The 2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Image: Mitsubishi Motors
When the Mitsubishi Eclipse debuted in 1990, Mitsubishi was on top of its game in the U.S. market. The first generation Eclipse was available in flavors ranging from “sporty” to “best bang-for-the-buck sport coupe on the market,” and the trendsetting coupe was even badge engineered to sell under the now-defunct Eagle and Plymouth brands.
Backing up the Eclipse was a fairly substantial Mitsubishi product range, starting with the compact Mirage and branching out into the Galant (also available in a turbocharged AWD variant called the Galant VR-4) and the 3000GT, an impressively fast Grand Tourer. Mitsubishi built trucks, too, including a remarkably stout but affordable pickup and the do-it-all Montero SUV.
To quote the J. Geils Band, Mitsubishi “musta got lost, somewhere down the line.” In time, the Eclipse de-evolved into just another FWD sporty coupe, and sales fell year after year to the point where building the Eclipse no longer made financial sense. Ditto for the midsize Galant sedan, set to exit the U.S. market in 2013; in its current version, there simply isn’t enough worldwide demand to justify production.
If you’re a fan of the three-diamond brand, don’t count either the Eclipse or the Galant out just yet. As Greg Adams, Mitsubishi North America’s VP of marketing and product planning told Ward’s Auto, “the Eclipse always comes back around sooner or later.”
Sooner or later doesn’t necessarily translate into “soon,” and a business case for both models still needs to be made. The rise of cars like Subaru’s BRZ and Scion’s FT-86 may help justify the rebirth of the Eclipse, if Mitsubishi can rationalize production based on global sales potential. As Autoblog points out, convincing Mitsubishi Japan that a Galant sedan successor is needed may prove more difficult, since midsize sedans seem to be popular in North America only.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
