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Mitsubishi Motors is a Japanese car maker, with headquarters in Tokyo. The original company, known as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, was a ship building company formed in 1870 by Yataro Iwasaki in Nagasaki. The company entered the car making business in 1917 with the Model A, a Fiat derivative. The model was not a success due to its high cost and only 22 were ever produced. By 1937, however, the company experimented in manufacturing design and subsequently produced the PX33, a four-wheel drive sedan intended for military use and the first of its kind to be built in Japan.
Acting as a manufacturer for the Japanese military during WWII, the company then returned to vehicle production after the war. After being split up by the Allies as part of the condition of Japanese surrender, the company shifted focus to building import cars from kits. In particular, Mitsubishi sales for the company's version of the Jeep were skyrocketing. In fact, this model remained in production until 1998.
A strong economy during the 1960s allowed Mitsubishi to increase production, introducing new models in all ranges and, in particular, models aimed at families (the Colt line is one such model). Mitsubishi finally found a way to ramp up export sales by forging a bond with American company Chrysler, signing a deal that would allow the American company to re-brand certain Mitsubishi cars, thus making it easier to sell them in the US market.
By the 1980s, Mitsubishi had become strong enough to sell cars in the US under its own brand and even acquired Australian manufacturing assets from Chrysler. By capitalising on the new popularity of SUV type vehicles, the company was able to grow steadily throughout the 80s and, to this day, has remained a strong competitor. With a recent return to the light-car market and with hybrid technologies on offer, nearly new and used Mitsubishi cars offer a cheap way to obtain innovative Japanese cars.
