4×4S.ORGTHE REGISTRY BASE MODEL · 1982–91
BASE MODELJapan

Pajero I (1982–91)

The vehicle that made Mitsubishi’s name: the Pajero of May 1982, a ladder-frame 4x4 with torsion-bar independent front suspension, free-wheeling hubs and 2.0 to 3.0-litre petrol and diesel engines, in short and long wheelbases with canvas and metal tops; sold as the Montero in Spain and the Americas and the Shogun in Britain, and the basis of the Paris–Dakar cars that began Mitsubishi’s twelve overall wins.

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Sources & evidence
Pajero I (1982–91) — Mitsubishi Pajero EXE SWB, 1st Generation 1983-1991 (L040), european MarketDetectandpreserve · CC BY 3.0 ↗
MODEL LINEPajero, Montero and ShogunBUILT BYMitsubishi Heavy Industries / Mitsubishi MotorsPRODUCED1982–91PRODUCTIONPart of more than 3.3 million PajerosLAYOUT4 wheels · 92.5″

The record

The Pajero arrived when the recreational 4x4 market was forming and took it: comfortable enough for the road, capable enough for the desert, and a Dakar winner from 1985 onwards. Hyundai built the first generation under licence as the Galloper from 1991 to 2003.

Specification

MANUFACTURED1982–91
ENGINE2.0 and 2.6-litre petrol fours; 3.0-litre V6; 2.3 and 2.5-litre turbo-diesel fours
PRODUCTION RUNPart of more than 3.3 million Pajeros
COUNTRY OF ORIGINJapan
STATUSreplaced by the second generation in 1991
RECORD KINDBase model
MODEL LINEPajero, Montero and Shogun
FAMILYPajero, Montero and Shogun
WHEELS4
NOMINAL WHEELBASE92.5″
BODY STYLEShort wheelbase
VARIANTS3

Catalogue fields describe the vehicle's structure and body as this registry records it. They are not certified factory measurements, and no performance figures are published here.

Body styles & colours

Body style

Factory colours

  • White (W37 / W83)

Codes on hover. Hex values are representative approximations of period paint unless a source states a measured value.

AI rendering impression

An AI rendering impression starts from a 3D model of this vehicle, which an image model then paints into a scene. It is an artist's impression of the type, made to give a feel for the vehicle in its element — not a photograph, and not a record of any particular vehicle.

Proportions, fittings, markings, colours and the setting can all drift from the original in the process. For the vehicle's actual details, rely on the specification, the photographs and the cited sources on this page.

Sources

  1. 1Mitsubishi Pajero ↗Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-22SOURCE

Registry record updated 2026-09-22 · status: researched