The Mitsubishi Galant is an automobile which was produced by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi from 1969 to 2012. The model name was derived from the French word galant, meaning "chivalrous".[3] There have been nine distinct generations with total cumulative sales exceeding five million units.[4] It began as a compact sedan, but over the course of its life evolved into a mid-size car. Initial production was based in Japan, but from 1994 the American market was served by vehicles assembled at the former Diamond-Star Motors (DSM) facility in Normal, Illinois.