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New Brand Positioning For Mitsubishi Motors Helps Company

4 November 1998

New Brand Positioning For Mitsubishi Motors Helps Company Achieve Sales Increase of 12 Percent For October

          New Galant Leads the Way with Monthly Sales Up 62 Percent

    CYPRESS, Calif., Nov. 3 -- Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America,
Inc. (MMSA) is beginning to reap the rewards of its recently launched new
brand image campaign as the company sees a fourth consecutive month of
increased sales for its Galant mid-size sedan and continues the "wake up and
drive" theme with new advertisements for its mid-size Montero Sport SUV.
Year-to-date sales for the company reached nearly 165,000 units, reflecting a
slight increase over 1997 figures and a monthly increase of 12 percent over
October of last year.
    New advertising for the Montero Sport, created by Deutsch, Inc. of Santa
Monica and New York, launched in mid-October, helping to contribute to the
model's ongoing popularity.  Monthly sales reached more than 3,700 units,
showing a 22 percent year-to-date increase.
    As MMSA enters the final quarter for 1998, the company recently introduced
"Driving to Win," the second phase of its ongoing corporate change process,
encompassing a series of initiatives designed to create a stronger
results-driven management philosophy that includes objectives to strengthen
customer satisfaction, dealer satisfaction and profitability.
    "Over the last 18 months we've laid the groundwork to change the way our
entire organization does business," said Pierre Gagnon, executive vice
president and chief operating officer.  "Our main focus has been for MMSA and
our retail partners together to increase brand awareness and enhance consumer
relationships within the U.S. marketplace.  This month's 62 percent increase
in Galant sales, over the same period last year, clearly shows our brand
awareness is expanding," he noted.
    Gagnon emphasized that the nearly 4,700 Galant units sold this month were
a direct reflection of the success the company's new brand image is achieving.
"While the new Galant is bringing a new buyer into our showrooms, the
emotional connection we're now experiencing with consumers is carrying
throughout our entire product line," said Gagnon.
    Year-to-date 4-door Mirage sales are up 37 percent, with October sales
specifically up 14 percent.  Sales of the popular Eclipse sports coupe and
Spyder convertible together reached nearly 4,000 units for October.  "We're
very encouraged by the ongoing appeal that Eclipse holds for buyers,
especially after five years of the same body style," said Gagnon.  A new
design is scheduled for the 2000 model year.
    Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc. was established in 1982 by
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Tokyo, and markets a full line of vehicles,
including coupes, convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles.

                                  Oct. '98           Oct. '97        % Change
                                  Month/YTD          Month/YTD       Month/YTD

    Passenger Car Sales*        13,725/129,623   12,372/131,562     +11%/-1%
    Sport Utility Vehicles**      4,204/34,728     3,650/31,856     +15%/+9%
    Trucks***                              0/0            0/207      0/-100%
    Total Vehicle Sales         17,929/164,351   16,022/163,625   +12%/+0.4%

    Note: U.S.-Built
     Vehicle Sales                8,639/89,061     7,019/88,833   +23%/+0.5%
    (Includes Eclipse/Eclipse Spyder/Galant)

    *     Above totals include sales of U.S.-built Mitsubishi Motors vehicles
    **    Includes Montero and Montero Sport
    ***   Truck sales include inventory stock only; MMSA stopped selling the
            Mighty Max pickup truck early in 1996