Mitsubishi 380
Encyclopedia
The Mitsubishi 380 is a mid-size car
that was produced by Mitsubishi Motors Australia
(MMAL) between 2005 and 2008. It was the successor to the Mitsubishi Magna/Verada
line of vehicles first introduced in 1985. The company spent over A$
600 million developing and producing the car, which is heavily based on the ninth generation Mitsubishi Galant
designed in the United States. The 380 continued the MMAL tradition of producing front-wheel drive
sedans for the Australian market, and along with the Toyota Aurion
, competed against the rear-wheel drive Ford Falcon
and Holden Commodore
vehicles.
Even before the car's launch, the 380 was stigmatised as the "make or break" model for MMAL. After a slow sales start, the line-up was updated with the Series II on April 28, 2006, with the entry level model receiving price discount of nearly 20%. To generate further interest in the car, a Series III revision came on July 29, 2007 with mainly cosmetic changes. These updates failed to lift sales, and with production still unprofitable MMAL ceased manufacture of the 380 in March 2008.
gave approval to MMAL to commence work on two closely related vehicles. The first of which was a right-hand drive
variant of the ninth generation Mitsubishi Galant
, designated the codename PS41. This was to be the replacement for the Magna and Verada
. The second, which was planned to be launched in 2007 was a long-wheelbase
version known internally as PS41L to be produced in both left- and right-hand drive configurations. However, as Mitsubishi's financial woes worsened, and DaimlerChrysler pulled-out of the DaimlerChrysler-Mitsubishi alliance
, PS41L was abandoned in 2004 and the likelihood of PS41 making it into production looked doubtful. Company research conducted in mid-2004 revealed that 84 percent of Australians believed that Mitsubishi would cease production in Australia. To reinstate consumer confidence in the brand, before the launch of the 380, a series of television commercials
began airing in December 2004. Centralised around Mitsubishi Australia’s then CEO
Tom Phillips, the advertisements promoted the introduction of an industry-first five-year/130,000 kilometre warranty
. Mitsubishi reworked a slogan from former Chrysler
chairman Lee Iacocca
, concluding their commercials with the tagline, "if you can find a better-built, better-backed car anywhere, then buy it".
In total, A$
600 million was spent on developing the 380, including $250 million on upgrading the Adelaide
production facility to manufacture the vehicle. This included the installation of a new body press, casting the body sides from an individual piece of steel. This has the effect of producing a 0.7 millimetre (0.03 in) size differentiation from body-to-body, compared to the industry standard of 1.0 to 1.5 millimetres (0.04–0.06 in) in 2005.
in terms of exterior styling. The problem was that PS41 had to share the same basic foundation and the side profile was to remain for the most part unchanged. A revamp of the Clovelly Park
facility allowed for the use of more robust bodies. The consequence of this is the tooling required to produce the panels. This gave MMAL the opportunity to make several low key variances to the design. These came in the from of larger front guards
, a revised bonnet
, new headlamp
s as well as grille
s and bumpers.
The front-end of the PS41 was originally penned by Mitsubishi's design chief, Olivier Boulay
. Boulay was also responsible for the 2003 Magna/Verada
facelift, but this update fared poorly with buyers. When DaimlerChrysler pulled out of their alliance with Mitsubishi in 2004, it put an end to Boulay-designed Mitsubishis. This allowed for one final chance to progress the exterior design. However, with little more than a year until production, the redesign was shared between MMAL and its parent in Japan. The basic design was devised by the Japanese studio, with the sports oriented design conceived locally.
and consumer preferences were all driving forces behind the changes. The rear of the floorpan
had to be overhauled to accommodate a full-sized spare wheel, and superior rear sidemembers were required to improve towing capabilities. Body rigidity
was also improved to deal with Australian road conditions. The improved body stiffness resulted in better vehicle dynamics
, which were also supported through the use of sophisticated suspension
designs, new shock absorber
s and stabiliser bars
.
