SP was a U.S.-market trim level of Mitsubishi’s first-generation compact pickup, part of the early-1980s truck lineup that helped establish the brand in the small-truck segment. It appeared by 1983, positioned above the base and S models and below the better-equipped SPX. In period sales and parts references, it is identified as a standard-cab pickup with both rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive configurations, and it could be ordered with Mitsubishi’s 2.6-liter gasoline four-cylinder or, in some listings, a turbo-diesel option.
The nameplate belongs to the era when Mitsubishi was still selling this truck simply as the Mitsubishi Pickup or Mitsubishi Truck in the U.S., alongside Chrysler-badged versions such as the Dodge Ram 50. Enthusiast and parts references show SP in 1983, 1984, and 1985 applications, but not as a continuing trim into the later first-generation years, when Mitsubishi’s truck lineup shifted and higher-spec SPX and related badges became more prominent. That makes SP a short-lived but recognizable early-1980s designation from the company’s compact pickup history.
Historically, it represents Mitsubishi’s move to offer a more upmarket compact truck without abandoning the straightforward, utilitarian character that defined the model line. Today it is mostly remembered by owners, restorers, and parts catalogs as one of the original trim levels in the brand’s first successful North American pickup family.