Classified in the Kei-car class, a category that attracted the leanest of insurance and road tax costs in Japan, early cars in this genre were generally restricted to domestic sales, although the car was seen in markets as diverse as Australia and Holland. A more purposeful but somewhat ornate upgrade over the Fellow, the Fellow […]
1974 Daihatsu Fellow Max GL Coupe Read More »
The 1960s was a significant period for Japanese cars, where their ambitions grew to overseas markets. In order to appeal to the European market, several Japanese companies utilised Italian design schools to create more appealing looking vehicles. Some like Bertone were very resolved to a European sense of aesthetics but had limited appeal in their
Italian styled Japanese cars Read More »
The ‘80s will go down as the era of the Hot Hatch, a phenomenon that most of the mainstream mass producers willing to have a crack at. The main European players have created classics out of their cars, with Ford, VW, GM and Peugeot creating some very memorable cars, so it’s worth having a quick
Alternative ’80s Hot Hatches Read More »
The first-ever Japanese car to be price-listed in the UK was a Daihatsu, having beaten Toyota to these shores by a year. This car was imported as press demonstrator in the autumn of 1964 and is a rather conventional machine with a separate chassis and torsion bar front suspension. It certainly didn’t offer any clues
1964 Daihatsu Compagno 800 Read More »
The Mira/Cuore’s original incarnation was introduced in 1980, firmly with the Kei-Car market in mind. Bigger engine models filtered into export markets, but due to limited marketing, an array of names (UK cars were initially sold as the Domino) and an indifferent market meant the diminutive but lively little car often passed below the public’s
Daihatsu Mira/Cuore Read More »
Economics plays a major part in motoring and one major growth area throughout the ‘80s was the small family hatchback. This allowed manufacturers to offer cheap versions of their sector B cars, without depressing austerity, poor build quality or sluggish performance. Manufacturers were aware that people who happily own a new car with minimal extras,
Budget early-’80s hatchbacks Read More »
