Introduced
in 1989 as a 1990 model car, the Mitsubishi Eclipse was, in a
sense, a triplet, sharing the same design as the Eagle Talon and Plymouth
Laser. The Eclipse, unlike other Mitsubishi automobiles, is being
assembled in the United States in Normal, Illinois. The car was
a hit! It
was fast, handled well, looked sporty, and offered all-wheel-drive
on the top
of the line GSX model. Other models included the "Eclipse, Eclipse
GS,
Eclipse GS Turbo, and Eclipse GSX.
1992 brought on little but noticeable change for the Eclipse.
The flip-up
headlights were replaced with molded units, which made the car sleeker.
In 1995, Mitsubishi had already won over America with the first generation
Eclipse, but it was time to move forward. Mitsubishi introduced
the
completely redesigned 1995 Eclipse RS, GS, GST, and GSX. The
car also
lost one of it's siblings, the Plymouth Laser, which was dropped due
to
slow moving sales and replaced with the Sebring. The new Eclipse
was
modern looking with wide bulging fenders and sleek rounded lines.
It also
proved itself to be as popular as the first generation Eclipse, with
sales
climbing high.
1996 brought the Eclipse Spyder. A convertible version of the
GS and
GST.
In 1997, the front facias for all Eclipse models were changed.
They now
feature sleeker headlamps and large intake area. The car was
referred to,
in many trade magazines and publications, as "absolutely gorgeous".
Another cool change in 1997 was the introduction of the "hoop" spoiler
on
GST and GSX models.
In 1999 the Eclipse took another sad loss of its sibling the Eagle
Talon and
in the later part of 1999 Mitsubishi released the third generation
Eclipse RS,
GS, and GT as year 2000 models.
The 2000 model Eclipse automobiles are winning over car enthusiasts
with
their new "geo-mechanical" design. The turbo and all-wheel-drive
versions
of the car have been replaced with a new V6 and available traction-control.
Also arriving in 2000, as a 2001 model, is the redesigned Eclipse Spyder,
offered in both GS and GT models
.