Mitsubishi first began selling Cordias, Tredias, Starions and Trucks in the United States for the 1983 model year, and an Americanized version of the Pajero SUV followed a year later. This was the Montero, and sales of the first-generation version continued here through 1991. Today’s Junkyard Gem is one of the very first Monteros to reach our shores, found with some customizing touches in a Northern California car graveyard recently.
That October 1983 build date and VIN ending in 00258 tells us that this truck may well have been part of the first shipload of Monteros to arrive in the United States. We saw one of the very first Mitsubishi Trucks (the Mighty Max name began life as a trim level designation and didn’t become a model name in its own right until later in the 1980s) in a Colorado boneyard last winter, so we’ve seen a couple of important pieces of American Mitsubishi history in this series recently.
This is a high-trim-level Sport with 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 since the first Mitsubishi Colt Galants were sold here as Dodge Colts in 1971, and so eventually the first-generation Montero got a Dodge-badged twin called the Raider. This truck was available here for the 1987 through 1989 model years. Just to confuse everyone later on, Mitsubishi Motors USA sold Dodge Dakotas with Raider badges for the 2006 through 2009 model years.
For 1984 through 1988, all U.S.-market Monteros were powered by the 2.6-liter Astron straight-four engine, in this application rated at 106 horsepower and 142 pound-feet. The Astron found its way into plenty of Chrysler products during the 1980s and 1990s, including K-Cars and minivans. For the 1989 through 1991 model years, the Montero could be purchased 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. Look, an AM/FM/cassette radio with digital tuning! Air conditioning cost extra, of course.
This one has the optional power sunroof.
The inclinometer was a nice touch, though the real gone cats insisted on the factory Montero altimeter as well.
Shaved door handles are most often seen on 1950s-style customs, but this Montero has ’em.
The original paint appears to have been silver, judging by the engine compartment color, and there’s plenty of old body filler beneath the metallic green coat.
Just 124,219 miles on the odometer. The highest-mile Mitsubishi I’ve found in a junkyard was a Dodge Ram 50 with 313,560 miles.
When contemplating your Pajero on a Japanese beach, it’s easy to imagine it crushing the competition in Africa.
Mitsubishi certainly earned some bragging rights with the Pajero.
The rule of thumb for 1980s car commercials is that the JDM ones are always more fun.
The four-door Montero helped you survive in the suburbs.