CYPRESS, California — Mitsubishi Motors North America is closing down its Research and Design of America center here. The automaker will focus global design activities on its Tokyo center.
Mitsubishi will keep its Ann Arbor, Michigan, center, which is concentrating on electric-car R&D.
The California design center had been the focus of a Project America effort that started in 2000 and was intended to create U.S.-specific models. Among its output were such models as the Eclipse, the Galant and the Endeavor. In the past few years, the Cypress center was involved in the design for the Eclipse Spyder convertible, but had not been working on any major projects.
Mitsubishi Motors North America spokesman Dan Irvin says that going back to a single design studio is in line with the automaker's commitment to design global vehicles.
Inside Line says: Not an unexpected cutback given lackluster U.S. sales. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent
Add A Comment »