Mitsu Metamorphosis: The History of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

We compiled this story in honor of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, which has been discontinued and is heading off to that great rally stage in the sky. The badge may return, but the Evo as we know and love it is well and truly gone. Sniff. 

The Mitsubishi Evo is not a car—it’s a weapon, one whose roots can be traced back to well before the dawn of the nameplate. In Mitsubishi’s almost ceaseless quest to establish an image for itself, racing has been a priority on several occasions. As far back as 1961, the company was aiming for rally glory with its 500 Super Deluxe, which was developed for racing with its “big” 594-cc, 25-hp, air-cooled, two-cylinder engine. At the 1962 Macau Grand Prix, examples finished first, second, and third (plus fourth) to lock out every other manufacturer from the “Under 750 cc” class podium. By the early 1970s, Mitsu had developed the Lancer 1600GSR that took the top spot in 1974’s tough East African Safari Rally. And in 1985, a Mitsubishi Pajero SUV (sold as the Montero in the United States) won the Paris-Dakar Rally. 

By then the company was clearly committed to pitching high technology and ruggedness as major selling points for its vehicles worldwide. Short of Formula 1, no racing series was more high tech than world rallying, and nothing came close to the ruggedness of rallying, either. Mitsubishi’s first attempt to build a competitive World Rally Championship entry was the Galant VR-4 that was constructed according to Group A rules. It’s somewhat of an oversimplification to assert that the first Lancer Evolution was a Galant VR-4 shoved under the smaller, lighter, more competitive Lancer’s shell. But only somewhat.