Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mitsubishi Cordia L

There are certain cars that pique my interest if only for the mere fact that they're fairly rare; the Mitsubishi Cordia is one of those cars. I don't "like" it, and I don't "hate" it. I simply don't know much about them. I remember seeing a few when I was little, but I don't remember specifics. I almost forgot they existed until I saw this example. Obviously, this thing has undergone quite the life, but it's still alive and kicking (or at least it was in 2008 when I shot this). Often seen downtown by my school, this little red Mitsu used to be a common sighting by MCTC. Then one day, it disappeared. Forever. I began actually checking U-Pull-It after not seeing it for a month; no dice. I know that sounds weird, but I was just curious about its whereabouts. Older Japanese cars have always piqued my interest, and this little Mitsu is certainly no exception, even if it isn't regarded as a "favorite" by any stretch.





The Mitsubishi Cordia came to the US in 1982, along its Tredia sedan stablemate. In 1985, a hatchback bodystyle was introduced, known as the Mirage. These three cars shared similar styling cues and were often touted as being one car with multiple bodystyles, much like the Escort, EXP and Escort wagon. Unfortunately for Mitsubishi, presence in the US was never as much as Mitsubishi intended, and in 1988, the Tredia and Cordia were yanked from the US lineup, and the Mirage got a new body for 1989. In 1989, a trio of new cars would replace the rather lackluster Cordia, and kickstart Mitsubishi's slight interest in the tuner market. The Eclipse was born, and was--and currently is--an instant success with ricers, and tuners throughout the country.
Since I have not seen another Cordia in recent years, I cannot compare it to others, but I will say that for being a 25 year old Japanese car, the condition is pretty good, save for that nasty knife-cut down the side flanks. Yes, the factory red is pretty much pale pink by now, but it has remarkably no rust on it. Obviously, too, the grille is gone, but for a 25 year old car that gets driven daily, could you expect anything less? Especially when the grille is this fragile. Overall, this poor thing was in fairly decent shape, and I bet replacement parts are quite a bear to source.
I don't have a 'thing" for the Cordia, but its nice to know one still exists. I wonder if I'll be saying that about any recent Mitsubishis aside from the Evo? My money is on, no.