By the early Eighties Chrysler was deep into its product partnership with Mitsubishi, which in North America was most visible via the mutually beneficial Colt. A lineup of rebadged Mitsubishis, the Colt expanded from its rear-drive beginnings in 1971, morphing into a rear- and front-drive mix by the end of the Seventies. In the earliest part of the Eighties the line was consolidated into a single front-drive hatchback model. Around the middle of the decade, it was time for a fifth generation Colt and some more lineup expansion. But this time, Dodge and Plymouth dealers wouldn't be the only ones selling a Colt.