Iwata Masashi 1st. gen. Lancer

”1st gen. Lancer”
This was the first Mitsubishi car I purchased after joining Mitsubishi Motors. It had a unique atmosphere when compared to the design of other domestic cars of the time, and its design was sporty, lightweight, and highly rigid, and I was thrilled by its success in rally championships around the world. The sound of the 1.6L GSR Saturn engine still lingers in my ears. When depicting this car, a heroic figure in rally competition is inevitable.    Masashi Iwata

Masashi Iwata Galant lambda

“Galant Lambda”
Designed by Ryu Kaibuchi, whose work I respect. The slant nose, the roll-bar style quarter pillar, and the wrap-around rear window were modern and superior to other competing cars of the time. Under his guidance, I learned many things, and this was the first car that gave me a real sense of my work as a designer. In particular, the design drawing work on the radiator grille with Japan’s first 4 SAE rectangular headlights embedded in the characteristic slant nose is an experience I cannot forget to this day.                Masashi Iwata 

Masashi Iwata Ram-50

”DODGE RAM50″
This model became the cornerstone of Mitsubishi 4WD vehicles, represented by the Pajero and the Delica. The name for the domestic market was Forte. The bed was made by Toyo Koki (later Pajero Manufacturing). The sketch is a minor-changed model of Chrysler’sDOGE RAM50. Due to the oil crisis, compact pickup trucks made in Japan were popular and sold well in North America at the time.   Masashi Iwata

“HSR”
The HSR was a series of concept cars developed from the 1st gen. in 1987 to the 6th gen. in 1997, of which I consider this 1st gen. to be the best. The exterior was composed of smooth, curved surfaces down to the smallest detail, and the huge air brake, reminiscent of an aircraft, on the rear deck caught the eye. The interior was full of gimmicks, such as seats that slide as the doors open and close. It was a design full of futuristic concept car characteristics. As a result of thorough pursuit of aerodynamic performance, a Cd value of 0.20 was achieved, resulting in a cruising speed of 300 km/h in the test run. Nobutaka Imada, Akinori Nakanishi, and Yoshihisa Akiyama (Nimura Design) were in charge of the design.   Masashi Iwata

“mR.1000”
A concept car from 1991. It was a compact and cute two-seater runabout with an electrically operated roof and rear window that could be easily opened for open-air driving. The exterior was designed by Eiji Sumiyoshi, a key designer of the 6th gen. Minica. I was in charge of the interior design with Akira Yoshizawa in the design advance development group. The instrument panel was designed to emphasize the framework, and the seats were fixed while all controls were adjustable, creating a sporty and innovative design. At that time, I was also in charge of the interiors of the HSR III and mS1000 at the same time, and I remember that I was extremely busy.  Masashi Iwata