This 2000 Mitsubishi Pajero Mini Is Perfect for a Peanuts Fan
tags:- Peanuts is still a beloved comic around the world, so much so that in Japan, Mitsubishi built a Snoopy-themed truck.
- A tiny kei SUV, the Pajero Mini is nonetheless a real 4x4, with a dual-range transfer case.
- If you're a true Snoopy fan, this is one vehicle you need for your collection.
At the height of its popularity, the comic strip Peanuts ran every day in 2600 newspapers distributed across 75 countries, translated into 21 languages. Its creator, Charles M. Schulz, was pulling in around $35 million annually, a figure that would make any modern cartoonist's head swim. There was also all manner of Peanuts merchandise being sold at the time, from watches to T-shirts, and on the 50th anniversary of the strip's debut, Mitsubishi decided it would be a good idea to have a Peanuts-themed truck.
Specifically, this Snoopy-themed Mitsubishi Pajero Mini, for sale right now on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). A tiny kei-jidōsha–class vehicle, the Pajero Mini is the fun-size version of Mitu's rugged SUV, the full-size versions of which took on challenges such as Paris-Dakar desert rally-raid racing. This one is more aimed at defeating Snoopy's long-time rival, the Red Baron.
You might not be able to get away with selling a Snoopy-themed CR-V in the U.S., but in the Japanese market in the early 2000s, special editions of all kinds were wildly popular. In fact, this Snoopy-branded Pajero Mini was so successful that it spawned a second edition with even more Snoopy decals and extras.
Here, you get Snoopy graphics on the mudflaps, sides, and rear spare tire cover, as well as embroidered on the seats. As Charlie Brown might say, good grief. But actually, it is pretty fun in a lighthearted way.
Plus, this is a proper 4x4, with a live rear axle and a dual-range transfer case. It'd be capable of squeezing down trails far too narrow for full-size SUVs, the same way Snoopy always seems to punch above his weight.
The odometer shows the equivalent of just 35K miles, so if you're a Peanuts obsessive looking for the ultimate collector item, then here you go. Further, unlike your Snoopy-themed snowglobe, stuffed animal, and tea towel, you can actually drive this thing around. For the ultimate Snoopy fans in the audience, don't let this one get away, like Lucy snatching the football from Charlie Brown.
The auction ends on July 8.
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.