Mitsubishi first entered the Netherlands and began production at its NedCar facility in 1991. Over the past 20 years, European workers have built new Mitsubishi models such as the compact Mitsubishi Outlander SUV and the Mitsubishi Colt within its walls. But now, the time has come to close down, pack up and move on towards more strategic markets.

Despite the fact that Mitsubishi will no longer build its products in Western Europe, it's nowhere near abandoning European consumers. Rather, the automaker will export vehicles, such as the upcoming Mitsubishi Mirage, to the Netherlands and its neighbors from plants in Thailand and Japan. What's more, the conscious car maker has also told the NedCar workers and their government that it will work with them to find a third party replacement. If this were to happen, operations would continue seamlessly and current Mitsubishi workers would retain job security.

Just as with any Mitsubishi product, you can rest assured that the automaker put plenty of thought into its decision. In the end, however, company officials say that "due to the wildly fluctuating operating environment"¹ continued production in the Netherlands at NedCar simply wasn't viable. While European consumers are certainly fans of Mitsubishi models, the NedCar facility has only been operating at half capacity and will come to a close by the end of the year.

Looking forward to seeing where the Outlander and other models will head next? Simply follow along with our `Schaller Mitsubishi blog. If you have any questions at all along the way, please don't hesitate to contact us online or drop by in person at 25 Veterans Drive, New Britain, CT, 06051.

Source: ¹http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57371775/mitsubishi-to-stop-making-cars-in-western-europe/