三菱・A型 Mitsubishi Type A - Japan's first mass produced passenger car

Описание: 三菱A型（みつびしAがた）は、三菱合資会社が大正時代に三菱造船および三菱内燃機で製造した自動車である。
三菱合資会社社長岩崎小彌太が副社長時代に使用していたフィアットを模して製作したものだった。モデルはFiat ZeroとFiat 3である。

The Mitsubishi Model A is the only car built by the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Company, a member of the Mitsubishi keiretsu which would eventually evolve into Mitsubishi Motors, and the first series production automobile manufactured in Japan. It was the brainchild of Koyata Iwasaki, the Mitsubishi's fourth president and the nephew of founder Yataro Iwasaki, who foresaw the vast potential of motorized vehicles and the role they would play in the economic development of Japan. Envisioned as a luxury vehicle for high echelon government officials and top executives, the Model A had to be reliable, comfortable and a showcase of Japanese craftsmanship.
Based on the Fiat Tipo 3, it was a four-door seven-seat sedan powered by a front-mounted 26 kW (35 hp) 2.8 litre straight-4 engine driving the rear wheels, and was capable of speeds up to 20 miles per hour (32 km/h). 22 were built at the company's Kobe shipyard, including prototypes, between 1917 and 1921.

Prompted by a request of the Japanese army, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. entered the vehicle manufacturing business in 1917 with the Model A. As Italy was regarded as the most advanced automobile-manufacturing nation of the time, the Model A was based on the Fiat A3-3 and built at the company's Kobe shipyard by Taizo Soda (future vice-president of Shin Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) and others. In 1919, the Model A became Japan's first mass produced passenger vehicle.