett can save the

day, but will their chances be scuppered by the

annual ping-pong contest? Videoplus 154315

[michiel]

My colleague just looked at me, apparently I was laughing Hirst-erically!

[VWPowered]

wow so its a mitsi built under license then????

[Spottedlaurel]

Someone should scan the brochure, it has all kinds of ridiculous Australian stereotypes in it. At one part it is referred to as being "as cosy as a kangaroo's pouch".

What, like the ones Ratdat posted on OJC you mean? You don’t even know what’s on your own forum! (Right, I’m off to start the New Old Japanese Car forum.)

 

 

Other pages and the brochure for the saloon can be seen here:

 

http://oldjapanesecar.proboards.com/ind ... rd=bromisc

 

2.6 model was listed in the UK!

 

An Australian-built version badged Mitsubishi was sold here too, I can’t recall whether it was before, during or after the Lonsdale being available, but it seems to pretty much the same car. Dedicated OJC fans will know that the Galant/Sigma is insanely confusing, with bewildering facelifts and light/grille treatments.

 

Note also that the estate seems to be just a slightly dressed-up version of the original, whereas the saloon got a more comprehensive facelift (think Cortina Mk4/Mk5 saloon/estate).

 

Edit: What I’ve written above may make no sense whatsoever, but then what Mitsubishi were doing at the time didn’t either.

[binhoker668]

I meant Galant...Same as Charmant.Well..umm

[VWPowered]

 

i'll take this one

[Guest]

Hey, there's so much content on OJC, how can I remember it? These Australian models are different in quite a lot of ways, the most obvious being the trim. The seats are different and there's loads of minor exterior differences. The Australian ones also have lots of weird facelifts which we didn't get - we seemed to go straight from the twin roundlamp model to the ones like mine, whereas they had an in-between model with twin rectangular lamps, plus a model after mine where they modernized the looks by making the grille smaller. Plus the 2.6 was purely for the Australian models, though we got the later Starions with a 2.6. Also some unique sports versions including a turbo version of the twin rectangular lamp model!Though Galants like mine are generally considered a different model to the old twinlamp ones, the mid-section of the saloon is the same, but they gave it a longer front clip, lengthened the back and squared-off the rear arches.The estate ones are even closer to the old model, note the round rear arches! With those they just stuck the front clip on and left the rest of the chassis alone. Guess they figured no one would notice.

[Mash]

Hey, there's so much content on OJC, how can I remember it?

We'll be docking one of those 5 stars of yours at the next comittee meeting!I've only ever seen one Lonsdale for real - I was a car mad kid of about 10 and I had never heard of it before so it's stuck in my mind. It was red.

[Mr Lobster]

I remember seeing an empty Lonsdale showroom around the time they were new. At least I'm fairly sure thats what franchise it was. Was on Reach Rd at St Margarets at Cliffe in Kent for anyone who knows the area. Used to be a regular holiday location for my family in the mid-late '80's. Long since demolished now of course.