Ralliart announces its officially closing its doors on April 1, 2010. No, it’s not an April Fool’s joke. In a letter to its customers, Ralliart Inc.’s president, Masao Taguchi blames the downward turn in the economy for the need to cease operations. Along with scaling down the business, Ralliart will also be ceasing its support to motorsport customers, stopping any new planning, development, and merchandising of Ralliart products, and discontinuing information of new products and web news.

Mitsubishi lovers will be happy to know that they will still be able to purchase the Lancer Ralliart and the Sportback Ralliart models. Maurice Durand, PR boss for Mitsubishi, said that the closure of the company will not affect the availability and the marketing of these models, as Mitsubishi owns the rights to the name and logo. He further explains that the closure is occurring with the subsidiary in Japan and that only companies that use official Ralliart products shipped from Japan will be affected. The Ralliart parts used for the models in the US are actually re-branded parts from another tuner.

Check out the full press release after the jump.

Press Release

Partial Cease of Business Activities along with Ralliart Inc's

Business Scale Down

Ralliart Inc (President Masao Taguchi) has announced as follows.

Dear all of our customers ,

First of all, we much appreciate for your usual patronage to our company.

Our company have done the various activities relating motorsport with the support of many people since the establishment in April,1984 so far. However, because of the sudden change of economy situation since the year before last, the business circumstance surrounding our company radically became worse and so, this time we have reached the conclusion that we Ralliart Inc., would scale down our business activities as of the end of March 2010.

Along with the scale down of our business activities this time, we would cease the following business and operation which we have done so far. We would like to express our sincere apology to all of customers though we would make you much inconveniences.

Meanwhile, we wish you a continuous support to Ralliart family and entrants driving Mitsubishi cars who play an active part all over the world.

Items which would cease our business and operation along with our business scale down;

- Support to motorsport customers(Support to the participation, Technical Support, and Awarding of Mitsubishi/Ralliart Driver of the Year)

- New Planning, Development and Merchandize of Ralliart products (Except FIA VO parts) :*1

- Information of new products and dispatching motorsport information(at web):*2

- 1 FIA VO parts development and those application work shall be done by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation as it is.

- 2 FIA Group-N information shall be open at the web site of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.

Date of the cease: 1st April, 2010