From Model A to Dakar: the story behind Mitsubishi’s three diamonds

A beginning before the bakkies and SUVs

Long before the Triton and Destinator, Mitsubishi was building the Model A. Its official history traces the project to prototyping in 1917, with the first car completed in November 1918. Just 22 cars, including prototypes, were made by 1921. Mitsubishi describes it as Japan’s first series-production passenger car, built at a time when much of the work was still done by hand.

The badge has an even longer history. Mitsubishi’s company archive records registration of the three-diamond trademark in 1914. For drivers who recognise that emblem today, it connects a modern vehicle to more than a century of engineering and industrial history.

A South African connection since 1968

Mitsubishi Motors South Africa dates the brand’s local arrival to 1968, when the Colt 1100 Fastback was assembled at Rosslyn. That places its South African story well before the SUVs and double-cab bakkies many local motorists associate with the name today.

The Pajero’s Dakar chapter

The first-generation Pajero arrived in 1982. Mitsubishi entered the Dakar Rally in 1983 and took its first overall victory in 1985. Its official motorsport archive records 26 entries, 12 overall victories and a run of seven consecutive wins.

One of those wins was a landmark beyond the brand itself: in 2001, Jutta Kleinschmidt became the first woman to win Dakar overall, driving a Mitsubishi Pajero. It remains a defining moment in the event’s history.

That combination of early car-building, a long local presence and endurance-racing achievement makes Mitsubishi’s heritage a story worth revisiting. Explore today’s Mitsubishi range with the Worcester team, from the Triton to the Destinator.