Like the Galant GTO’s little brother

A large number of 360cc kei-cars gathered in Osaka. We focus on one car we saw at the event. This time we introduce the Mitsubishi Minica Skipper, a small sports coupe. This car, which looks like a compact version of the Galant GTO, was a short-lived classic.

A hidden masterpiece of fastback style

What we discovered was a stylish coupe body that looked like a compacted “Galant GTO”. We spoke to the owner, Mr. Shiozaki, who told us that the car was a 1973 ‘Minica Skipper IV’.

The Minica Skipper appeared in 1971 as a coupe version of the Minica 70 with a two-stroke, two-cylinder engine. At the time, sporty 360cc models such as the ‘Honda Z’ and Suzuki ‘Fronte Coupe’ were being herded into the market and became popular, especially among the younger generation.

Incidentally, the Minica Skipper was equipped with a four-stroke engine in the 1972 model change and was renamed the Minica Skipper IV, but production was discontinued in 1974, partly because the power was effectively reduced.

An elaborate body design ahead of its time

As mentioned above, the body was a fastback coupe reminiscent of the Galant GTO, with a cam-tail style (a style characterized by a section cut off at the rear end of the body) at the rear, which was the fashion at the time. Because it is a coupe, it does not have a hatchgate, but it has a glass hatch with a rear window that opens and closes, allowing access to the luggage space behind the rear seats.

The front face has a four-lamp, round-eyed grille like that of the Galant GTO, but the outer two lights are actually headlights and the inner two are fog lamps. The main feature is a scoop window below the rear window to cover blind spots. This window would later be used in the Honda CR-X, Insight, and Prius, but the Minica Skipper is said to be the first to use this window in Japan.

What is the secret to maintaining it over the years?

Mr. Shiozaki has owned his 1973 for a whopping 42 years. Apart from replacing the wheels with external ones and changing the wing mirrors to Napoleon GTs, he has kept the car in stock condition.

“This vehicle has been in Wakayama Prefecture since it was new, so the number plate is still the same as the one it was issued with when it was new, which I think is rare for a 360cc plate to still have a number from when it was new.”

Mr Shiozaki, who is a mechanic by trade, has a wealth of knowledge about parts that can be used for other vehicles, and he has a relatively large supply of engine and suspension parts, which he also repairs himself. He also stocks the body parts he needs on a preventative basis, so that he can maintain them in the future.

translated by DeepL