Words: Elliott Hughes | Photography: Mitsubishi UK
Mitsubishi’s recent announcement that it plans to leave the UK market was headed by the sale of its entire British heritage fleet through Automotive Auctions.
The total sales generated by Mitsubishi’s consignments of cars and cherished number plates was £627,100 – and, as predicted, the Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Mäkinen Edition was the star of the show.
This rally-developed special-edition model sold for a record £100,100 ($139,000), making it the most expensive Lancer Evolution ever sold, after pipping the £99,000 ($137,000) garnered by a mint-condition Evo IX in 2017.
The two other Lancer Evolutions to cross the block also commanded strong prices. The Evo IX FQ-360 by HKS was the second most expensive car, selling for £68,900 ($95,760) and the Evo X FQ-440 (the last to be sold in the UK) came in third place at £58,100 ($80,740). In total, Lancer Evolution models accounted for 60 percent of the sales total.
Further performance-oriented models on offer included the technologically advanced Mitsubishi 3000GT and a Mitsubishi Starion. These cars brought in £24,500 ($34,000) and £21,100 ($29,300) respectively, again setting records for both models at UK auctions. The Mitsubishi Galant GLSi rally replica fetched £12,500 ($17,400).
The Colt Lancer offered was the first Mitsubishi registered in the UK, and attracted a winning bid of £15,000 ($20,860), while a rare Mitsubishi Jeep J27 went for £20,600 ($28,650).
The remaining models sold were a Colt Galant (£11,600/$16,130), Mk1 Shogun SWB (£16,000/$22,390), Mk2 Shogun (£9600/$13,350), Outlander PHEV (£16,000/$22,390), L200 ‘Desert Warrior’ (£30,100/$41,860) and a 7/10 scale Mitsubishi Model A (£13,700/$19,050).
Mitsubishi Motors UK operations director Paul Brigden said:
“These vehicles represent not only a huge part of Mitsubishi’s heritage and history in the UK, they are also very special vehicles in their own right. They each have a unique story to tell and they have been cherished and cared for from the day we acquired them… It is difficult to say goodbye to them, but the values they have achieved assure me that they will all go to enthusiastic new owners who understand the provenance and importance of these cars.”
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