Daihatsu cars for sale

Overview

Daihatsu is Japan’s kei-car specialist and one of its oldest carmakers, now wholly owned by Toyota. It builds very small, very efficient vehicles better than almost anyone, which is precisely why it withdrew from markets like Australia where the economics of a sub-1.0-litre car stopped working.

History

Founded in 1907 as Hatsudoki Seizo Co., it took the Daihatsu name on 1 March 1951. The name is a contraction: the kanji for Osaka (dai) plus the first character of hatsudoki, engine manufacture. Toyota became a major shareholder in 1967, took a controlling 51.2 per cent in 1998, and completed full acquisition in August 2016.

The Charade and the Terios were the models most of the world met. Withdrawals followed as the yen strengthened and small-car margins collapsed — Australia in 2006, Thailand in 2011, Europe in 2013. Today the company operates mainly in Japan and Indonesia, with its Malaysian operations badged Perodua.

In Australia

Daihatsu sold in Australia for close to forty years before exiting in 2006. The Charade, Sirion, Terios and the cult-status Feroza still appear on the used market, and the tiny Mira and Move can be found as grey imports. Parts for the mainstream models remain obtainable through Toyota’s network and the independent Japanese-import supply chain, but check availability before buying anything unusual.