50 years ago today, the first Mitsubishi cars set sail for North America

Here is a photo of Mitsubishi cars being loaded onto the Tagaharu Maru, a vessel operated by Yamashita Shin Nippon Kisen capable of holding 400 cars. The Galant wagons are being loaded at Kinjo Pier, Nagoya Port and bound for North America.

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8 Responses to 50 years ago today, the first Mitsubishi cars set sail for North America

  1. MikeRL411 says:

    Looking at the driver’s side door ! Shows why early Japanese imports came with a small can of touch up paint from the lot that the vehicle was sprayed with.

    Fortunately, since I bought the dealer’s last car he threw in the unopened touch up paint can. I still have it [no, it’s turned solid after 53 years].

  2. LTDScott says:

    Sold as Dodge Colts, to be fair.

    • Crown says:

      And Plymouth Crickets.

      • nlpnt says:

        Not this generation, the original Plymouth Cricket was a British Hillman Avenger. After it was dropped in ’75 or ’76 they reused the nameplate on a Galant in Canada only.

        • Crown says:

          I thought they were “twins”. How about that.
          My friend had a Cricket. POS. But back then it was hard to find something cheap and reliable.
          Since we are on the Mopar line of thinking I had a Simca 1204 back then in high school.

    • ColtSpeed says:

      @LTD uh, not sure if you’re trying to show off your knowledge by the “to be fair” comment since nowhere is it mentioned that they were SOLD as Mitsubishi’s here.

      Besides take off your capt. obvious hat since few car buffs don’t already know these were not Dodge.

      Moreover they were sold here with Dodge emblems thru Dodge dealerships but not only does one id plate say MADE FOR CHRYSLER BY MITSUBISHI a second id plate says MITSBUSHI MOTORS JAPAN so there was no pretense of them ever being real Dodges or even made by Dodge and no customer or journalist was being fooled wittingly or unwillingly.

      Even the promo ads said Made in Japan… Service and parts locally.

  3. Negishi no Keibajo says:

    Alas, Mistubishi’s arrival of a commercial jet here has been put on ice today. Really too bad. It had developmental issues but I think it would have been a great regional jet. The best looking Regional Jet I think.

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