CENTENARY TOUR
“Owners are clearly in love with the brand: their cars and the firm that made them”
AS part of this year’s 100th birthday celebrations, Mitsubishi Motors UK invited owners from all over the country to take part in a special road rally with their cars.
The event would run from the company’s headquarters in Cirencester up to the Shelsey Walsh hillclimb course in Worcestershire, the world’s oldest operational motorsport venue. We were invited along to drive Mitsubishi’s immaculate 3000GT, along with eight other company-owned cars and 40 more privately-owned cars.
Owners travelled from all over Britain – and, in one case, all the way from the Netherlands – to join in the event with their Mitsubishis. Some attended privately, while others came via a club, such as the GTO UK club that brought six 3000GTS.
Each car was numbered and sent off on the road route to Shelsey Walsh, and, once there, it was time to go for a quick run up the hillclimb. The 3000GT felt out of its comfort zone here, with the tight course and heavy rain meaning that we had to take it easy. Still, the motorway run back to Cirencester was superb, and proved the 3000GT’S might as a long-distance cruiser.
Owners were clearly in love with the brand: both their cars and the firm that made them. It’s clear that Mitsubishi has enjoyed a very rich 100 years of history, and is in a strong position under Brit boss Trevor Mann to enjoy a flourishing future.