Talk about a time capsule: this 1971 Dodge Colt has been in long-term single family ownership until just recently, and is practically an artifact given how few are left in any condition – let alone nicely preserved like this example is. The Colt is a re-badged Mitsubishi of the same name, and was imported to help Chrysler Corp. provide a compelling fuel-sipper for customers feeling wary about buying yet another land yacht in the days of the energy crisis. The trouble is, most of them rotted away in short order, so if you’re looking for this vestige of captive import, you’re not going to find much out there. This Colt is said to have 60,000 original miles and been repainted once; the seats have been reupholstered. Find it here on craigslist in Salem, Oregon for $7,650.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader Matt H. for the find. It seems like the Pacific Northwest never disappoints as it relates to forgotten classics still tooling around like any other daily driver. This Colt has led a charmed life, seemingly avoiding all the typical pitfalls that classic-era economy cars tend to be affected by, from uncaring owners to being left out in the elements for years at a time. Mostly, their best chance of survival is in the hands of an elderly owner – which this Colt enjoyed before being passed along to the grandkids. Amazingly, the younger offspring appeared to take just as a good of care of the Colt as their forebears did, which is why it still presents as well as it does today. The chrome bumpers are in great shape and it retains its original hubcaps, too.

The Colt is equipped with an automatic transmission, which likely ensured it was never driven in anger by the younger folks. What you notice right away here is the effect the repaint had on the original finish. It honestly looks like two different cars, with this photo standing out as showing the paint to be much brighter in tone whereas the other shots reveal it to be more orange in color. Regardless, this could just be a trick of the lighting, as every other photo shows it with an orange appearance. The interior is in great shape, with the upholstery work breathing new life into the cockpit. The original black vinyl roof was removed during the respray, but the roof was still painted in tribute to the original appearance.

The engine is a humble unit, featuring a 1.6L Mitsubishi four-cylinder fitted with a single Weber carburetor and an aftermarket air cleaner assembly. The original owner’s grandson addressed a few different maintenance items with the car, including rebuilding the brakes, sourcing a new exhaust system, servicing the transmission, and flushing the cooling system. The suspension was also supposedly freshened up, but details of the exact work completed are not included in the listing. The seller, Denwerks, is well known in vintage car communities for selling awfully nice examples of cars you rarely see in survivor condition, so I’d feel pretty comfortable following up on this one if you’re interested in adding a rare captive import to your collection of oddballs.