Have you ever heard of the Mitsuoka Dore? Well, neither did I before now. Turns out it’s something of a kit car based on the Ford Foxbody Mustang but built in Japan rather than California or Florida. It has the neoclassic look normally associated with other products of the era, such as the Excalibur and the Zimmer. We’re told this car is #55 of just 86 ever built and it looks to be in great shape, though the seller says the convertible top needs replacing. Located in Yuma, Arizona, this rare oddity is offered here on craigslist for a stout $34,000. An attaboy goes to Tony Primo for this tip!
Built by Mitsuoka Motor Co., the Dore was a limited edition drop-top version of the Le-Seyde. The latter car used a Nissan platform and drivetrain, while the Dore went with parts imported from Ford Motor Co. At first glance, it might look like an Excalibur as the concept was the same with a retro design that harkens to the 1920s and 1930s. For whatever reason, the entire population of Dore’s was built in a single month, July 1991.
Lurking under the hood should be Ford’s 302 cubic inch V8 paired with an automatic overdrive transmission from the Mustang’s Foxbody days (1979 to 1993). The Mitsuoka name isn’t well-known in the U.S., but it was the 10th largest Japanese auto manufacturer at the time of the Dore. We’re told that every car they ever built was designed with quality and luxury in mind. We don’t know the history of the seller’s car other than it has only accumulated 23,000 miles in its 33 years.
No photos of the interior or engine compartment are offered by the seller. We assume everything is ship shape given the asking price. Besides a new convertible top, perhaps it only needs another home. It looks like it will consume a lot of garage space, but it’s going to turn a lot of heads at Cars & Coffee where even the Japanese car addicts may not be familiar with the Dore.
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Looking at it I recognized the convertible top, doors, and windows, same as my 1991 Mustang. Definitely won’t be underpowered like so many of the VW based kits and the engine will be in the right end, up front. I mean unless you’re building a Porsche speedster clone there’s no other way to go.
I had Mitsuoka Dore last night for dinner with rice and miso soup. Yum!
I think I would rather have the mustang they started with
Thought I knew all the neo-classic makes. This is a new one!
I’m not sure I’d buy it, but finally, something interesting was mounted on a Fox chassis!
Do you see Fox body taillights in your dreams?
Klassey with a capitol K
Classy is subjective I guess. I have met so many very wealthy people with over-the-top (i.e. gaudy) tastes in design.
And just when you thought you had the ugliest car in the parking lot, this guy comes along.
….that makes the Ami (listed here too) much less ugly….😁
Did they stretch the frame? Like a lot of these neo-classics it is very busy up front! As for the asking price, I ain’t assuming nothing!
Each model has been developed by pushing the boundaries of
conventional design to completely revolutionize the world’s expectations of the
classic car market.
Ohhhh fok, really ?
To bad it didn’t stay in Japan!
It’s too bad that someone actually spent the time and the money to create this abomination.
bhahahahahahaha……….this is the ugly sister to the one Jeremy Clarkson drove in the Road Trip that’s never be done………..
This is a cathouse special!
I’d daily this, but I do not supervise the ladies of the night. I guess I’ll have to change professions…
So the Japanese can build grotesque “ luxo” barges too.
Looks like another mustang kit car called the Zimmer. Never seen a Zimmer as a convertible though.
They did and do make them. The fox body all the way up to the last Lincoln Town Car (non convertible) body. Pricing starts at $300k with 1/2 down to start the custom build.
Lots of good salvage Mustang parts in there.
They did and do make them. The fox body all the way up to the last Lincoln Town Car (non convertible) body. Pricing starts at $300k with 1/2 down to start the custom build.
So many other better cars you could spend $34K (or less) on. The guy is dreaming.