Hooniverse Wagon Wednesday – An Aussie with a Japanese Nameplate – The Diamante Wagon

Jim Brennan

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Welcome to another edition of Hooniverse Wagon Wednesday. I was trying to come up with a unique posting for this week to no avail. There is just so many pristine classic wagons I could show you, or a couple of wacky Craigslist wrecks, or a few eBay postings, but I wasn’t finding anything really interesting. However, when I was driving into work on Monday, I was following a wagon that was so obscure, and so rare, that I knew I had to do a post about it. Introducing the Australian Import with a Japanese nameplate, the Mitsubishi Diamante Wagon.


The US Diamante Wagon was the Australian built Magna, with the 3.0-Litre V6 12-valve “6G72” engine, developing 175 HP. All the wagons exported to the US came equipped with an Automatic and FWD only. The Wagons were only available in the US from 1993 to 1996, with the bulk of them sold during the 1993 model year. So, with so few sold, and the double penalty of being wrong way drive and auto only, is this wagon remotely crave worthy?

I found two for sale in Auto Trader with very attractive prices, in excellent condition. The first example is a Silver base ES Wagon with Alloys, and all the required features one would expect in a late model used car. I included an image of the factory Cassette and CD Player, very Japanese Retro. It only shows 54,000 miles on the odometer, and the dealer states that you can buy a warranty. The asking price? $3,995! See the listing here.

The next contestant is also a 1993 model year Diamante Wagon, only this time, finished in White. It also has the Alloy Wheels, and is equipped exactly the same as the previous wagon. The biggest difference between these wagons is the mileage, as this one has covered over 96,000 Miles. The asking price for this ride is $2,995! See the listing here.

Is this Mitsubishi Wagon worthy of Lust from the Hoons, or is it just a curiosity worthy only of an asterisk? Let me know what you think.

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Jim Brennan

Jim Brennan

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  1. Feds_II Avatar
    Feds_II

    Potentially Lust worthy. Mitsee-booshee's are too well supported and too swapable for any of them to be deemed undesirable based on the factory powertrain. A 4G63T will fix the power and help the handling, and if you're dedicated, 4wd parts are out there as well.
    I'd really have to see how useful the interior is before I give it full lust worthy status.

    Reply
    1. P161911 Avatar
      P161911

      The 3000GT and the Diamante share a platform. Just find enough VR-4 twin turbo bits to make this wagon interesting.

      Reply
    2. nitroracer Avatar
      nitroracer

      Youtube + Turbo Magna
      The 3000GT parts sharing is a good idea. Nissan pulled a similar trick with the stagea wagon.

      Reply
  2. Syrax Avatar
    Syrax

    I just never understood why they would call it Diamante. Diamonds are supposedly special things, not an average sedan.

    Reply
    1. dead_elvis Avatar
      dead_elvis

      But what about wagons? ;-p

      Reply
  3. muthalovin Avatar
    muthalovin

    I like them both, and the price is pretty damn affordable. However, I would prefer a Lancer Wagon:
    <img src="http://4car.net/images/car/2007%20Mitsubishi%20Lancer%20Wagon.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
    1. Tomsk Avatar
      Tomsk

      It's an absolute travesty that they never bothered to import the Evo wagon, even as a super-limited edition.
      <img src="http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2005/2005-Lancer-Evolution-Wagon-SA-1600×1200.jpg&quot; width="500" />

      Reply
      1. muthalovin Avatar
        muthalovin

        No one in "Murica would want a high-performance wagon, I bet. Wait.

        Reply
        1. Alff Avatar
          Alff

          No, nobody would…
          <img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_fVEg3I8ek1A/TL2zV04qnaI/AAAAAAAAAOM/uHJqllP4WGU/s640/2010-10-19%2010.00.44.jpg"width=500&gt;

          Reply
          1. muthalovin Avatar
            muthalovin

            So true. Europes can keep their damn wagons.
            <img src="http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/picture1-046-caradvice.jpg"&gt;

          2. Alff Avatar
            Alff

            I love that. Yours?

          3. muthalovin Avatar
            muthalovin

            Phssstt, I wish! I also wish I could take a photograph that well.