The 380 was a sedan only, and was powered by an all-new 6G75 3.8 litre V6 engine. Unusually, the sports model did not have a more powerful engine than the cheapest entry level model. The five-speed manual 380 ES (a five-speed sequential automatic was optional on the ES) was actually the fastest vehicle in the range. The 175 kW and 343 newton metre engine was capable of propelling the car from 0–100 kilometres per hour (0–62 mph) in 7.6 seconds. Because of the choice of gear ratios, the manual and automatic transmission equipped 380s had the same acceleration figures.
with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD). Also featured in the ES are alloy wheels and sports front bumper treatment with front fog lamps. Next in the range, the auto-only SX adds sports seats with a unique grey trim, leather steering wheel, 6-disc CD stereo with multifunction colour LCD display, sports rear bumper, 17" alloy wheels and sports-tuned suspension.
The VRX features a more comprehensive sports styling package, adding charcoal accents on the front and rear bumpers, high-profile rear wing, polished and painted 17" alloy wheels. Inside the VRX, blue seat fabric is added, as well as "VRX" embroidery on the front seats. Emboridered, silver-stitched leather is available as an option. The VRX is available with a 5 speed manual or automatic transmission. The range-topping GT model features standard leather trim, painted and polished 17" alloy wheels, integrated boot spoiler and chrome boot garnish, and side rubbing strips. Mitsubishi offer a no-cost luxury option for the GT, aptly titled the GTL. The GTL sports a more conservative rear light treatment, silver-painted alloy wheels, sunroof and a beige-on-black interior treatment.
At the Series III launch, Mitsubishi released two special edition variants. The Sports Edition, based on the ES, adds 17" alloy wheels, high-profile rear wing, sports-tuned suspension, black interior trim and sunroof, for no extra cost.
The 380 VRX "Fusion Burst" is based on the VRX and comes in a limited-edition orange hue. Apart from the colour, the Fusion Burst comes with sunroof and matching seat fabric for no extra cost.
On April 28, 2006, Mitsubishi announced price reductions with the introduction of the Series II upgrade. The entry model, now called the ES, was reduced from $34,490 to $27,990. An SX model was introduced, priced at $32,990, while the LS model was dropped. Prices on VRX, LX, and GT models were also reduced by amounts ranging from $1,500 to $3,000. Mitsubishi announced that up to 1,500 retail customers who paid the old price would be eligible for a factory rebate of up to $2,000.
Mid-July 2007 saw the release of the 380 Series III, with range and price alterations designed to attract further sales and increase private buyer interest. The price of the ES model rose by $1000 but was compensated for by the addition of alloy wheels, fog lights and traction control.
MMAL was in negotiation with Proton
of Malaysia on the possibility of exporting the 380 to Malaysia as the rebadged replacement of the Proton Perdana
executive model, however this deal did not succeed.
The 380 received the 2005 Australia's Best Cars Large Car award, as well as Insurance Australia Group
's rating as the most secure Australian family car, Safest Australian Car Built 2006 for its four-star ANCAP
result, Best Fleet Car by Delivery Australia magazine, and Lowest Running Costs in the Australian Motoring Clubs Report. The 3.8 litre engine won an award for engineering excellence from the Society of Automotive Engineers.
In New Zealand, the Mitsubishi 380 is very similar to the Mitsubishi Galant
marketed in Mexico
, although it does not get the 4-cylinder models offered there.
On February 5, 2008 Mitsubishi Motors Australia announced that the Clovelly Park plant would be shut down on March 31, and Mitsubishi would pursue a "full import strategy" for the Australian market due to unviable 380 sales. The last Mitsubishi 380 sedan (a silver Platinum Limited Edition, body number 32044) left the production line on March 27, 2008. The car was auctioned in late April 2008, with the $100,000 final price being donated to charities chosen in consultation with the winning bidder, a car dealership based in Western Australia.
In October 2009, the president of Mitsubishi Motors, Osamu Masuko revealed in hindsight that it "was good that we closed the plant in March 2008 because this was the time the economy was still good [prior to the late-2008 global financial crisis ...] and employees could find re-employment."
