Used Plymouth Arrow Buying Guide: 1976-80 Hatchback and Fire Arrow

The Plymouth Arrow was a Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste hatchback that Plymouth sold from the 1976 through 1980 model years, and if you find one today, the questions are rust, whether it's really a Fire Arrow, and how much paperwork survived. A history report will tell you very little about a car built before 17-digit VINs. Some of the old recalls still matter, though, especially the fuel tank strap campaign on 1976-78 cars.

I read Old Cars Weekly's Arrow history and the Wikipedia entry on the Lancer Celeste on Oct. 20, 2026, and I ran PLYMOUTH ARROW through NHTSA's recall API for every year from 1976 to 1980. The two history sources disagree on one detail about the Fire Arrow, and I'll point it out.

What the Arrow was

Old Cars Weekly says Chrysler approved a Mitsubishi-built car for Plymouth dealers who wanted a captive import to fight Datsun and Toyota, and it went on sale in January 1976. It was a two-door fastback hatchback on a 92.1-inch wheelbase, rear-wheel drive, with MacPherson struts up front and leaf springs on a solid rear axle. The base Arrow 160 listed at $3,175 and the GT at $3,748. Every car had a 1600cc overhead-cam four rated at 83 hp, and the GS and GT could get a 96-hp 2.0-liter "Silent Shaft" engine with a balance shaft. Transmissions were a 4-speed, a 5-speed or a 3-speed automatic.

The Lancer Celeste entry confirms the Japanese original and says Canada got it as the Dodge Arrow. One quick spotting tip from there: 1976 cars have two slats in the quarter-window louvers, and later cars have three.

Year changes and the Fire Arrow question

Sales were about 30,400 the first year and over 47,000 for 1977, then fell to about 28,000 for 1978 when the bigger Sapporo arrived, according to Old Cars Weekly. 1978 brought the Arrow Jet paint package. For 1979 the car got a new grille, rectangular headlights and a larger rear window, and the Fire Arrow showed up with a 2.6-liter four rated at 105 hp, four-wheel disc brakes and alloy wheels. The Arrow hatchback ended after 1980.

The two sources don't agree on what a Fire Arrow is. Old Cars Weekly describes the Fire Arrow as a performance package for the GT. Wikipedia lists it as its own top model and says that for 1980 some tan and blue Fire Arrows came with the 1.6, while the white-and-black car was 2.6-only. So a "Fire Arrow" badge doesn't prove you're getting the 2.6. Pop the hood and check the engine before you pay for one.

The Arrow pickup is a different truck

From 1979 Plymouth also sold an Arrow pickup, a Mitsubishi Forte that Dodge sold as the D-50, and it lasted through 1982. It shares a name and not much else with the hatchback. If that's what you're looking at, read our Dodge Ram 50 buying guide, which covers the same truck.

Recalls the API still lists

• 83V019000 (1976-1978): fuel tank support straps can rust from road salt. Dealers were to replace them with galvanized straps. On a 45-year-old car, look at the straps yourself.
• 77V202000 (1977): front brake hoses made from improperly processed material that may fail under braking.
• 79V149000 (1978): fuel can leak past the fuel pump diaphragm and out the breather hole into the engine bay.
• 76V124000 (1976): an automatic transmission campaign shared with the Dodge Colt. The API has no summary text for it.

The API also lists 07E064000 for 1978-80, but that's for aftermarket fuel pumps sold in 2006-07, so it only matters if one was installed. Run the car through our Plymouth recall check guide anyway. Most of these campaigns are decades closed, so the real fix is your own inspection. Our post on rusted gas tank straps shows what to look for.

What to check before you buy

Start underneath. These were cheap small cars and a lot of them lived through salted winters, so floors, rocker areas, the rear spring hangers and those tank straps get the first look. Test the brakes hard, since the 1977 hose recall and plain age both point there. Check for fuel smell in the engine bay. On a claimed Fire Arrow, confirm the 2.6, the rear disc brakes and the alloy wheels. Parts for the Mitsubishi engines are easier to find than Arrow-only trim, so cracked dash pieces and missing badges cost more than you'd expect.

Honestly, Old Cars Weekly found no Arrows for sale when its writer searched, only older sold ads, so be ready to wait and to travel.

Short VINs and what a report shows

Arrows were built before the 1981 switch to the 17-character VIN, so many online decoders will reject the number. Our guide to VINs shorter than 17 digits explains why. Report coverage for a car this old is thin; you're mostly checking title brands and odometer entries from later sales. Search the title on NMVTIS, and match the VIN plate on the car to the title yourself. A seller's printed report could be for some other car entirely.

CarVins is a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller and isn't affiliated with either company. As of late October 2026 a single report cost about $5.50 as a guest or $4.50 as a member, and both together about $6.75, compared with retail of roughly $39.99 to $44.99. Check the price at checkout.

Sources

• Old Cars Weekly: Did the Plymouth Arrow miss the mark?
• Wikipedia: Mitsubishi Lancer (A70) and Lancer Celeste
• NHTSA recalls API: campaign 83V019000
• NMVTIS