Words: Kyle Cassidy
Published 15 March 2026
Remember when we used to assemble cars in NZ? No, well it was a thriving industry, and a big employer. Todd Park in Porirua was home to Mitsubishi’s assembly plant in those days and this staff induction video from the 1980’s gives us a glimpse of life at the factory.
The plant covered five hectares back in those days where Sigmas and Chariots were put together by Wellingtonians.
Mitsubishi NZ was such a big employer, plant and admin staff has different start and finish times to avoid ‘congestion’ in the Porirua area.
It’s from the era of time clocks, social activities committees and rotary dial telephones. The on-site staff cafeteria served three-course lunches, subsidised too, with pies made made an army of cooks.
Pay day meant getting handed cash in a pay packet, the pay clerk handing them out on the shop floor, cigarette in hand. Ahh, the good old days.