Mid-size car
A mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact...
that was produced by Mitsubishi Motors Australia
Mitsubishi Motors Australia
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited is a fully owned subsidiary of parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation of Japan. Its Australian administrative headquarters are located at Tonsley Park , with branch offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth...
(MMAL) between 2005 and 2008. It was the successor to the Mitsubishi Magna/Verada
Mitsubishi Magna
The Mitsubishi Magna was a mid-size car offered between May 1985 and September 2005 by Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited . Manufactured at the Tonsley Park assembly plant, Magna spanned three generations before being replaced by the Mitsubishi 380...
line of vehicles first introduced in 1985. The company spent over A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
600 million developing and producing the car, which is heavily based on the ninth generation Mitsubishi Galant
Mitsubishi Galant
The first generation of the car, initially known as the Colt Galant, was released in December 1969. The design was dubbed "Dynawedge" by Mitsubishi, referring to the influence of aerodynamics on the silhouette. Three models were available, powered by the new 'Saturn' engine in 1.3 or 1.5 L ...
designed in the United States. The 380 continued the MMAL tradition of producing front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
sedans for the Australian market, and along with the Toyota Aurion
Toyota Aurion
The Toyota Aurion is a mid-size car produced by Toyota in Australia and parts of Asia since 2006. The Aurion, given the model designation XV40 is essentially a Toyota Camry with revised front- and rear-end treatment, along with changes to the interior...
, competed against the rear-wheel drive Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon (Australia)
The Ford Falcon is a full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960. Each model from the XA series of 1972 onward has been designed, developed and built in Australia and/or New Zealand, following the phasing out of the American Falcon of 1960–71 which had been re-engineered...
and Holden Commodore
Holden Commodore
The Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model...
vehicles.
Even before the car's launch, the 380 was stigmatised as the "make or break" model for MMAL. After a slow sales start, the line-up was updated with the Series II on April 28, 2006, with the entry level model receiving price discount of nearly 20%. To generate further interest in the car, a Series III revision came on July 29, 2007 with mainly cosmetic changes. These updates failed to lift sales, and with production still unprofitable MMAL ceased manufacture of the 380 in March 2008.
History of development
The development of the DB series Mitsubishi 380 began in 2002, when company executives in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
gave approval to MMAL to commence work on two closely related vehicles. The first of which was a right-hand drive
Driving on the left or right
The terms right-hand traffic and left-hand traffic refer to regulations requiring all bidirectional traffic to keep either to the right or the left side of the road, respectively. This is so fundamental to traffic flow that it is sometimes referred to as the rule of the road. This basic rule eases...
variant of the ninth generation Mitsubishi Galant
Mitsubishi Galant
The first generation of the car, initially known as the Colt Galant, was released in December 1969. The design was dubbed "Dynawedge" by Mitsubishi, referring to the influence of aerodynamics on the silhouette. Three models were available, powered by the new 'Saturn' engine in 1.3 or 1.5 L ...
, designated the codename PS41. This was to be the replacement for the Magna and Verada
Mitsubishi Magna
The Mitsubishi Magna was a mid-size car offered between May 1985 and September 2005 by Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited . Manufactured at the Tonsley Park assembly plant, Magna spanned three generations before being replaced by the Mitsubishi 380...
. The second, which was planned to be launched in 2007 was a long-wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
version known internally as PS41L to be produced in both left- and right-hand drive configurations. However, as Mitsubishi's financial woes worsened, and DaimlerChrysler pulled-out of the DaimlerChrysler-Mitsubishi alliance
DaimlerChrysler-Mitsubishi alliance
The DaimlerChrysler-Mitsubishi alliance refers to the 69 month period during which U.S.-German automaker DaimlerChrysler AG held a controlling stake in Mitsubishi Motors Corporation . First established on March 27, 2000 with the signing of a letter of intent, it was initiated by Jürgen E...
