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The Chrysler Conquest is simply a badge engineered variant of the Mitsubishi Starion. Let's see what it costs to buy a 1983 model today.
The '80s were significant years in the automotive industry. After the big oil shocks in the '70s, the field slowly began to recuperate. Brands across the world made efforts to improve the quality of manufacturing as well as performance and underwent major organizational transformations.
In 1980, Japan became the leading car manufacturer in the entire world. The American automobile industry made its own efforts to respond to these advancements, particularly GM, Ford, and Chrysler. As customers were not ready to spend a lot of money on cars after the crisis, the offered vehicles became more fuel-efficient, functional, and compact. They were also much safer for both the customers and the environment.
But performance was still in the spotlight. New sports cars, however more fuel-efficient, came with powerful turbocharged engines. Mitsubishi was one of the first Japanese brands to introduce a smaller turbocharged engine with electronic fuel injection in its famous Starion.
In fact, this car was so appealing that Dodge, Chrysler, and Plymouth used it, although not the name, across several production years in the US. The Chrysler Conquest was basically the Mitsubishi Starion with different name badges on it, courtesy of the big partnership between Japanese and American automakers.
But let us start this interesting story from the beginning. In this article, we'll tell you more about the background and essence of the Chrysler Conquest and reveal the worth of the Conquest from the 1983 production year, the first one to bear this name.
RELATED: 10 Reasons Why We Love The Mitsubishi Starion
The Mitsubishi Starion appeared in 1982 as a sports car with an already tight competition. The Nissan Z, the Mazda RX-7, and the Toyota Supra were already on the market. But Mitsubishi aimed to outrun them (which literally happened on the track) with specs and overall performance. Maybe that was the whole idea of the "Starion" name, derived from "Star of Arion," which can be both a star and the mythical (unbelievably fast) horse from Greek mythology. But we digress.
The car in question had the so-called origami design with flat surfaces, pop-up headlights, and a sharp nose. It was typical for its time yet different from the other cars on the market with its low but powerful stance. Under the hood, there was either a 2-liter Mitsubishi G63B engine (turbo and non-turbo inline-four, actually) or a 2.6-liter G54B (also inline-four) with a turbocharger. The North American market got the latter.
As the first model to appear in the US simultaneously with the production of the Starion in Japan, the 1983 Chrysler Conquest was practically the same as its Japanese counterpart. It bore the same engine with the same power (about 150 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque) and the same styling.
Later on, the Conquest got a wider body and a power upgrade. That was in 1986 when the Chrysler Conquest TSi and the Mitsubishi Starion ESI-R were introduced with 176 horsepower and 223 lb-ft of torque, as well as some exterior and interior updates, of course. Sadly, this exciting international partnership over a sports car didn't last long.
Overall, we can say that the Mitsubishi Starion and the Chrysler Conquest didn't receive much praise. This is further reflected in the model availability and the price, as we'll see in the following section.
RELATED: Here's What We Love About The 1980s Mitsubishi Starion
The thing with the 1983 Chrysler Conquest is a little tricky. Due to the entire badging story we explained previously, you may run into differently named models when searching for the car on the market. Also, being just about 40 years old, there are truly few 1983 Chrysler Conquests left. As such, they don't come up that frequently for sale.
In our obsessive online search, we found only two or three models that sold a couple of years ago. The lowest-priced one went for only $3,000. That's not surprising, considering the 1983 Chrysler Conquest didn't enjoy the reputation of some other vehicles in its class from the '80s. But without more information, it's hard to put a precise price tag on this car.
We could only tell you how much the younger models are worth. For instance, you can find quite a few Conquest units dating from 1987 to 1989. They usually come with an extremely low price tag, at about $3,000, and sometimes even $1,000. But some models of the same production years also go for as high as $30,000, so it really depends on the condition, upgrades, and other factors — much like with all the other vehicles that end up on the used car market.
Suzana Mijatović is a Literary Critic secretly in love with all things automotive. You'll find her either reading Dostoevsky or under the hood, changing the transmission fluid and oil filters. She has a long experience in writing about car parts and automotive products, from brakes to seat cushions. Suzana is also an amateur poet and photographer.