1981 Plymouth Arrow Sunrader Truck 1 of 2

This 1981 Plymouth Arrow Pickup, VIN JP7FP2458BY201607, is an exceptionally unusual surviving example of Chrysler's Mitsubishi-built compact pickup, distinguished by its extremely rare Sunrader conversion. The VIN identifies it as a Japanese-built, two-wheel-drive Plymouth Arrow conventional-cab pickup assembled at Mitsubishi's Nagoya facility for the 1981 model year. The Arrow Pickup was Plymouth's answer to the growing compact-truck market dominated by imports such as the Toyota Hilux, Datsun pickup and Chevrolet LUV, with Mitsubishi engineering providing an economical and durable platform. This example was subsequently transformed by Sunrader, the California-based specialty vehicle manufacturer best remembered for its fiberglass recreational-vehicle conversions. Rather than creating a conventional slide-in camper, Sunrader dramatically altered the Arrow's cab and body, adding its distinctive extended passenger compartment and integrated fiberglass bodywork to create one of the most unusual compact-truck conversions of the period. The rarity of the Sunrader Arrow is extraordinary. Period documentation surrounding these conversions is extremely limited, and enthusiast research has identified only two examples known to exist, making the Sunrader-modified Plymouth considerably scarcer than the already seldom-seen standard Arrow Pickup. Contemporary enthusiast records dating back years specifically document surviving 1981 Arrow Sunrader conversions and describe them as among only two known examples, while similar Sunrader treatments are known on a handful of Toyota compact pickups from the same era. With its unmistakable early-1980s styling, Mitsubishi-built Plymouth heritage and remarkable coachbuilt Sunrader body conversion, JP7FP2458BY201607 represents a nearly forgotten chapter of both American recreational-vehicle culture and the compact-pickup boom - an exceptionally rare conversation piece believed to be one of only two surviving examples of its kind.