Mitsubishi PX33
Encyclopedia
The Mitsubishi PX33 is a prototype
passenger car built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
, the company which would eventually sire Mitsubishi Motors
. Commissioned for military use by the Japan
ese government in 1934, it was the first Japan
ese-built sedan to have full time four-wheel drive
, a technology the company would return to fifty years later in pursuit of motorsport
success. Four working prototypes were built, and a version was in development using Mitsubishi's 6.7 litre, 70 PS 445AD powerplant, Japan's first direct injection
diesel engine
. However, the entire PX33 project was cancelled in 1937 after the government decided to prioritize commercial vehicle development of truck
s and bus
es.
The PX33 received renewed attention as a marketing
tool for Mitsubishi during the release of the fourth generation Mitsubishi Pajero
. The PX33's historical and technological link to the company's newest sport utility vehicle
saw both cars displayed in parallel at the Paris Motor Show in September 2006.
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
passenger car built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
, or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
, the company which would eventually sire Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors
is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...
. Commissioned for military use by the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese government in 1934, it was the first Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese-built sedan to have full time four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
, a technology the company would return to fifty years later in pursuit of motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
success. Four working prototypes were built, and a version was in development using Mitsubishi's 6.7 litre, 70 PS 445AD powerplant, Japan's first direct injection
Gasoline direct injection
In internal combustion engines, gasoline direct injection , also known as petrol direct injection or direct petrol injection, is a variant of fuel injection employed in modern two-stroke and four-stroke gasoline engines...
diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
. However, the entire PX33 project was cancelled in 1937 after the government decided to prioritize commercial vehicle development of truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s and bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es.
The PX33 received renewed attention as a marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
tool for Mitsubishi during the release of the fourth generation Mitsubishi Pajero
Mitsubishi Pajero
The Mitsubishi Pajero is a sport utility vehicle manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. It was named after Leopardus pajeros, the Pampas Cat which is native to the Patagonia plateau region of southern Argentina. However, since pajero is an offensive term for "wanker" in Spanish, alternative names have...
. The PX33's historical and technological link to the company's newest sport utility vehicle
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
saw both cars displayed in parallel at the Paris Motor Show in September 2006.