Mitsubishi announced the first generation Pajero, launched in 1982, has been selected by the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame as one of its Historic Cars for its superb contributions to Japanese automotive history.
The first Pajero was launched in 1982
as a full-fledged offroad 4WD vehicle that combined excellent offroad
handling with the ease of use of a passenger car. It has enjoyed the
support of countless customers and established a solid position as one
of the leaders of the recreational vehicle and 4WD booms in Japan. A
total of 3.25 million Pajeros were manufactured across its four
generations until production came to an end in 2021. It has been
exported to over 170 countries and is loved by fans around the globe. In
Japan, the Pajero became one of Mitsubishi's iconic series, adding
models such as the Pajero Mini kei-car to the lineup in 1994, the Pajero
Junior compact SUV in 1995, and the Pajero iO compact SUV in 1998.
In
the motor sports arena, the Pajero competed for the first time in the
Dakar Rally, which has the reputation to be the world's toughest rally
raid, starting in 1983, and claimed an overall victory in 1985, the
first ever for a Japanese vehicle. It competed in the rally 26 times in
the years leading up to 2009 and took a total of 12 overall victories,
including seven consecutive wins, demonstrating its excellent road
handling and durability. The know-how obtained through its motor sports
experience was leveraged to improve the product appeal of the Pajero and
other production models. Its all-wheel control technologies as well as
durability and reliability technologies live on as core technologies
that make Mitsubishi vehicles what they are.
Today, the Pajero
Sport cross-country SUV carries on the pedigree of the Pajero and is
sold in over 80 countries around the world. Based on its reliability
backed by technologies that provide environmental friendliness, safety,
peace of mind and comfort, Mitsubishi will continue to offer fulfilling
mobility lifestyles that awaken the adventurous spirit of drivers.
