• Home
  • Site Info
    • Welcome
    • Contact
    • About
    • Writer’s Guide
  • Privacy Policy
  • Premium Ad-Free Membership
  • E-Mail Subscription
  • Register
  • Log In
Curbside Classic
    • Home
    • Archives
      • American Brands: GM
      • American Brands: Ford
      • American Brands: Chrysler
      • American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others
      • Automotive Histories and Misc.
      • Asian Brands
      • UK Brands
      • Australian Brands
      • European Brands
      • Cars Of A Lifetime & Auto-Biography
      • Buses
      • Trucks, Pickups and Vans
      • Design
      • Trains, Planes & Ships
      • Motorcycles, Trikes, Bicycles
      • Engines, Transmissions and other Tech
      • Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment
      • RVs, Motorhomes, Trailers, Campers
    • Recent CC’s & Histories
      • American Brands
      • European Brands
      • Asian Brands
      • UK Brands
      • Australian Brands
      • Automotive Histories
    • New Car Reviews
      • Alfa Romeo
      • Audi
      • BMW
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • Chrysler
      • Dodge
      • Fiat
      • Ford
      • Honda
      • Jeep
      • Kia
      • Lexus
      • Mazda
      • Mercedes
      • MINI
      • Nissan
      • Ram
      • Subaru
      • Tesla
      • Toyota
      • Volvo
      • VW
    • Vintage Reviews
      • 1950s
        • GM Brands 1950s
        • Ford Brands 1950s
        • Chrysler Brands 1950s
        • Other American Brands 1950s
        • European Brands 1950s
      • 1960s
        • GM Brands 1960s
        • Ford Brands 1960s
        • Chrysler Brands 1960s
        • Other American Brands 1960s
        • European Brands 1960s
        • Asian Brands 1960s
      • 1970s
        • GM Brands 1970s
        • Ford Brands 1970s
        • Chrysler Brands 1970s
        • Other American Brands 1970s
        • European Brands 1970s
        • Asian Brands 1970s
      • 1980s
        • GM Brands 1980s
        • Ford Brands 1980s
        • Chrysler Brands 1980s
        • Other American Brands 1980s
        • European Brands 1980s
        • Asian Brands 1980s
      • 1990s
        • GM Brands 1990s
        • Ford Brands 1990s
        • Asian Brands 1980s
        • Chrysler Brands 1990s
        • Other American Brands 1990s
        • European Brands 1990s
        • Asian Brands 1990s
    • Junkyard
    • CC Cohort

    CC Follow-Up: Jeep Station Wagon by Mitsubishi

    By
    Dave Skinner
    – October 29, 2013

    Japan-Jeep-Wagon

     I took this picture 6 months ago while visiting Tokyo, and completely forgot about it until I saw yesterday’s Jeep Station Wagon posting. While the back of this wagon clearly reads  “Jeep,” it is in fact all Mitsubishi. The company stamped its triple diamond logo into the sheet metal at the top of the grille, and the steering wheel was mounted on the right hand side, Japanese market style.

    Mitsubishi_Jeep_J-37_003

    (Image from Wikipedia)

    During a quick web search, I discovered this Wikipedia image of a Mitsubishi Jeep using the same paint scheme. Too bad they covered the license plate number- Looking at the mudflaps and the blue plastic rain shields in the side windows, it may be the same truck with an older set of blackwalls!

    The web tells me that Mitsubishi built Jeeps under license from 1953 to 1998. To maximize utility, some models were offered with diesel power and some included Dana axles, but the body and frame were unique to Mitsubishi.

    On my next trip to Japan, I need to spend a day in search of Curbside Classics. The country is full of cars like this one; familiar to the American eye and yet just a little off.

    20 Comments

    1. Reply
      avatar Iowahawk
      Posted October 29, 2013 at 10:08 AM

      This is just fabulous! As my son, the Nippono-phile puts it, just the sort of thing that happens when you put people on an island all by themselves and turn them loose to create.

      • Reply
        avatar Sean Cornelis
        Posted October 30, 2013 at 5:30 AM

        I knew Mitsubishi built CJs under license, but never these – and until 1998?! The grille and hood appear to have come from a CJ-3B and I’m guessing Mitsu was probably building their version of that Jeep for a long time as well. Wonder if you could get the wagon with A/C and power steering by the end of it’s run. With those additions and a (relatively) modern diesel powerplant, this would be just about perfect. Too bad it never came back home to the US.

