Mitsubishi has a long list of achievements in motorsports. While the automaker started racing on the pavement, the glory really came when Mitsubishi took to the mud. There was a time when Mitsubishi dominated the rally, but its most impressive racing efforts unfolded during the long, grueling stages of the Dakar Rally.
The Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution is the most winning vehicle in the history of the rally. The Pajero Evo has won the event twelve times. There have been evolutions of the Pajero Evo over the years, but all this Dakar success started with its first victory in 1985.
After winning the race, the Pajero Evo, with its iconic Nikon livery, was parked in a Mitsubishi factory. The truck languished for forty years. That’s a fate no iconic racing machine should have to suffer.
Good news that this legendary Pajero has been restored. Mitsubishi even let him feel a bit of dirt and gravel on his tires again. A vehicle like this is longing to drive, and it’s a beautiful sight to see.
When restoring an old racing vehicle, the goal is to preserve as much of its originality as possible. All dents, bumps and scratches incurred in the name of battle must be left untouched. Mitsubishi cleaned some of the paint scheme elements, but otherwise did not touch the bodywork.
Instead, restoration work focused on breathing new life into the engine. Mitsubishi engineers disassembled the engine, assessed the electrical components and overhauled the suspension. A team of veterans worked alongside the next generation of Mitsubishi engineers. This project is almost a symbolic passing of the torch: to show younger employees the company’s heritage.
Once everything was bolted back together, the truck was fired up and taken for its first ride in decades. The Pajero Evo looks and sounds just as great today as it did way back in 1985.
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Source: Mitsubishi
That first Dakar victory for Mitsubishi took place when the race was still starting in Paris and in Dakar. That year’s race was over 10,000 kilometers long and lasted 22 days. Driver Patrick Zaniroli and co-driver Jean Da Silva took the overall victory. A second Pajero Evo was just 26 minutes behind them and took second place. Third place, meanwhile, was more than five and a half hours away. Mitsubishi dominated that year.
It was the start of a great run in Dakar history. Pajero Evos would win again in 1992, 1993, 1997 and 1998. In 2001, Mitsubishi won the next seven races in a row. But all these rally excellence started with one vehicle: the 1985 Dakar Rally-winning Pajero Evolution, seen here.
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