Alternators for Mitsubishi Automobiles

Once part of the largest industrial group in Japan, Mitsubishi Motors started life when Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (now known as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) introduced their first car, the Model A, in 1971.  It was a Japan’s first-ever production automobile.  Built entirely by hand, it was far more expensive than its American and European counterparts, and was discontinued 4 years later with only 22 completed units built.  During World War II, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding merged with Mitsubishi Aircraft to become Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.  After the war, the Allied Forces ordered a dismantling of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which led to the creation of West Japan Heavy Industries, Central Japan Heavy Industries, and East Japan Heavy Industries.  All three companies operated automotive efforts and on April 22, 1970, due in part to the success of the 1969 Galant and their commercial vehicle line, they joined together to form Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.  Before the Mitsubishi name became internationally known, they first attempted to enter the global market by partnering with well-established foreign manufacturers.  In 1971, Mitsubishi sold Chrysler a 15% ownership share in the new company and, thus, Chrysler sold their first crop of foreign-made, badge-engineered imports.  The Mitsubishi Galant, which had been so popular in Japan, was brought to US shores as the Dodge Colt and later, as the 2nd generation Dodge Challenger (not to be confused with the E-body muscle car from 1970-1974) and Plymouth Sapporo.  In 1982, Mitsubishi made their official American debut with the Tredia sedan and coupe models Cordia and Starion.  The first Mitsubishi-branded cars were allocated to 30,000 units in only 22 states.  In addition to their alliance with Chrysler and the following formation of Diamond-Star Motors, Mitsubishi entered more partnerships with other manufacturers including Volvo, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Volkswagen, and Nissan among others and, as a result, Mitsubishi became Japan’s 3rd largest automaker.  In the 1990s, after a failed attempt to acquire Honda, Mitsubishi took a drastic risk and began producing SUVs and focusing on 4-wheel drive technology, which allowed for the creation of the Mitsubishi Outlander and the rally-inspired Lancer Evo.  The 1990s were extremely kind to Mitsubishi and the company was rapidly growing year by year, even managing to turn a profit in the aftermath of the 1997 East Asian financial crisis.  Models such as the tried and true Galant, Diamante, Eclipse, Lancer, Lancer Evo, and Outlander had garnered legions of customers and brand enthusiasts.  Unfortunately, a long streak of widely-publicized scandals, poor reliability and build quality, and losing sales to rival manufacturer Subaru, Mitsubishi’s presence dwindled in the mid 2000s.  American Mitsubishi production ended in 2015 and the one-time Japanese sales giant has all but left the American market.  In October of 2016, rival automaker Nissan took a 34% ownership stake of Mitsubishi, incorporating it into the Renault-Nissan Alliance.



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