The Challenger name popped back up in the
United States as Dodge embarked on a new partnership
with Mitsubishi Motors. The car was not actually
built by Dodge, but instead, it was simply a
rebadged version of the 1977 Mitsubishi Galant Lambda. It was a rear wheel drive, 2 door hardtop,
packed with a 1.6L or 2.6L inline four cylinder
engines, so it was economical, and while it
was fast for what it was, it was nothing like
the Challenger of the Muscle Car Era. There
were various options such as different wheels,
and leather interior offered to try to bolster
the sales of the new "import look" Challenger,
but it simply was not what original Challenger
owners expected from a car badged thusly. While
the car was obviously a Mitsubishi, it carried
a similar look to the "K Car" series that was
being released by Chrysler Corporation, in which
many of their newer cars closely resembled each
other. This car lasted as long as the original
run of the Challenger, but made virtually no
mark on the automotive industry, and in 1983,
it was again discontinued, but its very unlikely
that anyone noticed, or made any fuss about
it going away.
