Denver dealer brings Mitsubishi brand back to Springs

Quality Mitsubishi, an independent, Denver-based dealer, has purchased the local Mitsubishi franchise from the Japanese automaker and opened a showroom and service center at 1133 Motor City Drive.

The Colorado Springs market has been without a Mitsubishi dealership since March, when Phil Long Dealerships terminated its franchise contract with the manufacturer and closed its store in Motor City, citing underperformance.

But Henry Block, who has owned Quality Mitsubishi of Denver for 20 years, is banking on his reputation in the industry to help his second location succeed.

“We have had longevity in Denver because we have great repeat customers. We’re known for taking care of people, and we are bringing that philosophy to the Colorado Springs market,” Block said Tuesday.

Block spent about $200,000 remodeling the building, which housed Phil Long’s Mitsubishi dealership. The lot has an inventory of 50 new Mitsubishi vehicles and 100 used vehicles of all makes and models.

He said he’s been working on buying the franchise and expanding his business since January.

“Colorado Springs is appealing because it’s a medium-sized market, not a big metro-sized market, and we’re the only Mitsubishi dealer here,” he said. “It’s a market where people can get to know the dealer and develop trust.”

Marc Renjard, formerly of Pikes Peak Acura, has been hired as general sales manager. Mitsubishi vehicles stand out for their advanced technology, good deals and generous warranties that include five-year or 60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper coverage and 100,000 mile powertrain coverage, he said.

Block said that because Mitsubishi is considered a second-tier import franchise, not one of the big guns like Honda or Toyota, “we have to show the value and the comparisons to other products.”

“Mitsubishi has been around a long but a lot of people don’t know much about the vehicles. There’s probably no better value in the market and we plan to get that out to customers,” Block said.