MITSUBISHI MOTORS/MOTOR SPORTS HISTORY /MITSUBISHI 500

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Mitsubishi 500

M MC's long and successful history in motor sports had its beginnings in 1962. However, the history of the MMC itself goes all the way back to 1917 when the predecessor to MMC, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding & Engineering Co.,Ltd., began taking the first steps in the world of motor vehicle production when development of the Mitsubishi A model started.
Then, in the mid 1950s, the European moves toward the production of 'mini' vehicles resulted in an explosion in the number of vehicles built and this trend caught on in Japan also. There were a number of mini cars developed domestically during this period and Shin Mitsubishi Heavy-Industries, Ltd. as MMC was called at that time, began work on their own small passenger vehicle in 1957.
In 1960, after a long period of development and testing, the first Mitsubishi passenger car was produced. The "Mitsubishi 500" as it was called, was given a boost in engine size for the next year of production (1961) and the 594 cc unit gave improved acceleration and durability.
It was this vehicle which became the base for the very first of Mitsubishi's motorsport competition machines, the "Mitsubishi 500 Super Deluxe", several of which were entered in the Macau Grand Prix held in November of 1962. Competing in the under 750 cc class, not only did the example driven by Kazuo Togawa win the category but Super Deluxe took the first four places in the class in an incredible debut result.
A crushing victory in the very first race, with the very first racing car the company had ever made! It was in this way that Mitsubishi's motorsport activities started, and a new era in motorsport dawned.

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