Cypress-based Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. has closed its Mitsubishi Research and Design of America office and design center in Cypress.
Mitsubishi, part of Japan’s Mitsubishi Motor Corp., said that all auto design done in Cypress is going back to the company’s headquarters’ in Japan.
The design studio previously did work on the new Ellipse coupe and Spyder sports car models, the company said.
There were no projects under way currently at the design studio. Sixty employees were let go.
The Cypress studio was part of Mitsubishi’s “Project America” family of vehicles which included the Eclipse, Galant, the next-generation Montero Sport and the Endeavor.
It’s another blow to the Orange County auto industry which once was home to many design studios.
Ford Motor Co. has seen design work leave OC for its Volvo Cars of North America LLC unit and former brands Land Rover North America Inc., Jaguar Cars North America and Aston Martin.
Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. and South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. still have designs centers here.
Mitsubishi is down 51% from a year earlier with 9,105 vehicles sold last month in what many are calling the great depression for autos.
Mitsubishi sales for 2008 fell 25% to 97,257 vehicles from a year earlier when the automaker posted a gain with new autos such as the Outlander sport utility vehicle and Lancer sedan.
The automaker saw a new chief executive, Shinichi Kurihara, take over at the beginning of the year.
The automaker’s Ann Arbor, Mich.-based design center will remain open where research and testing is being conducted on an electric vehicle.
