What Is the Mitsubishi Logo?
The Mitsubishi logo is three diamonds that meet at a single point, usually shown above or beside the name MITSUBISHI. On cars it is the badge of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, the Japanese car maker founded in 1970. The same three-diamond mark is shared by the Mitsubishi group companies that grew from one 19th-century shipping firm.
The diamonds were on a Mitsubishi car, the 1918 Model A, more than fifty years before Mitsubishi Motors itself was founded. The diamonds with the name are available as the Mitsubishi logo SVG.
Mitsubishi Logo Facts
| Introduced | As a ship's flag from 1870; registered as a trademark in 1914 |
| Symbol | Three diamonds meeting at the centre |
| Logo type | Combination mark: three diamonds and the MITSUBISHI name |
| Earlier mark | The MMC symbol on Mitsubishi Motors cars, 1982 to 1992 |
| Owner | Mitsubishi group companies, including Mitsubishi Motors Corporation |
What the Mitsubishi Logo Means
In Mitsubishi's case the name describes the logo, not the other way round.
- Mitsu means three.
- Hishi means water caltrop, a word Japanese has long used for a rhombus or diamond shape.
- In the middle of the word the h sound softens to a b, which gives Mitsubishi.
Founder Yataro Iwasaki (1835–1885) chose the mark for his company. It draws on two family crests: the three-leaf crest of the Tosa Clan, his first employer, and the three stacked rhombuses of the Iwasaki family crest.
Mitsubishi Logo History
The three diamonds started at sea in 1870 and first appeared on a car in 1918.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| October 1870 | Tsukumo Shokai ships fly the flag that the mark grew out of |
| March 1914 | Mitsubishi applies to register the mark; it is registered that June |
| November 1918 | The Model A is completed with the diamonds on its radiator grille |
| 22 April 1970 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries sets up Mitsubishi Motors Corporation |
| May 1976 | An MM front emblem appears |
| February 1982 | An MMC symbol appears |
| May 1992 | The three-diamond logo returns in place of the MMC logo |
Tsukumo Shokai was the shipping firm that Mitsubishi grew from. Mitsubishi Motors calls the Model A Japan's first mass-produced passenger car.
Car making had sat inside Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It set up Mitsubishi Motors as a wholly owned subsidiary and moved its car business there that June. The new company's cars did not always carry the diamonds.
The 1992 return put the diamonds back in Mitsubishi Motors' advertising, at its dealers and on its car bodies.
Mitsubishi and Mazda
The three diamonds once appeared on another maker's vehicles. In 1931 Mazda's first product mark combined the Mazda letters with the diamonds of Mitsubishi Corporation, which then distributed Mazda's three-wheeled trucks (compare the Mazda logo).
For more brands like Mitsubishi, browse our car logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Mitsubishi mean?
Three diamonds. Mitsu means three and hishi means water caltrop, a word Japanese uses for a diamond shape.
Where do the three diamonds come from?
Yataro Iwasaki combined the three-leaf crest of the Tosa Clan with the three stacked rhombuses of his own family crest.
Is the Mitsubishi Motors logo the same as the Mitsubishi group logo?
Yes. Mitsubishi Motors uses the same three-diamond mark as other Mitsubishi group companies, all of which trace back to Iwasaki's shipping business.
What was the first car with the Mitsubishi logo?
The Mitsubishi Model A, completed in November 1918, carried the three diamonds on its radiator grille.