DK/DS series In August 1957 the original
DKA Midget was introduced. It featured
three wheels, 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 . Beginning in August 1959 it was replaced by the more comfortable
DSA, which has doors and a more powerful version of the ZA engine. Maximum cargo capacity was also increased, from . A DK model appears in
My Neighbor Totoro (1988). 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. The engine was the same (ZA) air-cooled two-stroke one-cylinder design with but an extra 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 . In May 1960 the 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 and cargo space increased by , to a total of . 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. 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 narrow 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) ==