What was the name of Mitsubishi's first mass-produced automobile, launched in 1917?

Mitsubishi's first mass-produced automobile, launched in 1917, was the Mitsubishi Model A.

Built by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Company, the Model A was a large four-door, seven-seat sedan intended for senior government officials and business executives. Koyata Iwasaki, Mitsubishi’s fourth president, promoted the project as a showcase for Japanese engineering and craftsmanship. Its design drew heavily on the Fiat Tipo 3, including a front-mounted 2.8-liter four-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels.

The Model A was hand-built at Mitsubishi’s Kobe shipyard, which made it expensive compared with imported American and European cars. Only 22 examples, including prototypes, were produced between 1917 and 1921, so “mass-produced” should be understood in the historical context of Japan’s early automobile industry rather than as high-volume modern manufacturing. Production ended after four years, and Mitsubishi focused on commercial vehicles, especially Fuso. The company did not return to passenger cars until the Mitsubishi 500 in 1960. The Mazda R360 and Toyota AA therefore belong to different manufacturers and later periods.