Mitsubishi Type 73 Light Truck

The first production of the Type 73, known as the Mitsubishi Type 73 Light Truck Kyu was based on the Jeep CJ-3Bs that Mitsubishi Motors had been producing under license from Willys. The first Type 73 Kyu's had been placed into production in 1973 with the chassis of the Jeep CJ-3B for basis before they made modifications based on it to create the Mitsubishi CJ-3B-J4 and the Mitsubishi CJ-3B-J4C before it was replaced again by producing the Mitsubishi CJ-5A-J54A. Production continued on before it ended in 1997 after the Type 73 Light Truck Shins were placed in production by 1996.

The Kyu's had been exported out of Japan, mostly declared as military surplus vehicles to the Philippines and South Vietnam with the latter using it as one of the main jeeps of the ARVN next to the Willys M606 and M38A1s in the course of the Vietnam War. They had been exported to New Zealand for civilian use.