, PS41L was abandoned in 2004 and the likelihood of PS41 making it into production looked doubtful. Company research conducted in mid-2004 revealed that 84 percent of Australians believed that Mitsubishi would cease production in Australia. To reinstate consumer confidence in the brand, before the launch of the 380, a series of television commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
began airing in December 2004. Centralised around Mitsubishi Australia’s then CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
Tom Phillips, the advertisements promoted the introduction of an industry-first five-year/130,000 kilometre warranty
Warranty
In business and legal transactions, a warranty is an assurance by one party to the other party that specific facts or conditions are true or will happen; the other party is permitted to rely on that assurance and seek some type of remedy if it is not true or followed.In real estate transactions, a...
. Mitsubishi reworked a slogan from former Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
chairman Lee Iacocca
Lee Iacocca
Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca is an American businessman known for engineering the Mustang, the unsuccessful Ford Pinto, being fired from Ford Motor Company, and his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s...
, concluding their commercials with the tagline, "if you can find a better-built, better-backed car anywhere, then buy it".
In total, A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
600 million was spent on developing the 380, including $250 million on upgrading the Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
production facility to manufacture the vehicle. This included the installation of a new body press, casting the body sides from an individual piece of steel. This has the effect of producing a 0.7 millimetre (0.03 in) size differentiation from body-to-body, compared to the industry standard of 1.0 to 1.5 millimetres (0.04–0.06 in) in 2005.
Design
From the very beginning of the project, Mitsubishi had always intended that the PS41 would be set apart from the North American GalantMitsubishi Galant
The first generation of the car, initially known as the Colt Galant, was released in December 1969. The design was dubbed "Dynawedge" by Mitsubishi, referring to the influence of aerodynamics on the silhouette. Three models were available, powered by the new 'Saturn' engine in 1.3 or 1.5 L ...
in terms of exterior styling. The problem was that PS41 had to share the same basic foundation and the side profile was to remain for the most part unchanged. A revamp of the Clovelly Park
Clovelly Park, South Australia
Clovelly Park is an inner southern suburb of Adelaide in the local government area of the City of Marion. Before becoming an 'advanced' suburb, it was a farm and vineyard. It has a population of around 2,700. The borders are defined by Daws Road to the north, South Road to the east, Sturt Road to...
facility allowed for the use of more robust bodies. The consequence of this is the tooling required to produce the panels. This gave MMAL the opportunity to make several low key variances to the design. These came in the from of larger front guards
Fender (vehicle)
Fender is the US English term for the part of an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle body that frames a wheel well . Its primary purpose is to prevent sand, mud, rocks, liquids, and other road spray from being thrown into the air by the rotating tire. Fenders are typically rigid and can be...
, a revised bonnet
Hood (vehicle)
The hood or bonnet is the hinged cover over the engine of motor vehicles that allows access to the engine compartment for maintenance and repair. In British terminology, hood refers to a fabric cover over the passenger compartment of the car...
, new headlamp
Headlamp
A headlamp is a lamp, usually attached to the front of a vehicle such as a car or a motorcycle, with the purpose of illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility, such as darkness or precipitation. Headlamp performance has steadily improved throughout the automobile age, spurred by...
s as well as grille
Grille
A grille or grill is an opening of several slits side by side in a wall or metal sheet or other barrier, usually to let air or water enter and/or leave but keep larger objects including people and animals in or out.-Spelling:In the United States, "grille" is used to differentiate the automotive...
s and bumpers.
The front-end of the PS41 was originally penned by Mitsubishi's design chief, Olivier Boulay
Olivier Boulay
Olivier Boulay is an automobile designer. Starting from 2009, he is the head of Daimler's Advanced Design Centre in Beijing, China....
. Boulay was also responsible for the 2003 Magna/Verada
Mitsubishi Magna
The Mitsubishi Magna was a mid-size car offered between May 1985 and September 2005 by Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited . Manufactured at the Tonsley Park assembly plant, Magna spanned three generations before being replaced by the Mitsubishi 380...
facelift, but this update fared poorly with buyers. When DaimlerChrysler pulled out of their alliance with Mitsubishi in 2004, it put an end to Boulay-designed Mitsubishis. This allowed for one final chance to progress the exterior design. However, with little more than a year until production, the redesign was shared between MMAL and its parent in Japan. The basic design was devised by the Japanese studio, with the sports oriented design conceived locally.
