Who Owns Mitsubishi?

Every Reading driver who owns a Mitsubishi vehicle knows what it’s like to have an incredibly reliable car that gets great gas mileage. But, maybe you’re curious about the automaker behind the car. For instance, who owns the Mitsubishi corporation, where is Mitsubishi made? Who makes Mitsubishi vehicles? Keep reading for the answers.

Who Owns the Mitsubishi Corporation?

Automakers buy and sell each other all the time. And many brands are actually subsidiaries of much larger companies. Is that the case with Mitsubishi? Who owns Mitsubishi? Today, Mitsubishi Motors is a publicly traded company operating as its own entity. But it hasn’t always been that way and it’s come a long way to become the producer of the fine automobiles you see on Pottstown roads today.

While Mitsubishi has been producing cars off and on since 1917, it did so as part of a larger corporation, first known as Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. That company merged with Mitsubishi Aircraft Co. in 1920 to form Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which would go on to build ships, airplanes, and railroad cars. The corporation would dabble in auto making, building just 22 cars of its 1917 Model A line and producing a prototype military sedan in 1937. However, it would not start manufacturing cars in earnest until the 1960s.

Mitsubishi Motors would be spun off into its own company in 1970 and be privately owned until its initial public offering in 1988. Chrysler would come to own over 20% of the company, but would eventually decrease its share to just 3% in 1992, finally divesting all of its shares in 1993. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries would acquire a 15% stake in the company as part of an emergency rescue in 2005. So, the answer to who owns the Mitsubishi corporation is its shareholders. 

Where is Mitsubishi Made?

Mitsubishi is headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and has multiple production facilities throughout the Japanese islands. But the team who makes Mitsubishi cars is spread out over the globe. Then, where is Mitsubishi made outside of Japan? Here’s a list:

• Philippines
• Thailand
• Indonesia
• China
• Russia
• Brazil
• U.S.A. – Research and development center in Ann Arbor, Michigan 

Check Out the Mitsubishi Lineup at Springfield Mitsubishi - Reading

Now that you know who makes Mitsubishi automobiles, come take some of them for a test drive. We’d love to help you drive home in one of your own. And if you’d like to learn more, check out our posts on Mitsubishi warranty coverage and Mitsubishi roadside assistance. We’re conveniently located near both Lancaster and Allentown. So, drop by or contact us today.