Mitsubishi Withdraw From The UK And Sold It’s Heritage Fleet

Mitsubishi Evo VI Tommi Makinen - Mitsubishi Withdraw From The UK And Sold It's Heritage Fleet
Mitsubishi Evo VI Tommi Makinen - Mitsubishi Withdraw From The UK And Sold It's Heritage Fleet

As part of the withdrawal from the UK and European markets Mitsubishi sold the entire Heritage Fleet at auction. All lots were no reserve and attracted so impressive bids, but these were quite desirable lots.

The event concluded on the 30 April 2021 with 51 lots sold. Several UK auction records were set with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI TME selling for a world record hammer price.

The online only auction had over 2,000 registrations and 1,287 bids from around the world generating total vehicle sales of £479,500, excluding the number plates which were also available. The values of the bids grew through the month and there was a flurry of action on the final day at the last minute to secure the cars as each deadline approached.

As part of the withdrawal from the UK and European markets Mitsubishi sold the entire Heritage Fleet at auction. All lots were no reserve and attracted so impressive bids, but these were quite desirable lots.

The event concluded on the 30 April 2021 with 51 lots sold. Several UK auction records were set with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI TME selling for a world record hammer price.

The online only auction had over 2,000 registrations and 1,287 bids from around the world generating total vehicle sales of £479,500, excluding the number plates which were also available. The values of the bids grew through the month and there was a flurry of action on the final day at the last minute to secure the cars as each deadline approached.

It was no surprise that the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Mäkinen Edition was the most sought-after car in the auction. The top bid of £100,100 setting world record hammer price for a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Previously one in the USA had made around £99,000 in 2017 for a delivery-mileage Evo IX.

The remaining models in the fleet sold very well with high values for each of the cars. The Mk1 Colt Lancer 1.4 2 door was the first Mitsubishi registered in the UK sold for £15,000. The Colt Galant 2000 GLII sold for £11,600. The unique Mitsubishi Galant GLSi RAC rally replica sold for £12,500. the value was a reflection of the condition of what is a very rare car in the UK in standard form but also the provenance and historical significance.

Mitsubish Galant GLSi Rally Replica

It was no surprise that the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Mäkinen Edition was the most sought-after car in the auction. The top bid of £100,100 setting world record hammer price for a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Previously one in the USA had made around £99,000 in 2017 for a delivery-mileage Evo IX.

The remaining models in the fleet sold very well with high values for each of the cars. The Mk1 Colt Lancer 1.4 2 door was the first Mitsubishi registered in the UK sold for £15,000. The Colt Galant 2000 GLII sold for £11,600. The unique Mitsubishi Galant GLSi RAC rally replica sold for £12,500. the value was a reflection of the condition of what is a very rare car in the UK in standard form but also the provenance and historical significance.

Mitsubish Galant GLSi Rally Replica

The Mk1 Mitsubishi Shogun which is another rare car now sold for a respectable £16,000. The even rarer Mitsubishi Jeep J27 secured a top bid of £20,600.

The Mk2 Shogun V6 SWB is less rare, but the condition of this one is likely to make it unique, made £9,600. There were two newer vehicles on the fleet, a 2015 Outlander PHEV and a L200 Desert Warrior made £16,000 and £30,100 respectively.

Mitsubishi Shogun Mk1
Mitsubishi Shogun Mk2

The two iconic sports cars from the 1980s, the Mitsubishi Starion and Mitsubishi 3000GT, both of which were in exceptional condition sold for £21,100 and £24,500 respectively. Both being record prices in a UK auction.

The collection of number plates with the collection of four character plates ending in CCC doing really well. The top seller was 1 CCC which attracted a top bid of £24,000 with all 9, 1 – 9 CCC, making a grand total of £121,700 in total. Another desirable registration, P1HEV, fetched £4,500.

Mitsubishi Starion
Mitsubishi Starion
Mitsubishi 3000GT
Mitsubishi 3000GT

A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR FQ-360 by HKS sold for £68,900 which is thought to be the third highest value Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution ever sold at auction.

The Lancer Evolution X, which was number 40 of 40 of the final batch of FQ-440 MR special editions and the last official “Evo” sold in the UK, went for £58,100. The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX Group N Works Rally Car, driven by Guy Wilkes and co-driven by Phil Pugh, sold for £61,700. The four Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions accounted for 60% of the total amount made in the heritage fleet auction.

Lastly the 7/10th working replica of the 1917 Mitsubishi Model A, which was the first ever vehicle produced by Mitsubishi, sold for £13,700. A record for a 7/10 scale Mitsubishi Model A model.

Mitsubishi Evo IX FQ-360
Mitsubish Evo X FQ-440
Mitsubishi Model A
Mitsubishi Model A

In total, the auction generated £627,100 and attracted a total of 1,287 bids across all 51 lots.

Mitsubishi Motors in the UK Operations Director, Paul Bridgen, who was previously General Manager at the company’s RalliArt division and Team Principal when Wilkes and Pugh won their back-to-back British Rally Championships, commented: “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. I have overseen the development of some of these vehicles personally so it is difficult to say goodbye to them but the values they have achieved assures me that they will all go to enthusiastic new owners who understand the provenance and importance of these cars and who will cherish them and preserve them for future generations.”

Thanks to Mitsubish UK for the use of the images.

Simon

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