Daihatsu Midget

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The Daihatsu Midget is a single-seater

mini-truck, later a microvan/kei truck made
by Japanese automaker Daihatsu. Several
distinct vehicles have borne the Midget
name over the years, but all have had in
common a single or two-seat utilitarian
design, with an enclosed or semi-enclosed
cab. Its appearance is very similar to the
Cushman Truckster introduced in 1952.
 Daihatsu Midget

Overview

Manufacturer Daihatsu

Production 1957–1972
1996–2002

Assembly Ikeda Plant, Ikeda,

Osaka, Japan

Body and chassis

Class Autorickshaw (1957-

1972)
 Kei truck/Microvan
Body style (1996-2002)
2-door truck

First generation (DK/DS/MP;

1957–1972)

DK/DS series …

Daihatsu Midget MP5

In August 1957 the original DKA Midget

was introduced. It featured a three wheel,
a single seat, a doorless cab, and
handlebar steering. The engine was an air-
cooled two-stroke single-cylinder design of
250 cc (ZA) which produced 8 PS (6 kW).
Beginning in August 1959 it was replaced
by the more comfortable DSA, which has
doors and a more powerful 10 PS (7 kW)
version of the ZA engine. Maximum cargo
capacity was also increased, from 300 to
350 kg (660 to 770 lb).[1] There was also a
rare two-seat version (DSAP), with the
passenger seat offset to the left behind
the driver. This required a longer
passenger compartment, which
encroached on the cargo area. There was
also the DSV, a panel van version.
MP series …

In October 1959 the MP2 Midget was

introduced in Japan - updated with such
features as a steering wheel, doors, and
seating for two. This model had already
been sold in the United States since April
1959, as the MPA, although it was
marketed as the "Daihatsu Trimobile".
Companies such as Boeing and Lockheed
used these little vehicles inside of their
plants, for instance.[2] The engine was the
same (ZA) air-cooled two-stroke one-
cylinder design with 10 PS (7 kW) but an
extra 80 kg (180 lb) made for a sluggish
vehicle. The DSA continued to be built
alongside the more expensive MP variants
into the early sixties. There was again a
panel van version also available.

Subsequent revisions to the MP design

were soon made, resulting in the model
MP3 which has the larger ZD engine of
305 cc which produced 12 PS (9 kW). In
May 1960 the 200 mm (7.9 in) longer MP4
arrived, featuring roll-up door windows. In
August 1961 the doors were modified, now
incorporating a triangular vent window and
a chromed side strip. In September 1962
the final iteration, the MP5, arrived. It was
again somewhat larger than the earlier
MP4, with maximum length up to
2,970 mm (117 in) and cargo space
increased by 100 mm (3.9 in), to a total of
1,260 mm (50 in). As a matter of fact,
nearly all body panels were altered in
some way, with new marker lights
installed, redesigned doors, a blunter and
more rounded front, bigger vent openings
in front of the doors' leading edge, and
finally a solid metal roof rather than the
earlier fabric-covered opening. The MP5
also gained more chrome trim, around the
headlamps and elsewhere. April 1963 saw
the introduction of automatic oil mixing for
the two-stroke engine. In August 1969 new
safety regulations required certain lighting
changes, a driver's side headrest, and
seatbelts.[2] The MP5 remained in
production until December 1971, and on
sale into 1972.

By 1972, 336,534 units had been

produced, and production was terminated
because of the falling popularity of three-
wheeled models in favor of more modern
four-wheeled models.[3]

The Midget I has also been sold outside

Japan as the "Bajaj", "Tri-Mobile", or
"Bemo" (Bemos in Indonesia are used as
autorickshaw share taxis). It is one of the
first cars manufactured by the Japanese
automaker Daihatsu, known for its low
cost, practical vehicles. Thai production
began in 1959, with Indonesia, Pakistan,
and many other countries soon following.
Almost exclusively used as an
autorickshaw (or 'tuk-tuk') the Midget was
also a well known icon of public
transportation in South Asia. Not meant
for performance, this obscure vehicle does
weave through larger traffic well, despite
the fact that it only has three wheels.
These original tuk-tuks are a little harder to
find in modern times.

In Thailand the Midget MP4 is still in

production as a Chinnaraje Midget in
Chiang Mai and as a TukTuk Midget MP4
in Bangkok. The facelifted version, known
as MP5 is also still manufactured by the
TukTuk (Thailand) Co., Ltd. in Bangkok.

Second generation (K100;

1996–2001)

Daihatsu Midget II Cargo

From 1996 to 2001, Daihatsu

manufactured a four-wheeled kei Midget
with four-wheel drive as well as air
conditioning as options. As Kei cars, they
were equipped with 660 cc engines.

The Midget II was introduced as a concept

at the 1993 Tokyo Motor Show. There are
two types of engine available,
differentiated by the injection type, one
being electronic. Both are identical in
width and height, but the EFI (Electronic
Fuel Injection) version is shorter by 75mm.
They are available in a one-seater or two-
seater configuration, with automatic and
manual transmissions available. The
Midget is often taken advantage of by
owners of bars in Japan, as they are a
perfect size to haul around kegs. The
design of the Midget is somewhat unusual
with the spare tire mounted on the front.

References
【ダイハ
1. Route★ZERO (2012-03-04). "
ツ ミゼット DKA / DSA型】 幌付3輪
スクーター型トラック" [Soft top
three-wheeled scooter truck (Daihatsu
Midget DKA/DSA)]. 旧式商⽤⾞図鑑
[Illustrated old commercial vehicles]
(in Japanese). Retrieved 2015-01-23.
2. ポルシェ356A [Porsche 356A] (2013-
09-02). "1959年 ダイハツ ミゼットMP
丸ハンドルのミゼット" [1959
steering wheel type Daihatsu Midget].
 ⾃動⾞カタログ棚から [From the
catalog shelf] (in Japanese). Retrieved
2015-01-23.
3. Kießler, Bernd-Wilfried (1992),
Daihatsu Automobile: Erfahrung für die
Zukunft (in German), Südwest, p. 30,
ISBN 9783517012254
Daihatsu Midget DKA and MP5 at the
Toyota Automobile Museum website

External links
Media related to Daihatsu Midget at
Wikimedia Commons
Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Daihatsu_Midget&oldid=990081360"

Last edited 12 days ago by Regushee

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