WHAT IS IT?
A couple of months ago we featured a Chevrolet LUV, a small pickup built collaboratively between General Motors and Isuzu. Japanese manufacturers seemed to be far more skilled at building smaller fuel-efficient cars and trucks that captured market share in the U.S. after the oil crisis of the early 1970’s. We suppose the mantra from Detroit became “if you can’t beat them, start a joint venture.” GM’s collaboration with Isuzu lived on for years and over in Highland Park, MI, executives at Chrysler had a similar collab with Mitsubishi. This cooperative agreement had some issues and cultural challenges, but it grew over the years and eventually became Diamond Star Motors, with shared factories and product development. Alas, in the early 1980’s it resulted in this small pickup truck that is the focus of our post today.
For our Millenial readers, Plymouth was the entry-level brand for Chrysler that was shuttered after the 2001 model year. Plymouth Arrow wasn’t just the name of this truck, it was the brand name given to all of the “captive imports” sold in their dealerships and there was also a long-forgotten sport coupe. The fact that this “Plymouth Arrow” was a pickup was left for buyers to observe themselves. There also doesn’t seem to be much effort to restyle the trucklet to look more like a Plymouth but it’s rather a Mitsubishi with a new badge. The 2.0 liter Mitsubishi 4-cylinder engine reportedly produced 93 HP and the truck could carry 1600 lbs in its bed. Alas, the model disappeared after 4 model years (1978-1982) and was replaced in 1983 with the Chrysler built Scamp (aka Dodge Rampage) which was a front-wheel-drive pickup based on the Omni platform that failed to compete well with the VW Rabbit pickup. Interestingly, we don’t believe Plymouth offered pickup trucks outside of this period (well, after WWII, anyway), leaving those to Dodge (later RAM) after the Scamp was discontinued following only one model year.
WHY THIS ONE HAS BEST ONE ON THE PLANET CHOPS
Before seeing this Facebook Marketplace listing in Ohio, we honestly didn’t know this model existed. We have no idea how many were actually sold new but remaining examples are surely few in number. Painted in the utilitarian color of beige, it’s hard to believe that this work truck survived 44 years and only accumulated 18,600 miles, but that’s what the seller claims and the condition supports the claim. We’d love to know more about this survivor’s story. While not perfect (there is some minor surface corrosion on the undercarriage, front air dam, and behind the front wheels) there is little else to complain about. The original full-sized spare still appears to attached beneath the bed. The interior is period perfection with the beige striped vinyl seat and factory AM radio still intact. The factory steel wheels with hubcaps just look right. The listing is short on details but does indicate that the air conditioning works and was even converted to R134A at some point.
The interior is period perfection with the beige striped vinyl seat and factory AM radio still intact.
Like Steve, I had zero idea that this truck even existed. It has to be one of the most obscure captive imports of all time. I’m firmly against anointing something the Best One on the Planet simply by virtue of low-survivorship, but this one is the business, even if it’s the passenger pigeon of Japanese pickups.