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At one point, AMG cheated on Mercedes and worked with Mitsubishi, giving the world the awesome Galant AMG.

Mitsubishi has witnessed a significant sales spurt since 2013. Still, its product lineup has shrunk considerably. They currently have only five models; three SUVs, a sedan, and a hatchback, most of which are practically reworked or rebadged Nissan cars. For instance, the Outlander is a Nissan Rogue Sport underneath. Sadly, Mitsubishi Cars face an uncertain future in North America as they edge closer to possible absorption by Nissan. But it hasn’t always been dark for the Japanese automaker.

Taking a trip back to the good old days, you meet some iconic and exciting Mitsubishi models that solidified the brand as a giant in the auto industry. The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is the closest reminder that the company was capable of delivering capable sports cars. Before the Evo came along in 1992, there were the 3000GT, the Eclipse, and the Galant. At some point, AMG cheated on Mercedes and worked with Mitsubishi, giving the world the incredible Galant AMG. Here are things everyone forgot about the AMG-tuned Mitsubishi Galant.

AMG was made a Mercedes-exclusive brand in 1999. Still, there are non-Mercedes cars powered by AMG engines, and before the acquisition, they could have worked with anyone. That is why we have oddities like the AMG Galant roaming the streets. But the Galant wasn’t the first time AMG worked on a Japanese car.

In 1987, AMG partnered with Mitsubishi for the first time to release the Debonair V 3000 Royal AMG. This car was practically a body-kitted Debonair and didn’t receive AMG performance upgrades.

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The AMG Galant’s appearance mods are minimal compared to the standard sedan. But they still went a long way to make the car look like other AMG cars of the era. It isn’t as handsome as the Mercedes 190 AMG, but is still good-looking.

It received a wide-body kit featuring bulkier bumpers, bespoke 15-inch wheels, a sharp rear spoiler, and AMG badges at both ends, fenders, and wheel caps. You could have it in black, although it looked meaner in gunmetal grey paint.

Mitsubishi built the Galant from 1969 to 2012 across nine distinct generations, selling more than five million units. The sixth-generation saw the introduction of the VR4 trim, which remains one of their most iconic models, and a homologation rally car that competed in the World Rally Championships between 1988 and 1992 before the Lancer Evolution came along.

Coincidentally, it was the same generation model AMG chose to tinker with. But the AMG Galant was overshadowed by the VR4’s rally heritage and higher performance, which meant it was the better-known sibling.

The strongest engine featured in the donor 1989 Galant was a 2-liter four-cylinder making 143hp and 127lb-ft of torque. AMG tuned this engine to produce 170 ponies of naturally aspirated power. This was respectable at the dead end of the 80s, when many engines required turbochargers to make such power. The Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 made 201hp, but with an extra half-liter capacity.

This output was close to the 195-horsepower of Mitsubishi’s Galant VR4, which employed a turbocharger. But this is for the US-Spec only since elsewhere, the VR4 made an impressive 237hp.

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AMG had to perform fee magic tricks to achieve such a massive power jump without forced induction, so it’s no surprise there were innovative upgrades under the hood. They took the stock 4G63 engine and fitted it with new pistons, camshaft, titanium valve springs, and a bespoke high-flow intake and exhaust manifold.

The ECU was also tuned, and these changes turned the car into a rev-happy high-performance beast with an 8,000rpm redline, an incredible achievement at the time.

There were more apparent differences between the two Galant performers beyond the lack of a turbo in the AMG trim. The VR4 came with AWD, just like the championship-winning WRC cars. Also, unlike the AMG, it featured 4-wheel steering, ABS, and fully independent electronically-controlled suspension.

AMG and Mitsubishi didn’t want to overdo the exterior as they did with the Debonair, and the car’s exterior mods aimed at recreating the Galant VR4’s looks, which gave it a sportier appearance compared to the standard car. But it received wheels that looked typical German but were period-appropriate.

Even in its last 2012 model year, the Galant’s interior looked cheap, dated, and uninspiring, highlighted by a flat dash design and boxy-looking center stack. Similarly, the standard Galant before AMG brought their German touch and gave the car a dash of luxury on the inside.

The interior was upgraded with AMG branded door stills, floor mats, and a four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel, different from the base car. Also, you could order the car with full leather seats, and it had traces of wood trims on the dash and center stack.

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Some cars are so rare that they are almost mythical. Consider the Ferrari GTO, which saw only 39 units built, and today the surviving ones sell for tens of millions. The AMG Galant doesn’t command the same level of valuation and reverence as the successful racer and holy grail of classic cars, but it is rare in its rights.

Only 500 AMG Galant cars were built between 1989 and 1991. They came in Type I and Type II variants, although they were largely identical except for minor cosmetic differences.

Over the years, we’ve witnessed many JDM-Only special edition cars that the rest of the world only wished they could drive, like the R32 Nissan Skyline and the Ferrari J50, which few know about. AMG not only built a few Galant cars, but were available exclusively to the Japanese market. Even AMG couldn’t sell them in their German home market.

Even with their exceedingly rare status, they are surprisingly cheap, and the few surviving high mileage cars fetch less than $10k, with those in pristine condition going for twice the amount at best.

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The AMG Galant is a product of one of the rare occasions AMG and JDM have merged and, although it was never popular, has a unique spot in the rich history of the famous Mercedes tuners. Thanks to the incredible power-to-weight ratio, it is faster than its performance figure indicates and is reported to provide an engaging drive experience. Not the fastest or loudest AMG car, but it will draw attention at car shows.

It is a hidden gem and a mystery, and although the legendary VR4 overshadowed it, it certainly deserves more plaudits.

Bryan is a content marketer who works as a staff writer for HotCars.com where he covers a variety of topics, from the first Motorwagen to the latest Electric vehicles. A writer by day and a programmer by night. When he is not writing about cars, catch him tinkering with his old motorcycle.