By Steven Symes 
Back in 2003 Mitsubishi was still trying to be cool and relevant in the US market, although the brand was admittedly struggling. This commercial shows part of its unsuccessful attempt to excite enough shoppers to get onboard with the Eclipse.
Flashback: C5 and C6 Corvettes race and crash
A big part of Mitsubishi’s woes started in 2001 when both Consumer Reports and 60 Minutes concluded the Montero, a truck-based SUV designed for off-roading, was prone to rollovers. That snowballed into other media organizations jumping on the bandwagon, tanking sales of the once-popular cash cow for the Japanese automaker.
The other nail in the coffin was the third-gen Eclipse. While some enthusiasts claim to have a fondness for the hatchback, for most it was a huge disappointment thanks to it being heavy and underpowered.
After all, the first two generations were revered for their tight handling, light curb weight, and explosive power, especially with the turbocharged engine. Even though the third generation of the car had flamboyant styling with Altezza-style taillights, those strange creases in the doors, and swoopy bodylines, those looks wrote a check the powertrain and drivetrain couldn’t cash.
Instead of going back to the drawing board with better designs, Mitsubishi decided to come out with commercials like this one. Really, the ad has very little to do with the Eclipse and more to do with some woman dancing in the front passenger seat.
Some people just love this commercial even today, saying it’s a fond memory from their youth. But for many gearheads it’s a reminder of when Mitsubishi was going down in flames.
It’s worth noting Mitsubishi tried capitalizing on the success of the first Fast and Furious movie, providing vehicles for 2Fast 2Furious in another attempt to get the youth interested in the Eclipse. It didn’t really catch on, but some aging Boomers did buy the car since it was “hot” compared to their Subaru Legacy or Ford Taurus.
Today, Mitsubishi is still struggling and could very well drop out of the US market anytime now. It’s amazing how things change over time.
Image via Kirk Sipkoi/Facebook Marketplace