Mitsubishi has closed down its Research and Development of America (MRDA) facility in Cypress, California. According to the Japanese automaker the closure will eliminate 30 jobs.

Two other centers - an engineering facility in Ann Arbor, Micigan, and a design studio in Frankfurt, Germany - will remain open with a reduced staff.

Mitsubishi has announced that it is focusing on consolidating its design operations to its main corporate headquarters in Tokyo.

“The company’s commitment has been to design global vehicles, and having a single design studio is consistent with that strategy,” has commented Dan Irvin, a spokesman for Mitsubishi Motors North America.

Mainly focused on Mitsubishi’s America-based PS platform, the Cypress studio was responsible for the Eclipse, Eclipse Spyder, Endeavor and Galant models as well as for the recent Concept-RA, which debuted at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show.

(Source: LA Times)