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Weird 4×4 SUVs roamed in abundance throughout the 90s, with manufacturers left to play with much more lax safety and emissions standards. One of those strange yet impressively capable 90s off-road SUVs was the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution. An excellent example of the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution recently sold at auction online, fender flares and all. Let’s take a look.  

What is the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution?

A silver Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution sits on sunny tarmac. The Pajero Evolution was a 90s 4x4 SUV homologated for off-road racing.
1997 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution | Cars and Bids

The Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution is a homologation special SUV based on the modes used in races like the Dakar Rally. 

Mitsubishi took its Pajero SUV and added a host of impressive features, from super high ground clearance four-wheel drive to an upgraded 3.5-liter V6 engine and broad fender flares. It’s fully loaded with everything you’d need to take on the most challenging trails and oozes nostalgic 90s off-road style.

Unfortunately, the Pajero Evolution was never available in the U.S. market as a new vehicle. It only recently became available via the 25-year import rule. 

A clean example sold online 

A 1997 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution just sold on the popular online auction site Cars and Bids. 

Check the listing, and you’ll see that the example is an imported model from the Japanese market with just over 96,000 miles. The silver 90s 4×4 is right-hand drive, as you’d expect from a Japanese domestic market vehicle, and it looks pretty clean. 

According to the Cars and Bids listing, this Pajero Evolution sold for $34,000 – not bad for a 26-year-old SUV. 

Interestingly, the listing states that the SUV was once featured on the popular YouTube automotive show Jay Leno’s Garage. 

A 90s 4×4 SUV packed with off-road equipment 

The Pajero Evolution is a gem of a 90s 4×4 SUV. It has a laundry list of impressive off-roading features that prepare it for the worst terrain. 

  • Front and rear limited slip differentials 
  • Standard four-wheel drive 
  • 3.5-liter V6 with 276 horsepower and 257 pound-feet of torque 
  • Fully independent suspension specialized for high-speed off-roading 
  • Under-body skid plates
  • Recaro front seats 
  • Etc.  

Is the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution becoming a collector classic 90s 4×4 SUV?

The hype around vintage off-roaders has been growing for years, and it seems the Pajero Evolution might be next in line. 

Firstly, it looks the part. Its massive, angular fender flares, two-door configuration, boxy proportions, and abundance of vents and scoops are pure 90s. The Pajero Evolution has a distinct look for the era that modern collectors crave. 

It’s also explicitly linked to motorsport and rallying – a major plus for any potential collector car’s value. 

Finally, it’s rare. Cars and Bids claims that Mitsubishi only produced about 2,500 examples of the Pajero Evolution. And most of them are likely still in Japan. Scarcity breeds value and the Pajero Evolution is certainly scarce. 

The Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution is among the most recent 90s off-road SUVs to get attention on the auction market. We’re eager to see which model is next on the docket. 

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Staff Writer, Producer - SUVs

Scott Prewitt

Scott Prewitt joined the MotorBiscuit team in 2023 as a Staff Writer for the SUV section. During college, he began his career in journalism as Editor in Chief of The Creightonian. After graduating from Creighton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, News and Public Relations, Scott spent time in a local newsroom. He soon found his way to the world of automotive journalism and has been writing about cars since 2017.

A passion for all things automotive began at a young age. Playing Gran Turismo racing games in the early 2000s sparked an interest in cars and Scott began devouring Car and Driver stories when he was in the fourth grade. Since then, Scott’s enthusiasm for autos has grown to become the focal point of his career as a journalist.

By combining the skills that earned him the News Graduate of the Year 2016 and the Omaha Press Club Recognition & Academic Scholarship with a craving for knowledge of automotive industry, Scott covers a wide range of content from breaking news about the latest SUV models to designated off-road and overlanding rigs. His reporting is informed by personal experiences like road trips, intriguing automotive history, and time spent poring over various outlets and YouTube channels. Scott is drawn to car culture because, in his own words,  “these vehicles are a combination of purpose-built engineering and emotive, expressive design.”

The personal aspects of the autos world are of particular interest to Scott, and he is fascinated by the relationship between humans and cars. Years of writing for dealerships across the country and time in the corporate communications world lend to his expertise as a writer here at MotorBiscuit.