Message from Tuan Haji Bujang Tun Ahmad Zaidi
Chairmen, Able Automobile Snd. Bhd.
Most car enthusiasts know about Mitsuoka of Japan, which is well known for its hand-made classic cars that not only look unique but also have high quality finishes as well. Its founder and current President, Mr.Susumu Mitsuoka, an avid enthusiast of classic and antique cars, formed the company in February 1968.
Mitsuoka was the 10th car manufacturer granted a manufacturer’s licence by the Ministry of Transport, Japan. The manufacturing plant is situated in the prefecture of Toyama in the Fujiyama District of Japan. It employs some 200 technical staff who themselves are car enthusiasts, and are constantly involved in the research, development and manufacture of Mitsuoka cars.
Our former Prime Minister, Dato Seri Dr.Mahathir Mohamed, visited the Mitsuoka plant in July 1997, while he was on an official visit to Japan, and was very impressed by their manufacturing skills. Mitsuoka is well known for producing hand-made cars of their own classic designs. The Classic Type F produced in November 1996 was awarded the "Good Design Award" in Japan in the same year, and this is a clear indication of the product’s high quality.
Mitsuoka cars were introduced into the Malaysian market through our company, Able Automobile Sdn Bhd. While on a tour of Japan during the mid-nineties, I was so impressed by the classical look of a homemade 2 + 2 convertible I saw on the road, that I decided to trace the origin of the car. After much effort, I was informed that the car was the "Le Seyde" produced by Mitsuoka from Toyama, Japan.
I firmly believe in the intrinsic value of classic cars, and tried my best to persuade the Mitsuoka management to set up a joint-venture in Malaysia. After much discussion, in 1997 Mitsuoka granted our company the rights to be the first overseas distributor outside Japan.
Able Automobile, during a soft launch held earlier, introduced 10 models of Mitsuoka into the local market. These were the 1.3-litre 4-cylinders View † sedan, the 2-litre 4-cylinder Ryoga sedan, the award-winning Classic type F, the Galue Limousine, and the Le Seyde 2+2 convertible to a long-body limousine, with prices ranging from RM140,000 to RM 200,000.
Every Mitsuoka is unique in the sense that it is all hand-made, with classic designs most sought after by car collectors. Other than that, the engines and chassis are from the well-proven Nissan technologies. The engines, with a maximum capacity of 2000cc, are powerful and reliable.
Of all the models, the Galue and Ryoga have received overwhelming response from Malaysian car enthusiasts. Delivery of the vehicles is not immediate, especially the Le Seyde, as it has a limited production of only 500 units.
The factory in Japan guarantees all Mitsuoka's parts. Customers are assured of the best service possible when they bring in their Mitsuoka vehicles for service or repair at our service centres. We are in the process of expanding our sales and service network to more locations throughout the country so as to enable more enthusiasts to experience the Mitsuoka sensation and to provide better service to our existing customers as well.