Engineering
Compared to the Galant, there were changes to 70 percent of the car to create a car more suited to the Australian market. Roads, legislationLegislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
and consumer preferences were all driving forces behind the changes. The rear of the floorpan
Floorpan
The floorpan is a large sheet metal stamping that often incorporates several smaller welded stampings to form the floor of a large vehicle and the position of its external and structural panels....
had to be overhauled to accommodate a full-sized spare wheel, and superior rear sidemembers were required to improve towing capabilities. Body rigidity
Rigidity
Rigid or rigidity may refer to:*Stiffness, the property of a solid body to resist deformation, which is sometimes referred to as rigidity*Structural rigidity, a mathematical theory of the stiffness of ensembles of rigid objects connected by hinges...
was also improved to deal with Australian road conditions. The improved body stiffness resulted in better vehicle dynamics
Vehicle dynamics
Vehicle dynamics refers to the dynamics of vehicles, here assumed to be ground vehicles. Vehicle dynamics is a part of engineering primarily based on classical mechanics but it may also involve chemistry, solid state physics, electrical engineering, communications, psychology, control theory,...
, which were also supported through the use of sophisticated suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
designs, new shock absorber
Shock absorber
A shock absorber is a mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy. It is a type of dashpot.-Nomenclature:...
s and stabiliser bars
Sway bar
A sway bar or anti-roll bar or stabilizer bar is a part of an automobile suspension that helps reduce the roll of a vehicle that is induced by cornering or road irregularities. It connects opposite wheels together through short lever arms linked by a torsion spring...
.
The 380 was a sedan only, and was powered by an all-new 6G75 3.8 litre V6 engine. Unusually, the sports model did not have a more powerful engine than the cheapest entry level model. The five-speed manual 380 ES (a five-speed sequential automatic was optional on the ES) was actually the fastest vehicle in the range. The 175 kW and 343 newton metre engine was capable of propelling the car from 0–100 kilometres per hour (0–62 mph) in 7.6 seconds. Because of the choice of gear ratios, the manual and automatic transmission equipped 380s had the same acceleration figures.
Specification levels
The 380 Series III comes in four trim levels: the ES, SX, VRX and the GT. Available with either a five-speed manual or automatic transmission, standard features on the ES include traction control, front and side air bags, automatic climate control air conditioning, power mirrors, power windows, power driver's seat, steering wheel-mounted remote audio controls, and anti-lock brakesAnti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD). Also featured in the ES are alloy wheels and sports front bumper treatment with front fog lamps. Next in the range, the auto-only SX adds sports seats with a unique grey trim, leather steering wheel, 6-disc CD stereo with multifunction colour LCD display, sports rear bumper, 17" alloy wheels and sports-tuned suspension.
The VRX features a more comprehensive sports styling package, adding charcoal accents on the front and rear bumpers, high-profile rear wing, polished and painted 17" alloy wheels. Inside the VRX, blue seat fabric is added, as well as "VRX" embroidery on the front seats. Emboridered, silver-stitched leather is available as an option. The VRX is available with a 5 speed manual or automatic transmission. The range-topping GT model features standard leather trim, painted and polished 17" alloy wheels, integrated boot spoiler and chrome boot garnish, and side rubbing strips. Mitsubishi offer a no-cost luxury option for the GT, aptly titled the GTL. The GTL sports a more conservative rear light treatment, silver-painted alloy wheels, sunroof and a beige-on-black interior treatment.
At the Series III launch, Mitsubishi released two special edition variants. The Sports Edition, based on the ES, adds 17" alloy wheels, high-profile rear wing, sports-tuned suspension, black interior trim and sunroof, for no extra cost.
