4x4s.org MANUFACTURER · JAPAN

Maker · Manufacturer · Japan

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries / Mitsubishi Motors

The Japanese licensee of the Willys Jeep from 1953 to 1998: the CJ-3A and CJ-3B built at Nagoya as the J3 and the J20 to J50 series for the Self-Defense Forces and civilian sale, the longest run of any CJ-3B derivative. It built the Pajero from 1982 to 2021 (more than 3.3 million, twelve Dakar wins) and the Triton and L200 pick-ups from 1981.

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16VEHICLES IN THE REGISTRY1950FOUNDED1953–2021VEHICLE YEARSActive since 1950STATUS

The count is what the registry has catalogued so far, not the maker's output; the years are those vehicles' build years. Know of another?

History

Shin Mitsubishi Heavy Industries won the 1951 National Police Reserve contract that Toyota’s BJ lost and assembled CJ-3As from kits in 1953 before building the CJ-3B under licence as the J3. Mitsubishi’s own diesels went in from 1956; the J-series ran to the J55 of 1998 with about 200,000 built, and the Self-Defense Forces’ Type 73 light truck of 1973 was a development. Mitsubishi Motors was spun off from MHI in 1970; its Pajero of 1982 succeeded the Jeep as its four-wheel drive.

Jeep and Mitsubishi vehicles built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries / Mitsubishi Motors

16 records in this registry. Each opens its full registry page.
Mitsubishi Jeep J3 — photographMitsubishi Jeep J31953–98 · Jeep CJ-3B · Mitsubishi Jeep J3 · builtType 73 light truck (Mitsubishi Jeep, JGSDF) — photographType 73 light truck (Mitsubishi Jeep, JGSDF)1973–98 · Mitsubishi Jeep J3 to J58 (1953–98) · Type 73 light truck (Mitsubishi Jeep, JGSDF) · builtPajero in the Dakar (1983–2009) — photographPajero in the Dakar (1983–2009)1983–2009 · Pajero I (1982–91) · Pajero in the Dakar (1983–2009) · builtShogun (United Kingdom, 1983–2019) — photographShogun (United Kingdom, 1983–2019)1983–2019 · Pajero II (1991–99) · Shogun (United Kingdom, 1983–2019) · builtMontero (Spain and the Americas) — photographMontero (Spain and the Americas)1983–2021 · Pajero II (1991–99) · Montero (Spain and the Americas) · builtFiat Fullback and Ram 1200 (2015–) — photographFiat Fullback and Ram 1200 (2015–)2015 · Triton / L200 4x4 (1981–) · Fiat Fullback and Ram 1200 (2015–) · builtL200 with aid agencies and armies — no image yetL200 with aid agencies and armies1990 · Triton / L200 4x4 (1981–) · L200 with aid agencies and armies · builtCanter FG crew cab — photographCanter FG crew cab1986 · Fuso Canter 4×4 (1986–) · Canter FG crew cab · builtCanter Guts (Japan) — no image yetCanter Guts (Japan)1997 · Fuso Canter 4×4 (1986–) · Canter Guts (Japan) · builtMitsubishi Jeep J3 to J58 (1953–98) — photographMitsubishi Jeep J3 to J58 (1953–98)1953–98 · builtPajero I (1982–91) — photographPajero I (1982–91)1982–91 · builtPajero II (1991–99) — photographPajero II (1991–99)1991–99 · builtPajero III and IV (1999–2021) — photographPajero III and IV (1999–2021)1999–2021 · builtPajero Sport / Montero Sport / Challenger (1996–) — photographPajero Sport / Montero Sport / Challenger (1996–)1996 · builtTriton / L200 4x4 (1981–) — photographTriton / L200 4x4 (1981–)1981 · builtFuso Canter 4×4 (1986–) — photographFuso Canter 4×4 (1986–)1986 · built

Sources & citations

Other makers

ALL VEHICLE BUILDERS →
Ford Motor CompanyManufacturer · United States · 63 vehiclesToyota Motor CorporationManufacturer · Japan · 55 vehiclesAmerican Motors Corporation (Jeep Corporation)Manufacturer · United States · 40 vehiclesChrysler (Jeep), ToledoManufacturer · United States · 35 vehiclesMagna Steyr (Steyr-Daimler-Puch), GrazManufacturer · Austria · 34 vehiclesSantana Motor (Metalúrgica de Santa Ana)Manufacturer · Spain · 33 vehicles

Maker record updated 2026-09-22 · status: researched