The unexpected appeal of the Plymouth Sapporo

I have spoken about my father's older brother, Uncle Stanley, many times. He was a Chrysler man, and he usually drove the top-of-the-line New Yorker, generally keeping a car for around five years. They were either brown or beige because he was slightly color blind. I've never mentioned Aunt Pat, his wife, because when I was a little boy, I only remember her driving Uncle Stanley's cars or her work car.

Aunt Pat worked for the Red Cross. She eventually was promoted to president of the Hampton Roads, Virginia, chapter, and if you were a lifeguard in Hampton Roads during the 1970s or '80s, you saw Patricia Stern's signature on your Red Cross certification card. Why am I telling you all this? Because Aunt Pat always drove a white Plymouth Red Cross station wagon, and it was usually parked at their house. I remember a Coronet, a Satellite, and a Volare station wagon.

In 1980, she earned another promotion and bought a new car since she no longer needed to drive the Red Cross station wagon. She treated herself to a Plymouth Sapporo. See? It took me a while, but I got to my point. I remember this car for two unusual reasons. Okay, make that three. It was a pretty car, and although one of Plymouth's captive imports, unlike the Colt or Cricket, the styling of the Sapporo rivaled that of other sexy Japanese sport coupes. I found it refreshing that an import with a domestic badge put on it was so appealing. The other sexy rebadged import was the Mercury Capri.

However, thanks to a couple of vandals, Aunt Pat did not have good luck with this car. One night, she left the doors unlocked and some neighborhood kids put a dead squirrel under the seat. Like a similarly themed Seinfeld episode, the smell became overwhelming, and by the time they discovered the source of the offending odor, it was almost too late. She had the car professionally cleaned, but that created another problem. While the odor was gone, the harsh chemicals that were used to make the car livable again pretty much ate through the upholstery, and the seats practically deteriorated within a few months. Frustrated, and enticed by brochures Uncle Stanley brought home for the Plymouth Turismo, she traded in the very-low-mileage Sapporo in 1983.

After the Sapporo was gone, I never gave it much thought until a few months ago, when, all of a sudden, a couple of Sapporos popped up for sale. Surprisingly for such a forgettable car, they were in pretty good shape. I shared one on a Facebook page to gauge reactions, and I was pleasantly surprised to read the comments, reminiscences, and compliments on the styling and engineering. I wasn't the only one who found them attractive.

The Sapporo was based on the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda and imported from 1978-'83 as the Plymouth Sapporo and Dodge Challenger. In Australia, it was sold as the Chrysler Scorpion.

The Sapporo was marketed as "The new sophisticated car from Plymouth." Under the hood was the OHC 1.6-liter or 2.6-liter "silent shaft" four-cylinder engine, with the new MCA Jet System that created a swirling fuel air mixture to aid combustion. This provided better gas mileage and cleaner emissions, and according to the brochure was a "sophisticated innovation that utilizes a special air valve for each cylinder."

The Sapporo was also very well equipped. Standard features included a full complement of gauges, reclining bucket seats with lumbar support, and an overhead console with a digital clock, swivel map lamp, and warning lights for an open door and low windshield washer fluid.

If you desired, you could order power windows, AM/FM 8-Track stereo, and an automatic transmission. The Sapporo was suspended by coil springs at all four corners of its 99-inch wheelbase and equipped with power front disc brakes. The standard transmission was a five-speed manual.

Color choices were minimal the first year: Medium Gray, Canyon Red, and Ballast Sand. Aunt Pat's was Ballast Sand. The following year, Silver, Light Blue, and Champagne were added. Luxury was accented by a brushed aluminum band that graced the C-pillar. A vinyl half roof was also available.

Sapporos do pop up for sale sometimes, and they also sell very quickly because they are good looking and inexpensive. Imagine pulling up in a Plymouth Sapporo and seeing all the dropped jaws, then hearing all the stories about middle-aged aunts who bought these sexy imports. In addition, there will be plenty of people who never saw one, and there is your conversation starter.