A family-run garage in North Wales has celebrated 50 years with Mitsubishi Motors, marking a remarkable partnership that stretches back almost to the beginning of the Japanese manufacturer’s history in Britain.
Smithy Garage, based in Dyffryn Ardudwy, Gwynedd, within Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, has received a special award from Mitsubishi Motors in the UK to recognise half a century of association with the brand.
But while the anniversary is an achievement in itself, it’s also a wonderful excuse to revisit the days when Mitsubishi was still a relative newcomer to British roads, and many of its cars were sold under a name that will be familiar to older motorists: Colt.
And perhaps, somewhere in Britain, there’s still an early Colt carrying the original number plates or rear-window sticker from Smithy Garage.
According to its business listing on Yell, Smithy Garage was established in 1939, long before its association with Mitsubishi began.
The garage became a Mitsubishi dealer in 1976, just two years after the Japanese manufacturer entered the British market through the Colt Car Company.
That means the business has witnessed an extraordinary period of change, from the rise of Japanese imports during the 1970s to the increasingly sophisticated vehicles of the present day.
Smithy Garage remains a family-owned business, with a reputation built around customer service, technical knowledge and supporting Mitsubishi owners.
The garage’s history is also supported by modern company records. Companies House lists Smithy Garage Limited at Dyffryn Ardudwy, with members of the Roberts family among its directors.
The present limited company was incorporated in 2011, although the garage’s reported history stretches back considerably further.
It’s a remarkable period of continuity for a business operating in an industry where so much has changed.
To commemorate the anniversary, Sharon Townsend, Head of Operations at Mitsubishi Motors in the UK, presented Smithy Garage with a special award recognising its 50-year association with the manufacturer.
John Roberts, Managing Director of Smithy Garage, described the milestone as a tremendous achievement and a source of considerable pride.
He reflected on how much the motor industry has changed over the decades, while emphasising that looking after customers, building trust and providing reliable service remain just as important today.
The anniversary is also a tribute to the generations of staff and customers who have helped shape the business.
And when you consider how many familiar garages and dealerships have disappeared over the past half-century, a relationship lasting 50 years is something worth celebrating.
To appreciate just how long Smithy Garage has been associated with Mitsubishi, it’s worth remembering what the British motoring landscape looked like when the relationship began.
Mitsubishi’s official arrival in Britain came in 1974 through the Colt Car Company.
Among the early models were the Lancer, competing in the same general market as the Ford Escort, and the larger Galant, offering an alternative to established family saloons such as the Ford Cortina.
These were the days when Japanese manufacturers were steadily establishing themselves in Britain, often attracting buyers with generous equipment levels, mechanical reliability and competitive prices.
The Colt name was particularly prominent during those early years.
By the latter part of the decade, British motorists could also encounter the distinctive Celeste coupé, a car with the sort of styling that makes 1970s Japanese machinery so appealing to enthusiasts today.
For buyers accustomed to British and European cars, these Japanese newcomers offered something different.
And in 1976, Smithy Garage was already beginning the Mitsubishi association that continues half a century later.
One of the photographs released by Mitsubishi to mark the anniversary takes us straight back to an earlier chapter in the garage’s history.
It shows five people standing together outdoors, surrounded by period cars, with a workshop building and a caravan visible in the background.
Two of the younger men are wearing jackets carrying Colt branding.
It’s a marvellous photograph, capturing the atmosphere of a family motor business at a time when Japanese cars were still establishing their place in the British market.
We don’t have a confirmed date for the picture or the identities of everyone shown, but it’s precisely the sort of image that can bring back memories for people who remember their local garages as they were decades ago.
Perhaps some of our readers will recognise the people, the cars or even the location.
And wouldn’t it be wonderful if somebody who bought a Colt from Smithy Garage during those early years happened to see this article?
For classic-car enthusiasts, the anniversary raises another interesting question.
How many of the Colt Lancers, Galants and Celestes sold through British dealerships during the 1970s are still around?
Unlike some of the more familiar British family cars of the period, early UK-market Mitsubishis are seldom encountered at shows or on the road today.
That relative scarcity makes surviving examples particularly interesting, especially cars that retain their original specification, registration history and period details.
A well-preserved early Colt Lancer or Galant offers something quite different from the more commonly seen classics of the same era.
The Celeste, meanwhile, has the distinctive styling that makes so many 1970s Japanese coupés appealing to collectors.
Of course, rarity doesn’t automatically translate into high values. Condition, originality, specification and demand all influence the classic-car market.
Nevertheless, we’d certainly be interested in seeing an original, UK-supplied example of one of these early models emerge from long-term ownership.
And a car that could be traced back to Smithy Garage would have an additional story to tell.
Ask a classic-car enthusiast what makes an original survivor special, and the answer might surprise you.
Sometimes it isn’t the paintwork, the mileage or even what’s under the bonnet.
It’s a small dealer sticker in the rear window, or a pair of original number plates carrying the name of the garage that supplied the car.
These details were once commonplace.
Dealerships advertised themselves on number plates, rear-window stickers, tax-disc holders and other little accessories that accompanied a new car.
For the original owner, they were probably nothing remarkable.
But decades later, they can become fascinating pieces of motoring history.
An original dealer-branded number plate or window sticker can connect a surviving vehicle to a particular garage, town and period.
They’re so desirable to some enthusiasts that there’s now a thriving specialist trade reproducing period dealer stickers and number-plate details for classic-car restorations.
Which brings us back to Smithy Garage.
After 50 years of association with Mitsubishi, surely some cars must have left the premises carrying the garage’s name.
We haven’t yet found a confirmed photograph of an original Smithy Garage dealer sticker or period number plate, so we don’t know exactly what they looked like.
But we’d love to find out.
Perhaps there’s a faded sticker tucked into the corner of a rear window, a surviving dealer-branded number plate, or an old service book bearing the garage’s stamp.
Better still, imagine discovering an early Colt Lancer, Galant or Celeste that still wears its original Smithy Garage plates.
Even if the car itself has seen better days, those small details would help preserve a little piece of its history.
And if anyone has photographs of the garage’s original stickers, number plates or other period advertising, we’d be delighted to see them.
Mitsubishi’s British story has included considerable changes since those early Colt days.
The manufacturer went on to become particularly well known for vehicles such as the Shogun, while its later performance cars, including the Lancer Evolution series, developed enthusiastic followings of their own.
Today, Mitsubishi Motors in the UK is developing its renewed vehicle sales presence alongside its established aftersales network.
For Smithy Garage, however, the anniversary is also about continuity.
Sharon Townsend, Head of Operations at Mitsubishi Motors in the UK, congratulated the garage on its achievement, highlighting the importance of long-standing relationships, local knowledge and consistent customer care.
It’s fitting recognition for a family business that has remained associated with the marque through so many changes in the motor industry.
We’d like to congratulate everyone at Smithy Garage on reaching this impressive milestone.
But we’d also love to hear from readers who remember the business in its earlier days.
Did you or your family buy a Colt or Mitsubishi from Smithy Garage?
Perhaps you worked there, had your car serviced there, or recognise somebody in the old photograph.
And if you owned one of those early Colt Lancers, Galants or Celestes, we’d love to hear what it was like.
Better still, does anyone still own a Colt or Mitsubishi originally supplied by Smithy Garage?
We’d be particularly interested in seeing surviving dealer stickers, original number plates, sales invoices or service books from the garage’s early years.
Fifty years is a long time in the motor trade, and there must be some wonderful stories waiting to be told.
Anniversary information and photographs: Mitsubishi Motors in the UK, supplied through Newspress. Additional historical information from Smithy Garage’s business listing and Companies House records.
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