Daihatsu

Daihatsu is nicknamed the big industry of small cars. This company produces mostly compact models with small-volume engines and is a filial company of Toyota, its headquarters are located in Osaka.

However Daihatsu Company is almost a century old; it started in 1907, when Osaka university professors Yoshiki and Turumi founded a company producing and selling internal combustion engines of industrial use. The company was titled Hatsudoki Seizo Co. By the way, the trademark Daihatsu appeared much later, at the beginning Hatsudoki Seizo produced engines working on natural gas, which were used in marine, mining and energetic industries. After automobiles appeared Hatsudoki considered the perspective of their production and in 1919 released 2 prototype trucks. These trucks and the results of their testing made the management of the company concentrate their attention exactly on automobiles. However they started serial automobile production only in 1930, when Hatsudoki released a tricycle model HA with 500cc engine. From contemporary perspective it could have rather been considered a motorcycle than a car.

Nevertheless HA was the first domestically produced automobile in Japan. During the following 8 years 4 more models were released, including the first in Japan compact 4-wheeled automobile that was the first messenger of further development of the company in the field of production of compact cars. The demand for Hatsudoki products increased rapidly, and so did production, so in 1938 a new manufacture was launched in Ikeda. That very year Hatsudoki released another prototype automobile, a convertible all-wheel-drive sport model equipped with a 1.2-liter motor and a 3-speed transmission. The car made up to 70 km/h.

In 1951 Hatsudoki was subjected to a series of reorganizations and was renamed to Daihatsu Kogyo Co. By 1957 the sales of Daihatsu tricycle automobiles reached very high rates so the company decided to start developing export. A new Midget tricycle automobile appeared in Japanese market and gained immense popularity.

In October 1960 a new Hi-Jet pickup equipped with a two-stroke 2-cylinder engine of 356 cc volume was released. The area of its body was less than 1.1 m2. In 1961 a 2-door Hi-Jet wagon was released; in 1962 a New-Line pickup appeared, excelling Hi-Jet in size and equipped with a water-refrigerated engine of 797cc volume. The second generation of Hi-Jet was released in 1963; in 1966 a 2-door passenger car Fellow appeared. That very 1966 Daihatsu Compagno became the first Japanese car imported to UK. Next year, in 1967, Daihatsu Kogyo signed an agreement actually putting it under Toyota Motor’s control.

In 1968 Daihatsu released Fellow SS, a mini-car with a 32-horsepower 2-carburetor engine; in compact car industry that was the first model able to compete with 31-horsepower Honda N360.

By 1970 Daihatsu was the first among Japanese automobile enterprises that started exporting its cars to UK; during the following decade the export sphere of Daihatsu extended to global level. In 1971 hardtop version of Fellow model appeared; the next year, in 1972, a 4-door sedan. That very time for fuel economy reasons the engine power was decreased to 37 hp instead of 40. The export version of Fellow was named Daihatsu 360.

In 1974 the company was renamed to Daihatsu Motor Company. In 1975 a compact Daihatsu Charmant model was built on the basis of Toyota Corolla. In 1976 Cuore (Domingo) model appeared, quipped with a 2-cylinder 547cc engine and the first released all-wheel-drive all-terrain Taft available with a range of different engines, from 1-liter petrol one to 2.5-liter diesel; in 1977 Charade model was released.

In 1980 the commercial version of Cuore appeared, titled Mira Cuore; in 1982 is was renamed to Mira; its turbo-version was released next year. The year after, in 1984 Rocky off-road replaced Taft; Daihatsu cars assemblage started in China. By 1985 the total number of cars released by Daihatsu during its entire history reached 10 million; Alfa-Romeo started producing Charade models for Italian market. In Europe mini-cars won enormous popularity and Daihatsu sales in European market were steadily increasing. By 1986 Charade production started in China, and a new model was released, a 3-door Leeza, also available as a turbo-version making up to 50 hp. New models were also presented in 1989 – these were Applause and Feroza.

In March 1990 Mira of the new generation was for the very first and the last time in history of compact car production was equipped with 4WS system together with 4WD. Daihatsu signed a technological agreement with Korean Asia Motors Company and released Sportak model. In 1992 Daihatsu released 3-doors Opti model that replaced Leeza; in cooperation with Piaggio V.E. Hi-Jets production was started in Italy. In 1993 Charade Gti took the first place in A-7 class in 41st Safari Rally competition; a 5-door version of Opti was designed. In August 1995 a new compact car Move was presented in Japanese market. Its design was developed in cooperation with Italian IDEA Company and demonstrated indulgence of permissible C-car body size standards towards extension. Although short in length the body of Move was high enough to allow a person wearing a high hat drive it. Next year, in 1996 a model of a more conventional size was released, titled Gran Move (Pyzar), plus Midget II and Opti Classic models with retro-designed body front. In 1997 the company was 90; the number of cars produced during these years reached 10 million units. The model range was extended with compact all-wheel drive Terios and Mira Classic with retro-design. Move Custom model was added to the Move family. In 1998 the company celebrated another round number, the total number of cars produced reached 20 million; Terios Kid, Sirion and the second generation of Move appeared, which was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro; in 1999 Atrai Wagon, Naked and Mira Gino models were set to production. Tada plant got ISO 9001 certificate.

In 2000 Ikeda, Shiga and Tada plants got ISO 14001 certificates. The expansion of model range continued, this time by novel models Atrai 7 and YRV; in 2001 Max model with characteristics similar to Move was constructed. By that time production of Move reached 1 million units. In collaboration with Toyota they launched production of Terios in Venezuela; the plants in Japan reached the minimum toxic emission rates. Besides a new catalyst Topaz was developed. In 2002 another catalyst independently regenerating its components from precious metals appeared. A new car hit the market – a stylish roadster Copen.

Today Daihatsu is a company having a history of almost a century; its philosophy is well reflected by its corporate slogan “We make it compact”. The mission of Daihatsu was search for a way to pack the dreams and practical requirements of drivers in compact format, fitting the ever-complicating driving conditions, ecological and population factors. According to Daihatsu exactly compactness is going to be the key factor in rapidly developing car market. Nowadays the cars produced by this company are imported to over 100 world countries.