The 380 VRX "Fusion Burst" is based on the VRX and comes in a limited-edition orange hue. Apart from the colour, the Fusion Burst comes with sunroof and matching seat fabric for no extra cost.
Sales, reception and the final curtain on Australian production
The 380 went on sale on October 13, 2005. It sold in fewer numbers than expected and on January 20, 2006, MMAL announced that voluntary redundancies would be offered to 250 production employees to bring production in line with customer demand. In March 2006 the manufacturing plant closed for three weeks.On April 28, 2006, Mitsubishi announced price reductions with the introduction of the Series II upgrade. The entry model, now called the ES, was reduced from $34,490 to $27,990. An SX model was introduced, priced at $32,990, while the LS model was dropped. Prices on VRX, LX, and GT models were also reduced by amounts ranging from $1,500 to $3,000. Mitsubishi announced that up to 1,500 retail customers who paid the old price would be eligible for a factory rebate of up to $2,000.
Mid-July 2007 saw the release of the 380 Series III, with range and price alterations designed to attract further sales and increase private buyer interest. The price of the ES model rose by $1000 but was compensated for by the addition of alloy wheels, fog lights and traction control.
MMAL was in negotiation with Proton
Proton (company)
Proton is a Malaysian automobile manufacturer headquartered in Subang Jaya and Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, with a manufacturing plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak. Founded in 1983, it was Malaysia's only carmaker until the establishment of its competitor and arch-rival, Perodua, in 1993...
of Malaysia on the possibility of exporting the 380 to Malaysia as the rebadged replacement of the Proton Perdana
Proton Perdana
The Proton Perdana is an intermediate-size automobile produced by Proton. It is a badge engineered version of the seventh-generation Mitsubishi Eterna. Perdana is a Malay word for "Prime".- Perdana SEi :...
executive model, however this deal did not succeed.
The 380 received the 2005 Australia's Best Cars Large Car award, as well as Insurance Australia Group
Insurance Australia Group
Insurance Australia Group Limited is an Australian publicly-listed company with its shares traded on the Australian Stock Exchange as ....
's rating as the most secure Australian family car, Safest Australian Car Built 2006 for its four-star ANCAP
Australasian New Car Assessment Program
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program is an automobile organisation operated by the governments and motoring organisations of Australia and New Zealand to give consumers coherent results on the protection given by vehicles in front and side impact collisions...
result, Best Fleet Car by Delivery Australia magazine, and Lowest Running Costs in the Australian Motoring Clubs Report. The 3.8 litre engine won an award for engineering excellence from the Society of Automotive Engineers.
In New Zealand, the Mitsubishi 380 is very similar to the Mitsubishi Galant
Mitsubishi Galant
The first generation of the car, initially known as the Colt Galant, was released in December 1969. The design was dubbed "Dynawedge" by Mitsubishi, referring to the influence of aerodynamics on the silhouette. Three models were available, powered by the new 'Saturn' engine in 1.3 or 1.5 L ...
marketed in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, although it does not get the 4-cylinder models offered there.
On February 5, 2008 Mitsubishi Motors Australia announced that the Clovelly Park plant would be shut down on March 31, and Mitsubishi would pursue a "full import strategy" for the Australian market due to unviable 380 sales. The last Mitsubishi 380 sedan (a silver Platinum Limited Edition, body number 32044) left the production line on March 27, 2008. The car was auctioned in late April 2008, with the $100,000 final price being donated to charities chosen in consultation with the winning bidder, a car dealership based in Western Australia.
In October 2009, the president of Mitsubishi Motors, Osamu Masuko revealed in hindsight that it "was good that we closed the plant in March 2008 because this was the time the economy was still good [prior to the late-2008 global financial crisis ...] and employees could find re-employment."
Annual production and sales
| Year | Production | Sales (Australia) |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 11,077 | 3,548 |
| 2006 | 10,560 | 12,423 |
| 2007 | 10,230 | 10,942 |
| 2008 | n/a | 3,272 |
| 2009 | nil | 10 |