>>28518418>>28518079back then Mitsubishi didn't have the money to run their own import and distribution network so they formed a partnership with Chrysler to sell their cars at Chrysler dealerships.
in fact all the imports did stuff like this, basically letting third party importers brand themselves as 'Mercedes/Toyota/Leyland America' who would assume all the risk of importation and maintenance in exchange for being allowed to run as quasi-independent companies and have a share of the profits. Some got big enough they could directly influence the parent company, like the guys who ran the main Mercedes and Porsche and Ferrari dealerships stateside in the 50s and 60s.
I don't think the parent companies assumed direct control of their American distribution network until sometime in the 90s. I remember a time when you'd have dealerships selling stuff like Peugeot and Alfa Romeo on the same lots, because the importer had the rights to sell both of them. You still see this business model in the motorcycle/powersports industry, you'll never see a standalone Yamaha dealer; they'll also have Suzuki and Kawasaki.
