Beginning. The company was established in 1870 and it provided transport services. The group consists of numerous independent companies, including steel, aviation, arms and even banking sectors. Mitsubishi Motors (the automotive sector), established in 1970, is the most popular in Poland. The first car rolled out of the factory in 1917 and was constructed in a manner similar to the famous Ford T. However, its production was discontinued in 1920.
Development. In 1997, sales decreased dramatically due to the Asian crisis. Later, there were attempts to cover up scandals which had a negative effect on the brand's image. The acquisition of Mitsubishi by the Daimler-Chrysler company in 2001 did not improve the situation, either. However, prospects began to look a bit brighter thanks to sales of the Colt model in Europe (since 2004) and the Outlander in Japan (2005), as well as the cooperation with the French PSA.
Present. In 2007, the company employed 35,000 people. 1.4 million cars were manufactured that year. In 2010, the company's net profit was 78 million dollars.
Contribution to the automotive industry. In 1995, Mitsubishi launched serial production of a direct-injection engine (labelled by the company as GDI). Before the Japanese company, nobody had undertaken this task on such a large scale. Engineers calculated that the GDI engine used 20% less fuel and that it was 10% stronger than an engine with a traditional construction. In their opinion, a direct-injection engine combines the advantages of petrol and diesel engines. It has the considerable power of the latter and the low fuel consumption and high torque of the former. To put it simply, the GDI engine works in two different modes. In the first mode—the saving mode—it burns lean fuel mixture. In the other mode—at speeds over 120 km/h—it has greater power but also uses more fuel. The launch of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution model in 1992 was a huge success for the company. The Lancer Evo, owing to its above average performance and excellent driving dynamics, soon became a cult object. There were numerous re-editions of this model (in 2010, the tenth edition of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo was being sold) and it is successfully used in car rallies.
Several most popular Mitsubishi models: Adventure, Challenger, Colt, Eclipse, Galant, Jolie, L100, L200, L300, Lancer, Lancer Evolution, Outlander, Pajero, Space Gear, Space Wagon.
Mitsubishi cars have been equipped with Bridgestone tyres, amongst other brands. The following models have been used: Bridgestone ER30, size 195/60 R15 (Mitsubishi Lancer), Bridgestone RE050 A, size 235/45 R17 (Lancer), Bridgestone D840 EZ (Pajero) D684 ADZ (Outlander), D840 Z (Triton) and D840 LZ (Pajero). Models Lancer/Mirage and Outlander can be also equipped with Dunlop tyres — Dunlop SP 20 FE and SP Sport 4000, respectively. The Lancer EVO X model is sold with Yokohama Advan A13 tyres, size 245/40 R18. The Mitsubishi Lancer EX GT/GTA is equipped with Yokohama Advan A10 tyres, size 215/45 R18. The Lancer MX, GLS, GLX and GSR models, on the other hand, come equipped with Yokohama S306 tyres, size 195/55 R15. Mitsubishi Outlander models: Yokohama G035, Mitsubishi Pajero — Yokohama G902 or G039 tyres.