Mitsubishi will continue using the ‘Ralliart’ brand name

Ralliart Inc. announced a week ago that its business operations would cease on March 31. Despite this announcement, Mitsubishi will continue using the “Ralliart” brand name.

Ralliart is a wholly owned Japanese subsidiary of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. In the US and Europe, Mitsubishi sells a Ralliart sports version of its Lancer, which has become a sporty halo car for the brand. This racing image has influenced styling of other Mitsubishi vehicles, such as the Outlander crossover. However, Mitsubishi does not use Ralliart parts in the US nor distribute them to US retailers. Maurice Durand, a spokesman for Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc., said that he still owns the Ralliart name and that it still intends to brand its cars with it. Expect to still see Ralliart jackets, caps and other merchandise branding everywhere. Durand said that the biggest change really is that Mitsubishi will no longer be paying royalties for the name.