In May 2007 Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) celebrated the official 75th anniversary of the Fuso brand name. Three-quarters of a century ago, the Fuso name was first applied to a bus built at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Kobe Shipyard and Machine Works. Today, the Fuso name is renowned in Asia and around the world, while MFTBC itself is part of the DaimlerChrysler Truck Group, the world’s largest commercial truck manufacturer.
“MFTBC has become an integral part of the DaimlerChrysler Truck Group, says Andreas Renschler of the DaimlerChrysler Truck Group. “In this regard, the Mitsubishi Fuso brand takes its place alongside our four other leading truck brands, Mercedes-Benz in Europe and Latin-America as well as Freightliner, Western Star and Sterling in the NAFTA region.”
“As the Truck Group’s center for hybrid technology, MFTBC will focus on making our future hybrid vehicles even more efficient and economical.“
The Fuso brand name first appeared in 1932 in conjunction with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ first, so-called “B46” commercial bus. The word “Fuso” derives from an ancient Chinese term for a sacred tree said to grow at the spot in the East where the sun rises, and has been used to refer to Japan itself.
Other leading products over the years were the KT1, a gasoline-engine 4-ton truck (1946); the T380, Japan’s first heavy-duty cab over truck (1959); and the Rosa, Japan’s first small size bus (1960). In 1962, the first Canter was produced. The Mitsubishi Fuso Canter light-duty truck would become the company’s best-selling vehicle of all time, and maintains its excellent reputation today. Today, the company’s product line includes a wide variety of light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses in Japan, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and around the world.
MFTBC President and CEO Harald Boelster says: “Mitsubishi Fuso looks back with pride on the last 75 years and with gratitude to customers. But the observance of the brand name’s anniversary is mostly about the future.
 “Looking ahead, Fuso intends to demonstrate its commitment to customers, dealers, distributors, employees, shareholders and society. Along the way, there will be exciting new chapters in the long history of Fuso.”
In recent years, Mitsubishi Fuso featured innovative products like the Canter Eco Hybrid, one of the world’s cleanest light-duty trucks, now available in Japan, and the Aero Star Hybrid, an advanced hybrid electric bus.
In the years ahead, Mitsubishi Fuso will design vehicles to set ever greater standards of safety and environmental performance, all the while delivering efficiency and value for customers around the world. One example is the Fuso Concept Vehicle, a demonstration of advanced heavy-duty truck technologies.
In the next 12 months, MFTBC will observe the brand name’s anniversary at various events and activities. It will also be a central theme during the company’s exhibition at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, Oct. 26-Nov. 11.
Based in Kawasaki, Japan, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) is one of Asia’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers. In 2006, the company sold a total of 186,600 vehicles including light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses. DaimlerChrysler AG owns 85% of MFTBC shares. The remaining 15% of shares are held by various Mitsubishi group companies. MFTBC is an integral part of DaimlerChrysler’s Truck Group. n
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