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| Mitsubishi Model A | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. |
| Production | 1917–1921 |
| Assembly | Japan:Kobe |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 4-doorsedan |
| Related | Fiat Tipo 3 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2,765 ccI4 (original) 977 ccKE43I4 (reproduction) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,640 mm (103.9 in) |
| Length | 3,830 mm (150.8 in) |
| Width | 1,620 mm (63.8 in) |
| Height | 2,070 mm (81.5 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,315 kg (2,899 lb) |
TheMitsubishi Model A is the only car built by the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Company, a member of theMitsubishicorporate group which would eventually evolve intoMitsubishi Motors, and the first series productionautomobile manufactured inJapan. It was the brainchild of Koyata Iwasaki, Mitsubishi's fourth president and the nephew of founderYataro Iwasaki, who foresaw the vast potential of motorized vehicles and the role they would play in the economic development of Japan. Envisioned as a luxury vehicle for high echelon government officials and top executives, the Model A had to be reliable, comfortable, and a showcase of Japanese craftsmanship. After the war in 1964, Mitsubishi would use this approach again to build an exclusive sedan for government officials and top level executives with theMitsubishi Debonair.
Based on theFiat Tipo 3, it was a four-door seven-seatsedan using atown car body style powered by a front-mounted 26 kW (35 hp) 2.8-litrestraight-4 engine driving the rear wheels, and was capable of speeds up to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). 22 were built at the company'sKobe shipyard, including prototypes, between 1917 and 1921.
Because it was expensive to produce—it was built entirely by hand, with the interior rear compartment furnished withlacqueredwhite cypress—it could not compete with cheaperAmerican andEuropean competition, and Mitsubishi halted production after four years. Concentrating instead on its successfulFuso commercial vehicles, the Model A would be the company's last passenger car until theMitsubishi 500 of 1960.
At Mitsubishi's Auto Gallery (a museum of the company's most historically significant vehicles, established at their R&D Center inOkazaki in 1989) there is areplica on display, assembled in 1972 using materials of the time. It has a slightly shorter wheelbase, and uses awater-cooled 977 cc four-cylinderOHV engine instead of the larger 2.8-litre original.