The Lancer served to fill a gap in Mitsubishi's lineup in the small to lower-medium segment of the growing Japanese market.

[9] There were three body styles (four if the Celeste liftback/coupé is included), two- and four-door sedans and a rarely seen five-door station wagon introduced in September 1973.

Reflecting a popular appearance during the 1970s, the Lancer adopted "coke bottle styling" on the sedan and wagon for this entire generation.

[14] In November 1976 the Japanese market models received a facelift, losing the previous L-shaped/upright rear lamps in favor of wide rectangular units.

As a response to the new emissions standards taking effect in 1978, the 1.2-litre Saturn engine was replaced by the new 70 PS Orion G11B (1,244 cc) in April 1977.

It was offered for one more model year before the Dodge Colt name was gradually transferred to the front wheel drive Mitsubishi Mirage.

The very large safety bumpers used in the American market were added to certain models in the domestic range in March 1978 (GL Extra, GSL, GSR) as part of one last minor facelift.

Run over 6,000 km of arduous terrain under searing equatorial temperatures, the race was regarded as the toughest in the world, and typically only one car in five which set off from the start would manage to reach the finish line in Nairobi.

Mitsubishi sanctioned official factory teams for the 1974–77 events, building for itself an enviable reputation for durability when only one of thirteen cars failed to finish in those four attempts.

[16] The car had previously demonstrated similar qualities in 1973, with its debut in the Australian Southern Cross Rally being rewarded with a clean sweep of the top four places.

[17] Cowan and Joginder Singh also scored a 1–2 finish for the Lancer GSR at the 1977 Rallye Bandama Côte d'Ivoire.

The domestic market vans received yet another update in October 1981, again to clean emissions, meaning that a new set of chassis numbers were assigned.

The 1979–80 Plymouth Fire Arrow came with an even larger (2,555 cc) four-cylinder, but strangled by American emissions regulations it only offered 105 hp (78 kW),[24] no more than the two-litre engine had in markets outside of North America.

Along with receiving a light facelift in July 1977, including new taillights and the cleaner (but lower powered) MCA-Jet engines, new model codes (A140-series) were introduced.

[25] Named accordingly, a top-of-the-line GT System 80 version had appeared in November 1977, including every possible extra and special black and gold paintwork.

The Arrow body design was used on pro stock and funny cars in the late 1970s by noteworthy racers such as Ray Godman, Don Prudhomme, Bob Glidden, and Raymond Beadle.

[27] The final LC iteration arrived in May 1979 with a rationalised model range which saw the sedan body variant deleted.

Changes were as for 1979 Celestes, comprising rectangular headlamps, redesigned tail-lamps,[28] black painted metal bumpers,[29] a new five-speed manual transmission,[28] and a belt driven SOHC version of the 4G32 engine called the G32B.

[28] Some of the Australian cars featured had "arrow" decals on the hood and stripes on the flanks, depending on the body colour.

Chrysler introduced the Plymouth Arrow as a captive import of the Celeste in January 1976 as an extension to the Dodge Colt lineup.

The Arrow Jet paint package was an eye-catching two-tone finish, typically in spit-fire orange and black.

For 1979, the styling was freshened with the addition of flush bumpers, a more horizontal grille with rectangular headlights and hidden turn signals, chrome strips on the tail-lamps, and larger rear glass for the hatchback.

[32] Inside, the steering wheel previously found only in the Arrow GT was now standard while the heater provided more output.

The white Fire Arrow was also changed, and now had a matte-black hood and cowl, with the black paint continuing along the tops of the fenders and doors and ending under the quarter-windows.