Mitsubishi 500 was the class winner of the Macau GP, Mitsubishi's debut in international motorsports.

By the beginning of the 1960s, Japan's economy was gearing up for take-off. Real wages were rising and many people could afford their own wheels. The idea of family motoring began to grip the Japanese imagination, and the Mitsubishi 500, designed for a mass market and introduced in 1960, made those dreams come true. It was the Mitsubishi 500 that was responsible for the promotion of Mitsubishi quality to an audience beyond Japan, taking class honors in the Macau Grand Prix.

In 1962 came the Minica, Mitsubishi's first micro-compact four-seater. Based on the Mitsubishi 360 (1960), the Minica's 2-stroke, air-cooled 359cc gasoline engine placed it in the lowest vehicle tax category. That was not the only reason it sold so well; it was also highly reliable and economical. The Minica name lives on today.

The same applies to the Colt 600, a larger, more comfortable family car (although the modern Colt has a different development origin), also launched in 1962. In 1965, Mitsubishi introduced the Colt 800, the first fast-back model in Japan.

In 1969, Mitsubishi went further up market. The Colt Galant sedan was the first of what was to become a long and illustrious line with a multitude of motorsports honors and consumer-related awards to its name. It was distinguished by its aerodynamically designed shape, the so-called "dynawedge line," and by its Saturn series SOHC engine with aluminum head. The 1969 Galant was a genuine pacesetter in the Japanese market, representing as it did the integration of the latest and best in auto technologies.

Meanwhile, as a glance at the chronology shows, Mitsubishi was expanding its range of commercial vehicles to cover the whole spectrum of cargo-carrying needs. New models included the Rosa small-size bus series in 1960 and the light-duty Canter truck series in 1963. By the end of the 1960s, Mitsubishi was well and truly established as a comprehensive motor vehicle manufacturer with a deserved and rapidly growing reputation for all-round quality. It was time for a big change.