Mitsubishi started out as Mitsubishi Shipbuilding in 1870. Workers built Japan’s first ‘mass-production passenger car’ in the company’s shipyards in 1917, but only twenty-two of the Mitsubishi Model A sailed out of production before the car was discontinued due to costs—it was considered too expensive compared to its European and North American counterparts. The company shifted its focus back to ships, and in the mid-30s, aircraft and machinery under the moniker Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. After the end of World War II, the company returned to manufacturing vehicles, opening a separate division in 1970, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. And the rest is racing, innovation and performance history.