WATCH: First Dakar-winning Pajero restored by Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi restored its first-ever Dakar-winning Pajero to drivable conditions
They say you never forget your firsts. Whether it be your first love, your first paycheck, or your first loss, it always stays with you to serve as a reminder of where you started.
For Mitsubishi, the automaker recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of its first Dakar-winning Pajero. That's right, way back in 1985, Mitsubishi won its first-ever victory in the grueling endurance rally, cementing the Pajero's pedigree as one of the most capable 4x4 SUVs.
Mitsubishi then went on to win the Dakar Rally 12 times with newer and upgraded versions of the Pajero. The automaker even won the race seven consecutive times from 2001 to 2007. However, the original 1985 Dakar winner was left to gather dust at Mitsubishi's R&D facility in Okazaki.
To commemorate the vehicle's victory four decades ago, Mitsubishi finally gave the Dakar-winning Pajero the restoration it deserves. Engineers from the WRC & Dakar Rally works team took the lead in bringing life back to the Pajero. Every single part & component was disassembled and inspected to check for any signs of deterioration or damage. Some repairs were also carried out to ensure the vehicle can move & function as is.
The restoration job wasn't straightforward, as there were several attempts to make repairs on certain parts of the vehicle. Luckily, the engineers were able to overhaul the engine without replacing any parts, and the body panels were preserved, complete with the dents and scratches it received during the rally. It even still comes with the original seats, seat belts, and other interior components that have seen action in the desert.
After all was said and done, they fired up the Dakar-winning Pajero's turbocharged 2.6L 4G54 engine, which makes 225 PS and 313 Nm of torque. Mitsubishi says the vehicle has been restored to drivable conditions and still has the front double wishbone suspension with torsion bar springs and three-link rigid axle rear suspension with coil springs.
What better way to test it than to drive it on the road and off-road. Check out the video above and see just how Mitsubishi was able to do it, and see for yourself the 1985 Dakar-winning Pajero running.
