Mitsubishi - what's happening to them?

[Hendry]

Drove by the local Mitsi dealer earlier and the signage and all the new Mitsi stock has gone, it was a multi franchise with Ford and Mazda and they're still there, couldn't think of the next nearest dealer to here, looked up their site and the next nearest after sales dealer is 20-odd miles away and the next closest sales dealer about 35 miles away, the next nearest after that were about 40 to 50 miles away.

 

Now i know if I went on to Vauxhall/Ford/Renault/Nissan/Fiat/Etcs sites not only would I find a dealer within a couple of miles but id find about 10 within a 20 mild radius and if the local one ever closed there'd be another 5 or 6 miles away, hell even the prestige brands have more dealers close by.

 

Obviously people are hardly buying their cars and haven't been for a while and they obviously don't expect people to soon either, but they are even less likely to if they need to travel far to buy one, and that's without even mentioning the owners who might need warranty work doing, dealer only jobs or spare parts.

 

Are they going down the tubes? I can't think of any make apart from maybe Proton who have a less sparse network (I remember when it was much bigger) even the developing brands like SsangYong, Great Wall and even MG have bigger networks

[Junkman]

Interesting: http://www.mitsubishi-media.co.uk/release/778/

[dollywobbler]

This thread makes me nostalgic. Diagonal rear lights FTW!

[cort16]

A lot of modern Mitsubishi's are pretty grim in that very grey way the worst of modern cars are. My boss has a split new Shogun and it has squint boot badges that really annoy me.

[Station]

Remember the 'local' dealer to me in North Wales - it was a joint Daihatsu/Mitsubishi thing. The showroom still had last year's christmas decorations in the corner, hording away with a load of NOS exhausts and random UPS boxes.

Oh, those weeks of buying Mitsubishi parts for horrifically expensive prices, and finding out it wasn't the part that was faulty!

 

http://jibijib.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/clippy.html

 

[cort16]

Daihatsu defo chucked it in in the UK a few years ago. Pity as they created some weird looking stuff.

 

[Wilko220]

Yep - http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/daihatsu/34502/daihatsu-stops-european-sales

 

They were the first Jap manufacturer to enter the UK market as well.

[stuboy]

blimey i not seen a new one for yonks..........

[Justin Case]

Just happened to be looking at used 4x4s at a Mitsubishi dealer yesterday I didn't look in the new car showroom of course, but there was a new ASX (yuk) on the forecourt plus a brand new small one (neither know or care what it was ) so they must be selling some cars still. The L200 seems to be the weapon of choice out in the sticks, and there are a few new ones around so I suppose it is just that garage.

[phil_lihp]

There's a dealer 10 miles from me who I've known for years as I used to do a lot of work for them, it might be an exception to the rule but seems to be doing OK, I know they're not exactly swamped but they get a lot of repeat business. 

 

That said, it seemed to me when working in the showroom area to be mostly older people looking at the Colt and Lancer and farmers/tradesmen eyeing up L200s and Shoguns.  They're not cheap either, I considered a Lancer when I got the C'eed but it was another £3000+ to buy one with less equipment and it was an overall inferior car.

 

It must be said though, they know how to run a business, their bodyshop is second to none around here and consistently wins awards and the service department is very, very plesant, competent and efficient.  Perhaps that's what works for them, holding on to the customers they've got and not worrying about volume.

[Junkman]

Starion.

[Spiny Norman]

I've seen a jacked-up Lancer estate SUV thing about here on a 13 plate so they must sell the odd one or two, do they not still make the Evo? I know there's a new Galant in the US, which looks about as good as any US market car needs to, but I don't see as many nowadays as I used to.

 

I liked them when they were Colts.

 

[Partridge]

The problem is, none of their cars they sell now have any USP to the mass market. The Mirage is just to giffertastic to make anything of an impact as well.

[Formula Autos]

A lot of the builders and tattooed/muscled/'roided knobheads* round my way seem to buy L200s, so my local Mitsi dealer seems to be doing OK.

 

Mitsubishi seem to go through strange phases where they drop model ranges (like the Lancer) in the UK for a while, then bring them back. They seem to be heading the same way as Nissan - selling only tiny cars for giffers to trundle round in, superminis, the odd car as big as a Focus now and then, niche MPV/4x4 things and nutter-mobiles for former Max Power readers to spend their lottery winnings/drug money on (such as the Evo). Both Mitsubishi and Nissan seem to pretty much sell no 'normal' family cars in the UK these days, after the demise of the Galant, Primera, Almera, etc.

 

*the builders using them as intended, the knobheads owning them because they're " 'ard" - knobheads usually driving Animal or Warrior models with personalised plates like F666 KEV

[brickwall]

My dad knew the guy as an aquaintence that had the sole rights to Colt as it was in the UK back in the day. The chap built up the the profile before the contract allowed it to be reabsorbed by Mitsibishi. That's all I know.

[Anglevan]

As a young spotty youth back in 1986 I started my career in a Shitsubishi dealer and to be honest I thought they were a good honest reliable motors. If it wasn't for the Shogun back then I think it would have folded long ago. My local dealer recently moved into a new site but after 6 months moved back to the original one (the new site became Kia - no surprise there) it would be a sad day for me if shitsubishi pulled out of the UK.

As per my avatar I have nice 1986 Lancer and I've also a very low mileage shitsubishi l300 van which is a cracking vehicle to drive, so bit of an avid fan. Don't like the new shite though but then I wouldn't be on here if I did!!!!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

They properly churn out shit nowadays but I think they make most of their moneyz selling cars for 'developing markets', apart from the L200 they dont really seem to be that interested in making stuff for/selling to, europe.

[stormee]

They sell hardly new cars over here, in 2012 they managed a market share of 0,76% that means 23.560 cars. Almost disappearing...