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Daihatsu
1907-Now

Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. is a Japanese manufacturer of cars, well known for its smaller models. Many of its models are also known as kei jidosha (or kei cars) in Japan.

The name "Daihatsu" is a combination of the first kanji (Japanese character) for Osaka and the first of the word "engine manufacture" when put together they are pronounced "dai hatsu".

Company history

Recent market withdrawals

It was reported on 31 March 2005, that Toyota would exit Daihatsu from the Australian market, after sales fell heavily in 2005, in spite of the overall new-car market in Australia growing 7%. Daihatsu wound up its Australian operations in March 2006 after almost 40 years in the market.

Daihatsu's operations in Chile – where Daihatsu is a well-known brand for its 1970s models such as the Charade or Cuore – were also threatened after very low sales in 2004 and 2005. But Toyota has stated that it intends to persist in the Chile market for now.

Daihatsu has supplied cars under different badges to various different automakers in the past, and also supplies engines and transmissions to one of Malaysia's largest car makers, Perodua, which sells cars in the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

 

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