Mitsubishi first began selling Cordias, Tredias, Starions, and Trucks in the United States for the 1983 model year, and an American version of the Pajero SUV followed a year later. This was the Montero, and sales of the first-generation version continued here until 1991. Today’s Junkyard Gem is one of the very first Monteros to reach our shores, recently found with some modifications in a Northern California junkyard.
That October 1983 build date and VIN ending in 00258 tell us that this truck may have been part of the first shipment of Monteros to arrive in the United States. We saw one of the very first Mitsubishi Trucks (the Mighty Max name started out as a trim level designation and only became a model name in its own right later in the ’80s) in a Colorado cemetery this past winter, so we’ve seen a few important pieces of American Mitsubishi history in this series recently.
This is a Sport trim with a manual transmission, which means its MSRP was $10,159. That’s about $31,322 in 2024 dollars.
Chrysler had been selling rebadged Mitsubishis in North America ever since the first Mitsubishi Colt Galants were sold here as Dodge Colts in 1971, and so the first-generation Montero eventually got a Dodge-badged twin called the Raider. That truck was available here for the 1987 through 1989 model years. To confuse everyone later, Mitsubishi Motors USA sold Dodge Dakotas with Raider badges for the 2006 through 2009 model years.
From 1984 through 1988, all Monteros sold for the U.S. market were powered by the 2.6-liter Astron inline-four engine, rated at 106 horsepower and 142 pound-feet in this application. The Astron found its way into many Chrysler products throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including K-Cars and minivans. For the 1989 through 1991 model years, the Montero could be had with an optional 3.0-liter 6G72 V6 engine.
The Montero Sport was well equipped with luxury and convenience options for a truck of its era. Lo and behold, an AM/FM/cassette radio with digital tuning! Air conditioning, of course, cost extra.
This one has the optional electric sliding roof.
The inclinometer was a nice addition, although true Gone Cats also wanted the factory Montero altimeter.
Scuffed door handles are most often seen on customs cars from the 1950s, but this Montero has them.
The original paint appears to have been silver, judging by the color of the engine bay, and there is a lot of old body filler under the metallic green coat.
Only 124,219 miles on the odometer. The Mitsubishi with the most miles that I found in a junkyard was a Dodge Ram 50 with 313,560 miles.
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When you see your Pajero on a Japanese beach, you can easily imagine it beating the competition in Africa.
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Mitsubishi certainly has something to offer with the Pajero.
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The rule of thumb for 80s car commercials is that the JDM commercials are always more fun.
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With the four-door Montero you could survive in the suburbs.