| Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group, Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese conglomerate consisting of a large range of businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is a member of that group, and Japan's sixth largest automaker. Mitsubishi Motors was formed in 1970 out of the automotive division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Mitsubishi's automotive origins actually date back to 1917 when the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. introduced its Model A, Japan's first series-production automobile. Unfortunately, the hand-built seven seat sedan (based on the Fiat Tipo 3) proved expensive compared to American and European mass-produced vehicles, so the Model A was discontinued after only 22 had been built, in 1921. In 1934, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding merged with Mitsubishi Aircraft Co. to become Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the largest private company in Japan. MHI manufactured aircraft, ships, railroad cars and machinery, but also developed the PX33 in 1937, a prototype sedan for military use, and the first Japanese-built passenger car with full-time four-wheel drive. Immediately following the end of the Second World War, the company returned to manufacturing vehicles. However, the conglomerates was ordered to be dismantled by the Allied powers in 1950, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was split into three regional companies, each with an involvement in motor vehicle development: West Japan Heavy-Industries, Central Japan Heavy-Industries, and East Japan Heavy-Industries. East Japan Heavy-Industries began importing the Henry J car from Kaiser Motors, in knockdown kit (CKD) form in 1951, and continued importing them for the remainder of the car's three year production run. Central Japan Heavy-Industries concluded a similar contract that same year for CKD assembled Jeep CJ-3Bs from Willys, with licensed Mitsubishi Jeeps in production until 1998, thirty years after Willys themselves had replaced the model. A significant stake was sold to Chrysler Corporation in 1971 which it held, making DaimlerChrysler a controlling shareholder from 2000 to 2005. Mitsubishi Motors forged long term joint manufacturing and technology licensing deals with Hyundai in South Korea and Proton in Malaysia, while the company co-owned the largest automobile manufacturing plant in the Netherlands with Volvo for ten years in the 1990s, before taking sole ownership in 2001. Thanks to these alliances it benefitted strongly in the 1970s and '80s, increasing its annual production from 250,000 to over 1.5 million units. However, the 1997 East Asian financial crisis took a terrible toll on the company because it had such a strong localized presence in south-east Asia and the company is still looking to make a comeback.
http://www.mitsubishicars.com/
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