Mitsubishi Motors is Japan’s 6^th largest motor vehicle manufacturer and the 17^th largest in the world by global vehicle production. The three-diamond logo predates Mitsubishi Motors by almost a century and represents three rhombuses stacked on top of each other – from ‘mitsu’ (three) and ‘hishi’ (often used in Japanese to denote a diamond or rhombus). The Mitsubishi Group’s traditional emphasis is on technology and their first hand-built automobile appeared in 1917 then, in 1937, they introduced the first Japanese-built passenger car with full-time four-wheel drive – which was further developed some fifty years later to enhance sales and gain motorsport success.

• THAILAND: Mitsubishi boosts Mirage output after high demand - Higher than expected orders for the new Mirage 'global small car' have prompted Mitsubishi Motors Thailand to boost output at its third assembly plant in Laem Chabang, Chon Buri province.
• THE WEEK THAT WAS: Autonomous motoring - Most popular news article this week: an interview with Nady Boules, director of General Motors' electrical and control integration research skunkworks. He told how the automaker sees the pathway, timeframe and costs in moving through semi- to fully autonomous driving - the automaker has begun road testing prototype Cadillacs capable of semi-autonomous driving. GM calls the system 'Super Cruise'.
• JAPAN: Nissan Q4 profit jumps 33% - Nissan's profit jumped 33% year on year in the last quarter of its fiscal year to 31 March, 2012 and the carmaker predicted a 28% rise for the year ahead, driven by strong sales and the global launches of 10 new models.
• BRAZIL: Mitsubishi importer to start building cars - Mitsubishi's independent Brazilian importer is to revamp its factory and begin car production.
• US SALES: More happiness - April US light vehicle sales required a careful look: due to three fewer selling days this year, a modest 2.3% volume increase became a more respectable 15.1% increase in daily sales rate (DSR). Either way, the US market racked up its 20th consecutive month of year over year growth.
• JAPAN: Sales bounce back following 2011 disaster - New car sales in Japan rose 93% in April following the earthquake and tsunami which hit the country just over a year ago.
• April 2012 management briefing: OEM financial summaries (Toyota, Nissan and Honda) - In this month's management briefing, Rob Golding runs his financial rule over the financial position of the automotive industry's major OEMs. In this instalment: Toyota, Nissan and Honda
• JAPAN: GM 'eyeing stake in Isuzu' - General Motors and Isuzu, the Japanese small truck and pickup truck maker, could rekindle their 35-year capital partnership which GM ended in 2006 when it faced bankruptcy, according to Japanese media reports.