  4. omg_grip Avatar
    omg_grip

    looks fairly big. sure there are probably better cars out there, but the general rarity/obscurity counters that.

    Reply
  5. tonyola Avatar
    tonyola

    I never even knew Mitsu imported the Diamante wagon. Pretty handsome beasts at quite decent prices. The silver one gets my nod because for only a grand more you get around half the mileage and a moonroof.

    Reply
  6. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    Those Diamantes are bottom-feeder cars, like most Mitsubishis. I see so many of those things huffing blue smoke. It's no wonder the company has basically been on life support in this country for years.

    Reply
  7. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar
    Rust-MyEnemy

    When I first started here at MB the second car I ever took in as trade was a Sigma Estate (your Diamante Wagon). It was a '92 with the regular spec and I absolutely loved it. Shame the wagon version never had all the insane gadgets that the JDM models could be had with.

    Reply
  8. m.edwards Avatar
    m.edwards

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZucTSjfjsQ
    My first memory of the Diamante and Montero.

    Reply
  9. Alff Avatar
    Alff

    Nice looking, although I considered Mitsus of that vintage to be too gimmicky. I'm with Muthalovin' – I'd rather have a Lancer wagon.

    Reply
  10. alcology Avatar
    alcology

    F your mitsubishi, I've a horse outside. I think it's an interesting wagon as a project base, but it does not fall within my range of wants.

    Reply
  11. ZomBee Racer Avatar
    ZomBee Racer

    Interesting. I give it three and a half asterisks.

    Reply
  12. CaptainZeroCool Avatar
    CaptainZeroCool

    Back in '02 when I was looking for my first car. I found a '96 model Diamante with 46,000 miles for $2900. Sea-foam green wasn't a good color for that car….

    Reply
  13. Black Steelies Avatar
    Black Steelies

    Meh. It'd look better if someone grafted a Ford Taurus on the back.

    Reply
  14. From_a_Buick_6 Avatar
    From_a_Buick_6

    In spring '93, my parents bought a new Expo LRV. While that car was nothing to be proud of, the rest of the cars in the Mitsubishi showroom were pretty cool. At least my 7 year old self did. I loved the 3000GT and first-gen Eclipse. But I also distinctly remember the very classy-looking Diamante wagon on display. Even back then, I had a thing for wagons, and it's what I wanted us to get.
    But that wasn't happening. I think we had gone into look at the new '94 Galant, after the Honda dealer next door wanted entirely too much for the soon-to-be redesigned '93 Accord DX. My mom's heart was set on the cutesy little Expo the moment he saw it (much to my dad's chagrin, but he was too cheap to steer her into something else), so my parents went ahead and bought the crappiest new vehicle they ever owned. It was the ultimate dumb impulse buy, at a time when it seemed any Japanese brand could do no wrong. Granted, even though it was a base model, it looked sharp in its forest green paint and silver lower cladding. But it was horribly gutless and had absolutely no comfort or convenience options beyond AC. We only kept it for four years, long enough for its chronic oil leak to permenantly soil the garage floor.

    Reply
  15. dr zero Avatar
    dr zero

    I'm not too sure if these are at all worth while. In Australia you hardly ever see a Magna any more, which I suppose isn't that surprising considering that the only people who bought them were fleets. Drove the next model after this around Melbourne a few times around '98-99 (it was a wagon, and a work car), and I don't really have anything good or bad to say about it. Or even really remember what it was like to drive.

    Reply
  16. Mustang Performance Parts Avatar
    Mustang Performance Parts

    we have a huge selection of all sorts of mustang parts & accessories, if any one is interested.

    Reply
  17. Joanna Avatar
    Joanna

    I love my '95 Diamante wagon. I just wish I could come up with the bushings for the lower control arm so I can keep her on the road. Seems a shame to scrap such a wonderful vehicle because of four bushings.
    The Diamante rides so nice, is so reliable, and at 157,000 miles, she's still strong in the engine. I'll miss her if i can't get those parts.

    Reply
    1. john peterson sr Avatar
      john peterson sr

      If you do decide to sell, give me a call , I have a 93 that I will keep forever and want to build another one. john Peterson 262-989-9690 wisconsin

      Reply