is a small

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese

automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

company. It is noted for building cars with unconventional styling, some of which are modern while most others are retro-styled to imitate the look of American, European and particularly British cars of the 1950s and 1960s. Mitsuoka Motors is also the principal distributor of the retro-classic

TD2000 The TD2000 is a retro-classic roadster inspired by the stylish pre-war vehicles. It is produced by TD Cars (Malaysia), a private limited company incorporated in 1998. The company acquired the rights, intellectual properties and trademarks associ ...

roadster in Japan. Mitsuoka is primarily a custom design

coachbuilder A coachbuilder manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles. The trade of producing coachwork began with bodies for horse-drawn vehicles. Today it includes custom automobiles, buses, Coach (bus), motor coaches, and passenger car (rai ...

, customizing production cars, e.g., the

Nissan March The Nissan Micra, also known as the , is a supermini car (B-segment) that has been produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan from 1982. The March name has always been used in the Japanese markets but also in many export markets a ...

, and replacing various aspects of the bodywork. It has also produced a sports car, the Orochi, and has a special department for

hearse A hearse () is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased person in a coffin to a funeral, wake, or graveside service. They range from deliberately ...

History

Mitsuoka was recognised in 1994 as the 10th Japanese auto manufacturer to be registered in Japan since Honda in 1963, basing its current cars on Nissans and other Japanese car manufacturers. Mitsuoka Motor launched in the UK in 2015 under sole distribution of T W White & Sons and launched the Mitsuoka Roadster (Himiko) at the London Motor Show in 2016. The M55 is a Showa retro concept car created for Mitsuoka's 55th anniversary. The appearance of the car is intended to resemble that of cars from 1970s Japan. The car has been said to resemble 1970s models of the Datsun B110,Mitsuoka M55 Concept Turns the Honda Civic into a '70s Muscle Car
Car and Driver. 17 November 2023. the Mitsubishi Galant GTO, the

Nissan Skyline The is a brand of automobile originally produced by the Prince Motor Company starting in 1957, and then by Nissan after the two companies merged in 1967. After the merger, the Skyline and its larger counterpart, the Nissan Gloria, were sold in ...

and the

Toyota Celica The is an automobile produced by Toyota from 1970 until 2006. The Celica name derives from the Latin word ''wikt:coelicus, coelica'' meaning ''heavenly'' or ''celestial''. In Japan, the Celica was exclusive to ''Toyota Corolla Store'' Car deale ...

. Although the M55 has been said to resemble the

Dodge Challenger The Dodge Challenger is the name of three generations of automobiles produced by the American automobile manufacturer Dodge. However, the first use of the Challenger name by Dodge dates back to 1959 for marketing a "value version" of the full- ...

,The Mitsuoka M55: The Honda Civic concept car that challenges the Challenger
Slash Gear. 13 October 2024. it is said to have actually been inspired by the Kenmeri Skyline.

Models

Current lineup

* 1993–present Viewt * 1996–present Galue * 2008–present Himiko/Roadster * 2014–present Ryugi (based on the Toyota Corolla Axio and Toyota Corolla Fielder) * 2021–present Buddy ( K5 Blazer inspiration, based on the

Toyota RAV4 The is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is known for starting the wave of compact crossovers. The RAV4 is one of the best-selling SUVs of all time. By February 2020, a total of 10 million RAV4 ...

) * 2025–present M55 (

inspiration, based on the

Honda Civic (eleventh generation) The eleventh-generation Honda Civic (FE/FL) is a compact car (C-segment) manufactured by Honda since 2021, replacing the Honda Civic (tenth generation), tenth-generation Civic. It was launched in the North American market in June 2021, in South ...

)

Past vehicles

* 1982 BUBU 50 Series ** 1982 BUBU 501 (a three-wheeled microcar) ** 1985 BUBU 505-C (a Morgan 4/4 inspiration) * 1987–1989 BUBU Classic SSK (replica of the Mercedes-Benz SSK roadster based on the

Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Beetle, officially the Volkswagen Type 1, is a small family car produced by the German company Volkswagen from 1938 to 2003. One of the most iconic cars in automotive history, the Beetle is noted for its distinctive shape. Its pr ...

) * 1989–1990 BUBU 356 Speedstar (a replica of the

Porsche 356 The Porsche 356 is a rear-engine sports car, and the first ever production Porsche model. The 356 is a lightweight and nimble-handling, rear-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-door available both in hardtop coupé and open configurations. Engineer ...

Speedster) * 1990–1993, 2000–2001 Le-Seyde (a Nissan Silvia-based coupé inspired by Zimmer) * 1991–1993 Dore (similar to the Le-Seyde, based on the Nissan Silvia S13) * 1994–2000 Zero1 (a Lotus Super Seven replica with Eunos Roadster drivetrain) * 1996–2000 Type F (a restyled Zero1) * 1996–2004 Ray (styling similar to the Riley Elf Mk.3, based on the

Mazda Carol is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan. The company was founded on January 30, 1920, as Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., a cork-making factory, by Jujiro Matsuda. The company then acquired A ...

and later the Daihatsu Mira Gino) * 1998–2004 Ryoga a "classically" styled sedan originally based on the Primera and later on the smaller Sunny * 1998–2007 Mitsuoka Microcar ** 1998–2007 Microcar K-1/MC-1 *** 1999–2007 MC-1T ** 1998–? Microcar K-2 (based on the design of the FMR Tg500) ** 2005–? Microcar K-3/Type F (design similar to the Zero1) ** 2006–? Microcar K-4/Type R (styling reminiscent of 1950s race cars) ** 1999–2007 ME-1 ** 2002–2007 ME-2 (Convoy 88) * 2000–2001 Yuga (a

London Taxi A hackney or hackney carriage (also called a cab, black cab, hack or taxi) is a carriage or car for hire. A hackney of a more expensive or high class was called a remise. A symbol of London and Britain, the black taxi is a common sight on t ...

replica based on the Nissan Cube) * 2004–2012 Nouera (based on the

Honda Accord The , also known as the in Japan and China for certain generations, is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, best known for its four-door sedan variant, which has been one of the best-selling cars in the United States sinc ...

and later the

Toyota Corolla The is a series of compact cars (formerly Subcompact car, subcompact) manufactured and marketed globally by the Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. Introduced in 1966, the Corolla was the best-selling car worldwide by 1974 and has bee ...

) * 2007–2014 Orochi (based on the

Honda NSX The Honda NSX, marketed in North America as the Acura NSX, is a two-seater, Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, rear mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car manufactured by Honda. The origins of the NSX trace back to 1984, with the HP-X ...

) * 2008–2012 Galue 204 (based on the Toyota Corolla Axio) * 2010–2012 Galue Classic (based on the Toyota Corolla Axio) * 2010–2012

Like In English, the word ''like'' has a very flexible range of uses, ranging from conventional to non-standard. It can be used as a noun, verb, adverb, adjective, preposition, particle, conjunction, hedge, filler, quotative, and semi-suffix. U ...

(based on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV) * 2012–2022 Like-T3 * 2018–2022 Rock Star ( C2 Corvette inspiration, based on the

Mazda MX-5 The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-person sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda. The convertible is marketed as the or in Japan, and as the Mazda Miata () in the United States, and formerly in Canada, where it is now marketed as the ...

)

References

External links

Mitsuoka Motors Japanese website
(Japanese)
Mitsuoka Motors UK website
(English)
Mitsuoka Motors global website
(English) {{Authority control Car brands Car manufacturers of Japan Companies based in Toyama Prefecture Japanese brands Japanese companies established in 1968 Lotus Seven replicas Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers Sports car manufacturers Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1968