    2. Reply
      avatar jpcavanaugh
      Posted October 29, 2013 at 10:15 AM

      Wow, I have never seen anything like this before. But I like it. This makes me think that in addition to Jeep’s mistake of not keeping this style in production, Jeep never did a 4 door version. This could be my favorite Mitsu ever!

      I just also noticed the three wipers. I would bet that there is very little if anything that actually interchanges with an American Jeep of that same series.

    3. Reply
      avatar Don
      Posted October 29, 2013 at 10:18 AM

      The fender mounted mirrors are a uniquely Japanese touch. I always wondered why they never caught on in America.

      Japan was not the only country making Jeep clones, Ssangyong also made Jeep clones in Korea.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SsangYong_Korando

      • Reply
        avatar just plain joe
        Posted October 29, 2013 at 11:22 AM

        The fender mounted mirrors are a pain to adjust for one thing; you need one person outside the car to manuever them while another person in the car checks the aim. This can be done by one person but it’s a lot of trial and error. Some U.S. cars did have fender mounted mirrors back in the day. My father had a 1960 Ford that had them, and yes they were difficult to get adjusted. Putting the outside mirrors on the doors is just much easier to deal with.

        • Reply
          avatar jpcavanaugh
          Posted October 29, 2013 at 11:42 AM

          The other problem is that the field of vision is about the size of a quarter. My 59 Fury had a mirror mounted out on the fender (though not as far out as was Japanese practice) and you looked into it through the windshield. It was at least remote controlled via a cable controller. But the view area was really small compared with mirrors that were closer to the driver. I thought it looked cool, but was not very pleasant to use.

        • Reply
          avatar Ltd
          Posted October 29, 2013 at 12:23 PM

          I’ve always been curious why some JDM cars have the 2 on the fender approach, but some SUV’s have 2 door mounted mirrors, and 1 fender mounted mirror, like on this Shogun.

          • Reply
            avatar Dave Skinner
            Posted October 29, 2013 at 12:51 PM

            The mirror mounted forward on the left fender encompasses the driver’s left side blind spot.

          • Reply
            avatar Styles
            Posted October 29, 2013 at 1:09 PM

            The small mirror on the nose is referred to (at least in Nissan cataloging) as an “Under mirror”. It’s a convex mirror that’s there to show the left side of the vehcile, to make parking and positioning easier. They work surprisingly well for such a small mirror. It’s hard to make out detail, but you can see the contrast between the side of the vehcile and the curb reasonably easily.

        • Reply
          avatar NZ Skyliner
          Posted October 29, 2013 at 5:06 PM

          My old 1992 C33 Nissan Laurel had factory fender mirrors – I had no dramas adjusting them though as they were electric, operating from the same dashboard control that operates the door mirrors in other Laurels. I found them surprisingly easy to get used to, and the first time I towed a caravan they proved brilliant! They allowed a full view down the side of both the car and caravan. They combined with the flat bonnet and stand-up hood ornament to make it dead easy to position the car on any road – although they also combined to create a sense of sailing a ship…

          Nissan was still offering fender mirrors on the Laurel, Cedric, Gloria and President (aka Infiniti Q45) until at least the late 90s – which was ironic, as Nissan was the first JDM manufacturer to win approval for door-mounted mirrors in Japan (on the C32 Nissan Laurel). Random President from the interwebs:

      • Reply
        avatar Robert Kim
        Posted October 29, 2013 at 12:14 PM

        Can’t forget the “jeepney” made in the Philippines, an entire unique class of jeep-styled vehicles made by numerous small manufacturers using new frames and bodies and Japanese engines. They can be an MB replica or stretched into a minibus, built on a jeep-style frame and body or an entirely different truck chassis with a sedan or modern SUV body, and who knows how many other variations. It is a fascinating cross-cultural development.

        http://usjeepney.com/index.htm

    4. Reply
      avatar nlpnt
      Posted October 29, 2013 at 11:29 AM

      I knew these existed but the 1998 part surprises me – you’d think when the Montero came out in the early ’80s that would be the end of the license-built Mitsubishi Jeeps.

    5. Reply
      avatar Daniel
      Posted October 29, 2013 at 11:34 AM

      I would like to see a vehicle like this return to North America.
      If the body and frame was made highly rust resistant and reasonably lightweight,
      a small 6 would be sufficient to power it.
      However, it’s drag coefficient must be very poor.

