Colt Car Company
Colt Car Company, also known as Mitsubishi Motors UK, was a privately owned business established in 1974 as part of Mitsubishi Motors' global expansion programme for the purpose of importing and distributing cars and light commercial vehicles in the United Kingdom. For the first decade of its existence, British market Mitsubishis were sold under the "Colt" marque until the rebranding to Mitsubishi, which then brought the marque in line with the rest of the world.
| Company type | Private limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motor vehicle import and distribution |
| Founded | UK (21 March 1974) |
| Defunct | 1 October 2021 (Ended car sales) |
| Headquarters | Watermoor, Cirencester , Gloucestershire, UK |
| Revenue | £554 million |
Number of employees | 20 |
| Parent | Mitsubishi Corporation |
| Subsidiaries | Spitalgate Dealer Services Shogun Finance |
| Website | |
Until 2008, it was a 51/49 joint venture between Colt Automotive Ltd and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. Three subsidiary companies existed: Spitalgate Dealer Services, which specialises in dealer wholesale stocking, Shogun Finance, the retail finance company and Shogun Retail, the retail operations company.
On the 1st October 2021, Mitsubishi Motors UK halted all new car sales for good as Mitsubishi's contract with the Colt Car Company (CCC) ended. On this date, CCC's aftersales business was sold to International Motors, a company known for launching Hyundai onto the UK market in 1981 and for being the current importer of Subaru and Isuzu vehicles. International Motors put the acquired operations into a new subsidiary called I.M. MAPS (UK) Ltd, which still had the rights to use the Mitsubishi Motors name for service parts and accessories.