(October 1, 2013) This month will mark the start of a milestone year for Mitsubishi Motors Corporation as it is about to celebrate 40 years of non-stop presence in the most strategic European market, from its first official display at the London Motor Show in October 1974 to the launch of the pioneering Outlander PHEV later this year.

Even though small numbers of Mitsubishi vehicles were already present in a few selected European countries, namely Spain (1956) and Greece (1962), Mitsubishi’s own corporate export move to Europe came as a result of a unique agreement in February 1970 between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Chrysler Corporation whereby MitsubishiI would 1) spin off its already existing auto division and 2) join forces with Chrysler to create “Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.”

In May 1971, a further deal between Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and Chrysler International included the distribution of Mitsubishi vehicles through the global Chrysler International dealer network, except for Japan, the United States and Canada.



In a separate move, Mitsubishi Motors became a joint company, shared by MHI (85%) and Chrysler Corporation (15%) from September 1971.

However, restricted by the terms of this agreement, Mitsubishi Motors sales remained very limited in Europe (4,861 units in total between 1971 and 1975) at a time sales of other Japanese brands soared, increasing from 16,458 units in 1965 to 126,275 units in 1970, to reach 528,486 units in 1975.

Eventually, in 1974, MMC and Chrysler International reached an agreement allowing MMC to develop its own sales & marketing activities in Europe.

From thereon, distribution rights were granted to independent companies, first in Belgium & Luxembourg (August 1974), followed within a few weeks by the Netherlands and then the United Kingdom, the country where Mitsubishi Motors is officially launched in Europe at the London Motor Show in October.

Lancer and Galant were both introduced at that milestone motor show and then made available to the European public from 1975 in those three countries, after similar successful unveilings at the Brussels Motor Show and the Amsterdam Motor Show (AutoRAI).

The rest of Europe followed in due course, whether open to Japanese imports (e.g. Germany in 1977) or restricted by quotas (e.g. France in 1978).  In the meantime, the agreement with Chrysler International had reached an end in August 1982, while Mitsubishi had already established a first liaison office in Rotterdam in 1977, the forerunner of today’s Mitsubishi Motors Europe B.V. still based in the Netherlands.

Over 40 years, Mitsubishi Motors sales have  grown substantially in Europe: from the few early units retailed in 1975 in only three countries to last fiscal year's 92,411 units in the 34 countries of Mitsubishi's commercial territory.