    6. Reply
      avatar KiwiBryce
      Posted October 29, 2013 at 12:42 PM

      Some of these Mitsubishi Jeep knock offs have been imported to NZ not many but occasionally I see them for sale.

      • Reply
        avatar Styles
        Posted October 29, 2013 at 1:10 PM

        Indeed, in the glory days of the ’90’s and early 2000’s there were quite a few being imported, mainly in the short wheelbase soft top diesel. But I haven’t seen one in ages.

    7. Reply
      avatar roger628
      Posted October 29, 2013 at 4:41 PM

      The reason for fender mounted mirrors on Japanese cars for many years
      was to keep the overall width down. Since cars were taxed on width, placing the mirrors there enabled them to squeak under the limits.
      When the tax structure was revised in the late 80s, fender mirrors went away.
      In keeping with the Kaiser connection, Mitsubishi also built Henry Js under license in the early 50s.

      http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Henry_j.JPG

    8. Reply
      avatar suzulight
      Posted October 29, 2013 at 8:12 PM

      I want one! This one! Very cool find.

    9. Reply
      avatar KitaIkki
      Posted October 29, 2013 at 11:26 PM

      Fender mounted mirrors can be more “inboard” than door mounted ones. Useful where streets are narrow and parking spaces extremely tight.

    10. Reply
      avatar like_a_rock
      Posted December 4, 2013 at 2:28 AM

      Check this one out for sale in Roy,Wa. It looks almost exactly the same but not a 4-door. They call it a “maverick jeep” and judging by the custom political signage on the back its probably been untouched since the 70’s or early 80’s.

      http://www.carsonlinefree.com/sites/inventoryDetails.cfm?dealerID=5163&vid=336393&searchTerm=all&sortBy=makeZ&startRow=1

    11. Reply
      avatar ngoga billy
      Posted August 25, 2014 at 7:30 AM

      hi everybody how about this ,,,,,,,i live in RWANDA +250784377956

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    *

    *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    • Search
    • Subscribe to email notifications

    • Become a Curbside Member

    • Privacy

      Click for CC’s Privacy Policy

    • Curbside Classics Archives
       American Brands - GMAmerican Brands: GM
      American Brands - FordAmerican Brands: Ford
      American Brands - ChryslerAmerican Brands:
      Chrysler
      American Brands - OtherAmerican Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others
      Automotive HistoriesAutomotive
      Histories and Misc.
      Curbside Classics - Asian Brands Asian Brands
       UK BrandsUK Brands
      Curbside Classic: Australian BrandsAustralian Brands
      Curbside Classics - European Brands European Brands
      Auto-BiographyCars Of A Lifetime & Auto-Biography
      Buses
      Trucks, Pickups and Vans
      Design
      Trains, Planes & Ships
      Motorcycles, Trikes, Bicycles
      Engines, Transmissions and other Tech
      Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment
      RVs, Motorhomes, Trailers, Campers
    • Recent Comments
      • Paul Niedermeyer on CC Capsule: 1976 Nissan Gloria 330 SGL-E Hardtop Sedan – I Will Survive
      • tbm3fan on Vintage Photos: Street Scenes – San Diego, 1973-74
      • RetroStang Rick on CC Capsule: 1976 Nissan Gloria 330 SGL-E Hardtop Sedan – I Will Survive
      • Tatra87 on CC Capsule: 1976 Nissan Gloria 330 SGL-E Hardtop Sedan – I Will Survive
      • Russell Thornburg on Miniature Curbside Classic: 1994 Chrysler New Yorker by Brookfield Collectors Guild
      • Scoutdude on Curbside Review: 2021 RAM 1500 TRX Crew Cab 4×4 – “So It’s Kind Of Like A Raptor, But With A Powerful Engine, Right?”
      • Rene on COAL Update: 1963 Ford Thunderbird – The Two-Year Rule
      • Eric703 on Curbside Review: 2021 RAM 1500 TRX Crew Cab 4×4 – “So It’s Kind Of Like A Raptor, But With A Powerful Engine, Right?”
      • Chris on Cohort Pic(k)s of the Day: GM Vans: Bedford-Blitz CF280 and GMC Vandura – Guess Which One Came First
      • Scoutdude on Curbside Review: 2021 RAM 1500 TRX Crew Cab 4×4 – “So It’s Kind Of Like A Raptor, But With A Powerful Engine, Right?”
    Avatars by Sterling Adventures

    About Arras WordPress Theme

    Copyright 2011 - 2021 Curbside Classics. All Rights Reserved.

    sponsored