The second-generation Dodge Challenger is one of the strangest chapters in the nameplate’s history. Instead of following the original muscle-car formula, Dodge revived the Challenger name in 1978 on a coupe that was essentially a rebadged Mitsubishi Galant.
Most enthusiasts associate the Dodge Challenger with the original V8-powered model or the modern third-generation car that remained in production until 2023. However, between 1978 and 1983, Dodge used the Challenger name on a very different kind of vehicle.
This second-generation Challenger was not a traditional American performance car. It was based on the Mitsubishi Galant coupe and was sold in some overseas markets as the Mitsubishi Sapporo. In the United States, Dodge initially marketed it as the Dodge Colt Challenger before it became better known simply as the Challenger.
The car was largely identical to the Mitsubishi model sold elsewhere, apart from Dodge badging and market-specific details. While the first-generation Challenger had been offered with six- and eight-cylinder engines, the second-generation model relied mainly on a 2.6-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine.
That engine produced 105 hp when new, a figure far removed from the performance image associated with the Challenger name. A smaller 1.6-liter version with 77 hp was also briefly available, according to the source material.
Although many second-generation Challengers have faded into obscurity, one unusually well-preserved example is now being offered by Raleigh Classic Car Auctions in Zebulon, North Carolina.
The car is a 1980 Dodge Challenger showing just 37,309 miles since new. It is also believed to have had only two owners, making it one of the cleaner surviving examples of this unusual Mitsubishi-based Dodge coupe.
The exterior is finished in a two-tone black-and-silver paint scheme, accented by yellow and red pinstripes along the sides. The car still rides on its original 14-inch wheels and appears to have been well cared for over the decades.
Inside, the cabin is just as different from other Challenger generations as the bodywork. The two-door model features grey upholstery, with red, white, and black plaid inserts on the seats and door panels.
Performance was never the main attraction of this generation. With only 105 hp from its 2.6-liter four-cylinder engine when new, the 1980 Challenger was modest even by the standards of its era, and age is unlikely to have made it any quicker.
Still, the second-generation Challenger has become more interesting with time. It may have traded muscle-car character for Japanese engineering, but its rarity, unusual backstory, and well-preserved condition give this example a distinctive appeal among classic Dodge models.
