Mitsubishi Motors takes over ACMS.

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation [MMC] announced this week that they have taken over control of Andrew Cowan Motorsports Ltd [ACMS].

Based in Rugby [United Kingdom], ACMS was responsible for the World Rally Championship [WRC] participation of Mitsubishi Motors, under the name of 'Mitsubishi Ralliart Europe'.

Effective from April 1st, this move marks another important milestone in the ongoing realignment of all motor sports activities at MMC, announced on November 22 2002.

In this respect, Andrew Cowan will remain with the team for the next two and a half years, in order to help Mitsubishi Motors to achieve a quantum leap in WRC, from 2004 on. This deal also includes all employee contracts.

Andrew Cowan is one of the most respected figures in the world of rallying. After an extensive career as a driver and most notably for Mitsubishi Motors, he went on to enjoy a number of successes with his own team, again with MMC, winning four world rally championships.

"After decades of involvement in motor sports, I thought long and hard about the future direction I wanted to take for myself and for the team," said Cowan. "I am very proud and happy that we reached this solid solution with MMC, under the lead of Sven Quandt, Head of Motor Sports."

Sven Quandt added: "Andrew Cowan has been instrumental in the building up of our new motor sports organisation. Thanks to this good partnership, the combination of his personal plans and our development strategy allowed to reach this deal."

Ulrich Walker, Executive Vice President at MMC, thanked Andrew Cowan for "his professionalism and everything he did as a Mitsubishi Motors ambassador around the world."