Mitsubishi

Headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. is a multinational company. In 2016, Mitsubishi joined the Renault-Nissan Alliance, as Nissan owns one-third of Mitsubishi Motors.

The name Mitsubishi is a combination of “mitsu,” meaning three in Japanese and “hishi,” meaning “water chestnut” in Japanese, which is often used to depict a diamond. Founder of Mitsubishi Group, Iwasaki Yataro, created the three diamond logo to honor his first employer, Tosa Clan.

Mitsubishi built their first automobile, “Model-A”, in 1917, under the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. name. The vehicle was the first Japanese mass-produced passenger car. In 1937, Mitsubishi built the first Japanese passenger four-wheel drive vehicle.

By 1950, Mitsubishi had expanded their automotive branch and were producing more than 75,000 vehicles annually. On April 22, 1970, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. was created as the Mitsubishi Group wanted its own automotive branch.

Though the Mitsubishi Galant models were entering the U.S. markets due to Chrysler’s recent 15 percent share of the company, Mitsubishi officially entered the American market in 1982. The first Mitsubishi models sold include: Tredia sedan, Cordia and Starion coupes.

By the late 1980s, Mitsubishi aired its first national television advertisement as the brand continued to grow in the United States. By 1989, Mitsubishi had produced 1.5 million units worldwide and the first passenger turbocharged diesel engine car in Japan.

In addition to its partnership with Nissan, Mitsubishi has joint ventures with Volvo, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Volkswagen, Colt & Lonsdale, Proton, Hyundai, Hindustan and Samcor.

Popular Mitsubishi models include: Outlander Sport, Lancer, Mirage and the battery-powered I-MiEV. Mitsubishi also has introduced hybrid vehicles into their lineup in order to reduce CO2 emissions.

Mitsubishi manufacturing plants are located in Japan, Philippines and Thailand and their vehicles are produced and sold in more than 160 countries worldwide.

Mitsubishi design offices are located in Frankfurt, Germany; Tokyo, Japan; and Okazaki, Japan. Each office specializes in different design concepts.

Another key to Mitsubishi design is their dynamic shield and car grille. The face design concept represents performance and protection of their drivers.

Additionally, Mitsubishi has been heavily involved in motorsport, as their 500 Super DeLuxe vehicle first participated in the 1962 Macau Grand Prix and set a new course record. From there, Mitsubishi has participated in off-road racing events including the Dakar Rally and the World Rally Championships.

Since Mitsubishi’s first Dakar Rally race in 1983, Mitsubishi vehicles have won the title in 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998 and 2001 through 2007.

Mitsubishi also had a 30 year partnership with Jackie Chan, who exclusively used Mitsubishi vehicles throughout his films.