Mention the word “rallying” to any local petrolhead and Mitsubishi will be one of the top three names that come to mind (the other two being Subaru and Ford). In the case of the Japanese brand, its rich rallying heritage had been “turbocharged” by Ralliart.
Indeed, Ralliart seemed destined for rallying success since its inception. Its founder is Andrew Cowan, who gave Mitsubishi their first international motorsport victory by winning Australia’s 1972 Southern Cross Rally in a Galant saloon. Cowan then went on to stamp his authority on this event for three years straight, from 1973 to 1975, while driving a Lancer 1600 GSR. Further victories ensued. In 1974, Mitsubishi took top honours with the same rally machine at the Safari Rally in Africa, and two years later, dominated the same race with a 1-2-3 finish.
Following these successes, Cowan established Ralliart Europe in 1984. The firm’s purpose was to be the motorsport competition base for Mitsubishi on the continent. Meanwhile, Doug Stewart (Cowan’s former teammate) started Ralliart Australia, which became Mitsubishi’s base for contesting the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship.
Ralliart, of course, is best known for its achievements in the World Rally Championship (WRC). The Ralliart team dominated the series from 1996 to 1999, with Finnish driver Tommi Makinen winning the WRC drivers’ championship for four years in a row, behind the wheel of the Lancer Evolution III, IV, V and VI respectively. These wins catapulted the Lancer Evo into the automotive dreams of boyracers, who all wanted their driving skills to “evolve” and to fly as fast as the Flying Finn.
By 2002, however, Mitsubishi headquarters was experiencing financial difficulties. After a year of restructuring and the creation of Mitsubishi Motors Motor Sports (MMSP), which handled global motorsport operations, the company withdrew the Ralliart team completely from the WRC.
Although Ralliart’s off-road presence was diminished, its on-road activities continued. In Singapore, for instance, Mitsubishi agent Cycle & Carriage opened its Ralliart Pit in 2008, a one-stop shop that sold the brand’s performance parts, accessories and apparel (with a peak monthly turnover of $30k, apparently). Also popular with buyers were special models such as the Colt Version-R and Lancer Ralliart.
The Ralliart Pit made a permanent pit stop in 2011, after Ralliart announced in 2010 that it would scale down its business activities by ceasing its support for motorsport customers and halting the development of new products. Ralliart had been badly affected by the 2009 global financial crisis.
Ralliart’s glory days have passed, but given its accomplishments in the “rally art”, it remains a good rallying point for Mitsubishi motorsport fans.
