carstrucks
Daihatsu
Japan · Founded 1907
Japan's kei car specialist. Daihatsu mastered the art of maximum utility from minimum dimensions.
Heritage
Daihatsu is Japan's oldest car manufacturer, predating even Toyota. They found their niche in kei vehicles — the tiny cars and trucks limited by Japanese tax regulations. What started as a constraint became an art form. The Hijet kei truck hauls surprising loads. The Copen roadster proves tiny can be fun. As 25-year-old kei trucks become legal US imports, Americans are discovering what Japan has known for decades: sometimes smaller really is better.