Tag: Kei Car
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1971 Honda Vamos
Here’s one we’d never heard of! The Vamos was based on Honda’s mini-truck, the TN360, and was a mini-Jeep competitor (think Suzuki). The interwebs consistently indicate that about 2,500 of these were built; so this is rare outside the Lane Motor Museum (surely they have one). The seller of our subject unit provides almost no…
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Factory Supercharged Subaru Sambar Posing as VW
Once upon a time, a Subaru 360-based Sambar van was sold in the US market. This is the fifth generation, which was produced from 1990 to 1998 and was never sold here. The VW appearance it cute and all, but we’d prefer this just be a proud Subie. Surely nothing has been done that can’t…
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You can’t Beat this Honda with a Stick
Yes, this is a rare (especially outside Japan) Honda Beat Kei Car. This little beast has a 0.7L, three cylinder engine and weighs just about nothing. 0-60 wasn’t impressive by today’s standards, due primarily to a lack of torque, but we imagine this would be amazingly fun to drive. The seller claims this car is…
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Daihatsu Kei Truck in the US
If what’s missing from your life is a single-seat pickup with a three cylinder engine and four-speed trans, this is just the ticket! Kei Cars are common in Japan and underachieve certain weight and size figures in order to be taxed at lower rates versus typical passenger cars. This example would typically see use as…
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Dream Kei Car: Suzuki Alto
Here’s a cool little Suzuki Kei Car with AWD and a 660cc, three-cylinder, turbocharged engine! Does it get any better or more quirky that this? Well, yes, there are some retro-chic Nissan Kei Cars, but this thing just exudes late 80s/early 90s awesome, and it’s a special performance edition, to boot. Needless to say, we’ve…
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Kei Car Sweetness: Nissan Figaro
These are pretty much legendary, so we don’t have to say too much. The biggest question is whether a CA title is possible. Methinks it’s not, as this is a 1991 vehicle. Presumably, that’s why the seller has it in CA under FL title. Not only do we love the car, we love the low-res…
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Daihatsu Naked wearing Hummer Attire
Diminutive Japanese “kei cars” seem ridiculously small by US standards, but they make (somewhat) perfect sense when seen on crowded streets and in narrow parking lots of Tokyo. We spotted this Daihatsu Naked (yes, that is the actual model name…) near Atsugi Japan. It is difficult to appreciate the size of this car in the photos.…
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Forbidden Fruit: Mazda / Autozam AZ-1 Kei car
Anyone reading here probably knows a thing or two about Kei cars, the tiny Japanese treats which get around certain Japanese tax laws. This Autozam AZ-1 has a bit of a confusing lineage, given Autozam is a Mazda brand but the car was design and built by Suzuki, who also sold a version. Regardless, we…