1991 Plymouth Laser RS
S/N 4P3CS44R3ME148237. 148,600 miles. “2.0-liter inline-4, 5-speed manual transmission, front-wheel drive, 16-inch wheels, pop-up headlights, pop-up sunroof, cloth upholstery, automatic front shoulder belts, power windows, air conditioning.” Condition: 1. SOLD AT $5,538. Cars & Bids, 5/22/24.
Chrysler teamed up with Mitsubishi to create Diamond-Star Motors in 1985. Chrysler had been importing Mitsubishis since the 1970s and selling them as “captive imports” under its domestic brands. Mitsubishi wanted to expand its own footprint in the U.S., following the lead of Honda, which was the first Japanese automaker to build cars in the U.S. Diamond-Star opened its new production plant in Normal, IL, in 1988, producing the badge-engineered Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser. The “DSM” cars were offered in a wide range of performance levels, from the front-drive base model powered by a 92-horsepower 4-cylinder to the turbocharged 2.0-liter all-wheel-drive version with 195 hp. A second generation followed for the 1995 model year, but by this time the Plymouth variant had been discontinued. The second-gen DSM cars, particularly the turbo Eclipse, gained a following during the early-2000s Japanese tuner scene with a robust — if not large — market of body kits and aftermarket parts. Earlier cars are less popular, and Plymouth-badged examples, such as our subject car, rarely surface at auction. Unfortunately, this is not one of the turbocharged AWD models, but it has been well cared for. Selling here for credit-card money, it was well bought.
1970 Datsun 2000 roadster
S/N SRL31112845. 73k miles shown. “2.0-liter inline-4, 5-speed manual gearbox, blue paint, black vinyl and gray cloth upholstery, black soft top, 14-inch steel wheels.” Condition: 2+. SOLD AT $17,850. Bring a Trailer, 5/20/24.
This was one of the seminal Japanese sports cars and helped build the reputation of Datsun in the early-to-mid 1960s. In-period it was more affordable than the MGB it resembled — and more reliable as well. Called the Nissan Fairlady in Japan, the 1500/1600/2000 roadster was the predecessor to the Fairlady Z, sold here as the 240Z. Our subject car was restored quite a while ago yet still looks nice. Its price is in line with what Datsun 1500/1600/2000 roadsters have been selling for over the past decade. While the 240Z has made a big jump in value in that time, these cars have not. The market has spoken clearly here that the Z has more multi-generational appeal. When my father was in high school, the 240Z was poster material, and by the time I was the same age, Z cars were starring in video games. Now I watch as the youngest generation to come of age also loves Z cars (including the newest retro-look model, which debuted in 2022). Just a few days ago, in fact, the 240Z was teased as a new downloadable car for the popular video game “Rocket League.” By comparison, the Datsun 1500/1600/2000 roadsters have become largely forgotten, appealing only to an aging demographic.
1996 Honda Civic CX Hatchback
S/N 2HGEJ6328TH111111. 1,500 miles. “1.6-liter inline-4, 5-speed manual transmission, front-wheel drive, 13-inch steel wheels, cloth upholstery, air conditioning and a rear cargo cover.” Condition: 2-. SOLD AT $7,915. Cars & Bids, 5/10/24.
While the sixth-generation Civic isn’t rare by any means, our subject car had a few points in its favor that made it desirable. The most obvious is that it had only 1,500 miles showing. Furthermore, “Midori Green Metallic” was only offered in the first year for this generation and only on the DX and CX trims. The exterior looks okay, but the photos show it is covered with little dings and dents, and the car is said to have been subjected to light hail damage. The inside is where the low mileage truly stands out, as the interior is in showroom condition. In the engine bay, however, most components are showing corrosion and surface rust. Surviving, low-mileage examples of this era of Civic are hard to come by, so it’s unfortunate that this one has not been better cared for. (In addition, it was briefly owned by a YouTuber, where it starred in one video described as “terrorizing the streets” with “burnouts.”) While this price isn’t a lot, it was well sold given its issues. Hopefully a full restoration is in the cards. ♦
