Mitsubishi Motors Australia

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Mitsubishi Motors Australia

logo
legal form Ltd.
founding October 1, 1980
Seat Tonsley Park, Adelaide , Australia
management Robert McEniry (Managing Director)
Branch Automobile manufacturer / automobile importer
Website www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au

The Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd. (MMAL) is the Australian subsidiary of the Japanese automobile manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. Headquarters and Australian headquarters are in Tonsley Park in South Australia ; there are offices in Brisbane , Sydney , Melbourne and Perth . The company was founded in 1980 and began building vehicles in the same year, with the facilities of Chrysler Australia Ltd. were taken over. The production of cars ended in 2008; since then the company has only been active as an importer of Japanese Mitsubishi cars. MMAL operates spare parts centers in Adelaide and Sydney.

history

Chrysler

Construction of the assembly plant in Tonsley Park began in 1963 by the then owner, Chrysler Australia Ltd. The plant opened in October 1964 so that the previous assembly plant in Keswick could be closed and sold to a furniture dealer.

In 1968 Chrysler Australia opened an engine plant south of Adelaide in Lonsdale , where engines for the popular Chrysler Valiant were manufactured and installed in Tonsley Park.

Takeover by Mitsubishi

The Colt small car was built from 1982 to 1990.

After Chrysler USA took over 15% of the shares in Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in 1971, Chrysler Australia began building vehicles that were designed by Mitsubishi but sold with the Chrysler emblem, in particular the Chrysler Valiant Galant (later: Chrysler Galant) , which was based on the Mitsubishi Galant (1972-1977), and the Chrysler Sigma , which was based on the Mitsubishi Galant (1977-1985). In 1979 Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation each bought one sixth of the shares in Chrysler Australia Ltd. and in 1980 the two companies took over the rest of the company from Chrysler USA. The company's name was changed to Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd. in October 1980 . changed. Production of the popular Sigma continued under the Mitsubishi name until 1987. The successor called Magna came out in 1985. Production of the Colt , which began in 1982, was discontinued in 1990. There was no successor built in Australia for this.

Like its predecessor, the Magna was based on the Galant. The changes compared to the original model consisted of a larger vehicle width and an additional combination model , which came out in 1987. In the 1990s, the Magna underwent a number of facelifts and a luxury version called the Verada can emerge. At the beginning of the 2000s, however, the Magna / Verada, now in its third generation, looked a bit dated. Another facelift in 2003 failed to have the desired effect on sales figures. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation of Japan approved the construction of a new vehicle model and paid for the conversion of the Tonsley Park assembly plant. The new car, the Mitsubishi 380 , was introduced in 2005.

Falling sales

The legal and financial situation of the parent company also caused difficulties for MMAL, so that the brand image reached a low in 2004. An image survey in mid-2004 revealed that four out of five respondents thought Mitsubishi would give up its involvement in Australia.

DaimlerChrysler's withdrawal from its involvement with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in 2004 and the “revitalization plan” that recommended the closure of the Lonsdale plant did not improve the image of MMAL.

At the end of 2004, MMAL still had approx. 4000 unsold Magna and Verada on the farm. To regain customer confidence and to sell the cars on the dump, a number of television commercials were run in December 2004. The spots focused on Tom Philips , the then head of Mitsubishi Motors Australia, who promised to introduce a five-year 130,000 km guarantee . Mitsubishi reworked a slogan from Chrysler boss Lee Iacocca , which read: “If you can find a better-built, better-backed car anywhere, them buy it.” If you can find a car anywhere, the higher quality and has a better guarantee then buy it.). The campaign significantly improved sales and helped clear the pile of unsold cars.

The Mitsubishi 380 , the successor to the Magna, raised hopes for the future of MMAL when it was launched. Hopes were based on the success of the Magna when it was launched and the fact that the Australian automotive market was growing at the time. But the 380 sold poorly from the start and fell short of the forecast sales figures by far. Mitsubishi responded by reducing daily production from 180 to 50 vehicles and reducing the number of personnel required for this.

The all-important Mitsubishi model 380 was produced from 2005. The production did not even take three years.

Sales of other Mitsubishi models in Asia and Europe increased with the introduction of new models in 2006. These models were also introduced to the Australian market and increased sales in their segments, but did not help the models made in the country.

Abandonment of production in Australia and reorganization

On February 5, 2008, MMAL announced that it would cease production of the 380 in Tonsley Park with effect from the end of March 2008. The bilateral statement announced that the company would "pursue a pure import strategy in the Australian market" in the future, as the 380 simply did not sell properly. The last Mitsubishi limousine of the type 380 left the assembly lines on March 27, 2008. As a result, around 500 workers were released, and 430 more were able to stay for 12 months. The remaining staff dismantled the machines in the factory and manufactured spare parts for cars from the last ten years.

By the end of 2009, MMAL had also removed the last remnants of the manufacturing equipment from the assembly plant in Tonsley Park. On December 16, 2009 the work was transferred to the Government of South Australia.

The abandoned Mitsubishi plant in Adelaide

At the same time, the MMAL reorganized its remaining departments. This reorganization was completed in mid-2009 and 300 employees were laid off because they were no longer necessary or their tasks had been outsourced.

The majority of the remaining staff was employed in sales or marketing, although MMAL retained a few employees who can carry out any necessary design changes to Japanese Mitsubishi products in order to adapt them to the Australian market.

MMAL has also retained its offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Only minor reorganizations were necessary there, since they had always been sales branches.

Vehicle pallet

Since the Australian-made 380 model was discontinued, MMAL's entire range of models has consisted of vehicles imported from Japan, such as the Colt, Express , Grandis , Lancer , Outlander and Pajero . From Thailand to the will Challenger and Triton introduced.

Production and sales 1991-2007

year production sale
1991 29074 k. A.
1992 36714 k. A.
1993 52521 k. A.
1994 47859 k. A.
1995 39728 k. A.
1996 43235 k. A.
1997 58290 k. A.
1998 47296 k. A.
1999 34883 k. A.
2000 38566 70599
2001 43801 65512
2002 46191 65054
2003 31470 66979
2004 17245 56260
2005 18657 55307
2006 10560 57288
2007 10230 66410

(Sources: Fact & Figures 2000, Fact & Figures 2005, Fact & Figures 2008)

literature

Web links

Commons : Mitsubishi Motors Australia  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring (1986), p. 310
  2. ↑ Tony Davis: Aussie Cars , (1987), 165
  3. ^ Magna's Looks Put Dent in Sales . The Australian
  4. ^ A b John Carey, Mike McCarthy: Wheels Magazine - Special Edition . Wheels Magazine (2005). P. 50
  5. ^ Mitsubishi to Reduce Working Weeks . The Age. November 10, 2004
  6. ^ Rise of the Mitsubishi Man . Asia Africa Intelligence Wire, December 19, 2004
  7. ↑ Mark Davis & Josh Dowling & Justin Norrie: Mitsubishi Plant to Close in March . The Sydney Morning Herald. February 4, 2008 ( Memento of the original of February 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / business.smh.com.au
  8. ↑ Mitsubishi Shuts is Doors in Adelaide . The Sydney Morning Herald. March 28, 2008 ( Memento of the original from May 1, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / news.smh.com.au
  9. ↑ John Mellor: Chinese Mitsubishi not for Oz . GoAuto.
  10. ↑ FACTS & FIGURES MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION2000 ( English ) mitsubishi-motors.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  11. ↑ FACTS & FIGURES 2005 ( English ) mitsubishi-motors.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  12. ↑ FACTS & FIGURES 2008 ( English ) mitsubishi-motors.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2019.