FORTY years ago one of the biggest Japanese names on the UK market was Colt, better known (at least nowadays) as Mitsubishi.

The Colt Car Company was set up in 1974 as part of an ambitious plan to make Mitsubishi a world player. The name was unique to Britain where it was feared buyers would be put off by a foreign-sounding marque.

For the first couple of decades, however, the Colt Car Company’s UK ambitions were thwarted by voluntary import quotas (a misguided attempt to keep the British car industry afloat by giving it a fighting chance against Japanese companies) which limited it to sales of around 10,000 vehicles per year. Hardly the stuff of world domination.

That didn’t prevent company bosses trying to add some glamour to the Colt range with celebrity endorsements.

And who better to add a bit of glam to a car range than, er, Lionel Blair?

Yes, high-kicking, perma-tanned tap dancing television personality Lionel was given a Sapporo – the flagship of the Colt range – to drive to and from panto rehearsals.

Lionel explained how the deal came about: “I was dancing on the Colt stand with five girls and we began just bas a rival firm were making a presentation next door. Everyone just flocked over and the other people were furious. Eventually we were asked to stop – but for safety reasons since all the aisles were completely jammed solid.”

 

The Northern Echo:

MAN ABOUT TOWN: Lionel on the way to another panto practice in his sporty Colt.

 

With pulling power like that who wouldn’t hand over the keys?

Lionel added: “I’ve hand the red-and-black Sapporo since the show and it’s terrific. And I get no flak at all about driving a Japanese car. Everyone immediately says ‘reliability’.”

Not an epithet that could be levelled at the Metro driven by Lionel’s missus. “That needed a new alternator in the first month,” muttered the entertainer.

The Sapporo’s in-car audio proved a boon during Lionel’s commute to the London Palladium from his home in Barnes. “I play memo cassettes instead of using a notebook,” said the energy-packed all rounder. Just as well, using a notebook in a car would play havoc with your concentration.

However, the memo tapes had to play second fiddle to Lionel’s favourite music artists – Barbara Streisand and Johnny Mathis.

When The Northern Echo tested the Sapporo in 1978 our man praised its ‘sporty image’ and ‘motoring sophistication’.

These days we’d probably take issue with his claim that ‘with a maximum power output of 95bhp at 5,500rpm and a top speed of 108mph, the Sapporo is obviously built for performance’.

The Northern Echo:

 

MOTORING SOPHISTICATION: The Sapporo looked cool(ish) but 95bhp wouldn't pull the skin off a cold rice pud.

Mind you, drivers for whom 95bhp wasn’t enough could always pay an extra £586 for a Janspeed special which took the output up to a mind-blowing 136bhp. The conversion cost £395 for the engine mods, £125 for alloy wheels and £65 for a vinyl roof.

These days Mitsubishi isn’t so shy about its brand in the UK. In 1984 the Colt badge was retired in a corporate move which brought the marque in line with the rest of the world.