Mitsubishi ute range marks 40 years

Mitsubishi is celebrating 40 years of success with its one-tonne ute range.

The first generation, named Forte, saw its Japanese launch in 1978 and was soon exported around the world with names such as the Mitsubishi Truck and L200.

The Forte was engineered to provide tough, dependable transport for people and goods.

It was developed to provide a one-tonne carrying capacity with a combination of rugged reliability and easy-to-drive elements.

Mitsubishi built on its heritage by adding a 4×4 version to the range in 1980.

This became the foundation for modern Mitsubishi 4WD vehicles, leading directly to the Pajero and Delica.

The ute was soon renamed Triton in many markets and had a huge impact for the company.

The first and second generation platforms were mainly produced in Japan until the third-generation model in 1995 where production has been concentrated in the Laem Chabang Plant in Thailand.

It is now Mitsubishi Motors’ biggest factory, producing about 400,000 vehicles.