The Mitsubishi Dignity, whose name was derived from "the English to describe the peerless grandeur and majestic stateliness of the model", is a limousine

Limousine

A limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....

 manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors

Mitsubishi Motors

is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...

 from late 1999 as the flagship of the company's domestic range, alongside the smaller Proudia

Mitsubishi Proudia

The Mitsubishi Proudia is a luxury car manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors from late 1999, positioned just below the flagship Mitsubishi Dignity limousine in the company's range...

 luxury car. The entire Proudia/Dignity range was designed by Mitsubishi Motors

Mitsubishi Motors

is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...

 and co-manufactured with Hyundai

Hyundai Motor Company

Hyundai Motor Company is a Korean multinational automaker based in Seoul, South Korea which, along with Kia, comprises the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the world's fourth largest automaker as of 2009. As of 2011, it is the world's fastest growing automaker for two years running...

 of South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

, who marketed their own version as the Hyundai Equus

Hyundai Equus

The Hyundai Equus , known as the Hyundai Centennial in the Middle East, is an upscale full-size luxury car that serves as the flagship model of Hyundai Motor Company worldwide, named after the Latin word for "horse". The Hyundai Equus is the largest and most expensive sedan in the company's lineup...

. The Dignity was introduced as a competitor to the Nissan President

Nissan President

The Nissan President was a Japanese luxury limousine produced by Nissan from 1965 to 2010. The car was mainly used by corporate executives and government officers. It was a luxury sedan specifically aimed to the Japanese market, where its main competitor was the Toyota Century.The President was...

 and Toyota Century

Toyota Century

The Toyota Century is a large four-door limousine produced mainly for the Japanese market, serving as Toyota's flagship car. Production of the Century began in 1967 and the model received only minor changes until a redesign in 1997. The Century derived its name from the 100th anniversary of the...

 as the top level flagship, however Mitsubishi chose to use a transverly installed engine with front wheel drive. A Dignity is used by Prince Akishino

Prince Akishino

Fumihito, The Prince Akishino is a member of the Japanese imperial family...

, according to the Japanese Wikipedia article.

The ¥

Japanese yen

The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...

9,990,000 Dignity (S43 chassis code) featured Mitsubishi's 8A80 4,498 cc V8, a 90-degree aluminium

Aluminium

Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....

-block GDi

Gasoline direct injection

In internal combustion engines, gasoline direct injection , also known as petrol direct injection or direct petrol injection, is a variant of fuel injection employed in modern two-stroke and four-stroke gasoline engines...

 engine producing 280 PS at 5000 rpm and 412 newton metre at 4000 rpm, and an extension of the Proudia's exterior dimensions in order to liberate more interior space for the rear occupants; the roofline was raised by 10 mm (0.393700787401575 in) and the wheelbase by 250 mm (9.8 in). It used MacPherson struts for the front suspension and a multi-link spspension for the rear wheels. The car was equipped with several advanced features like CCD cameras to monitor adjacent lanes and behind the car, and a laser

Laser

A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...

 activated adaptive cruise control.
The Dignity and Proudia's combined volumes fell far shy of Mitsubishi's forecasted 300 sales per month, and they were available for only fifteen months from their introduction on February 20, 2000, before Mitsubishi's financial difficulties forced the company to discontinue both models in an effort to streamline its range and reduce costs. However, the Hyundai Equus

Hyundai Equus

The Hyundai Equus , known as the Hyundai Centennial in the Middle East, is an upscale full-size luxury car that serves as the flagship model of Hyundai Motor Company worldwide, named after the Latin word for "horse". The Hyundai Equus is the largest and most expensive sedan in the company's lineup...

proved more commercially successful and would remain in production until replaced in 2008.

Production and sales

Year	Production	Sales
1999	15	-
2000	42	45
2001	2	3