sales of Daihatsu motor cars will cease across Europe

[blackbird]

Ok so , I'm way behind and a bit slow with stuff

But I never knew this

 

http://daihatsu.co.uk/

 

It was announced on 13th January 2011 that sales of Daihatsu motor cars will cease across Europe on 31st January 2013. This is due to the ongoing strength of the Japanese Yen, which has increased prices beyond competitive levels. There is no stock of new Daihatsu cars in the UK, and we do not expect to import any new cars in this interim period.

 

However, we wish to reassure Daihatsu owners that all after sales services will continue unaffected. Therefore, the supply of spare parts will continue, and warranty work and servicing will be carried out at our official UK dealer network, which remains in place and whose details can be found on this website.

 

We thank Daihatsu customers for their past custom and loyalty, and share their disappointment at this news

[face]

A bit slow yeah

 

And shit news - they always did things a little differently, and I think were up there as one of the most reliable makes

[blackbird]

I was hoping there'd be loads of these around , cheep in the future , but looks like it's not to be

 

http://www.daihatsu.com/catalogue/materia/index.html

 

 

[Guest]

Heres hoping Kia follow suit

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I was hoping there'd be loads of these around , cheep in the future , but looks like it's not to be

 

http://www.daihatsu.com/catalogue/materia/index.html

 

 

 

You can alsways console yourself with a Chrysler Ypilepsy. The advert voiced over by a Yank with learning difficulties is a classic - as is the car itself.

[trigger]

I missed this as well, What sad news, They have been going since 1954 now and have released some lovely cars in that time, The Compagno was there first 4 wheeled car back in 1963.

 

Daihatsu Compagno 01 by Michiel V, on Flickr

 

In 1966 they became the first Japanese car brand to be sold in the UK as well, before the likes of Honda and Toyota, Since then they have made some great little cars.

 

 

The Fellow which had a 2 stoke, watercooled 356cc engine.

 

Daihatsu Taft by mArcellvAgyok, on Flickr

 

The Taft/F10 was their first start at 4x4's which later evolved into the Fourtrak.

 

2001 Daihatsu Fourtrak (2.8 diesel) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Daihatsu Charade CX 1.0TD Test 1987 1 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

The Charade was quite special in that it had the UK's smallest turbochaged engine, A 3 Cylinder 993cc Twin cam unit which won much prasie at the time. They also had a 993cc 3 Cylinder Diesel engine, the smallest at it's time.

 

Daihatsu Charade 1.0 Diesel Test 1983 1 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

Charmant: TO THE SHOPS by Dan Hirst?, on Flickr

 

Then you had the Charmant, something kipper tied, grown suit lovers apaired too although it was basally a Toyota Corolla under the skin whichg was no bad then.

 

 

The Charmant later became the Applause, a pretty (IMHO) little saloon which also featured a smalling "Notchback" style boot, making a 4 door sollon atually because a 5 door hatch, I rememebr being amazined by this as a kid.

 

2004 Daihatsu Copen by Albert S. Bite, on Flickr

 

The Copen, A work mate has one of these and he really raves about it, and i can see why, I think they are a pretty little thing and bet they are great fun to drive.

 

Oh and let's not forget that in Japan they had too of the greatest names to ever grace a car.

 

 

The Leeza

 

Daihatsu Naked by chan_chi_kin_kenny, on Flickr

 

And the Naked.

[trigger]

 

Are these not just the same as a Justy?

 

[overheadvalve]

I think they are owned by Toyota now, they stopped importing into the uk a while ago. Sad really!

I also would like to see them continue, they have made some quite eccentric cars. It's a pity that we are getting things like Chrysler badged Lancias and not these. Toyota don't seem to have the balls to give them a good old fashioned kick up the arse, the Fourtrack is a great little 4x4 imho. Remember the Charade gtti 3 cyl. turbo? The applause was a loveky looking car, well proportioned it just looked right.

Of the newer ones i liked the YRV. and the Terios, that model does appear to rust pretty well though.

 

Incidentally, the Justy /\ /\ /\ by Subaru, aren't they at least part owned by Toyota now too?

I wonder where Suzuki fit in, i have seen a few old Suzuki Swifts badged as Subaru Justy's, 4x4 one of those might be fun.

Suzuki sharing body parts with Subaru and Toyota?

[Guest Len H]

Daihatsu Materia image

 

Are these not just the same as a Justy?

 

Fake Subaru justy image

 

They're quite clearly different cars, the current Justy is based on the Sirion.

[wuvvum]

I've always fancied one of these.

 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

It's no surprise that they've pulled out - I'm amazed they still exist at all. They failed to make a niche for themselves that sold more than 30 cars a year - Nissan were heading the same way until they came up with the Quascquiauai and the Juke, both of which are selling in huge numbers.

 

As much as I disliked the Juke to begin with, I've warmed to them since learning that you can get one for a bit over 13 grand - that's a lot of car for very little money.

[Guest]

The loss of Daihatsu in Europe is more down to the incompetence of the importers than the cars themselves, which continue to shift in huge numbers in Asia. There's a load of models which would have slotted in neatly here, yet the importers ignored the vast majority of them and completely failed to advertise the few they brought over (bar the Terios receiving a very brief TV advertising campaign). Whinging about the strong yen is a limp excuse, as the other "made in Japan" cars seem to get here alright.

 

It's particularly irritating to see the recent boom in retro-style city cars, knowing that the lion's share of the Daihatsu range continues to be made up of them. They're still even ballsy enough to continue to put turbochargers on very small/tall cars and offer 4WD variants of practically everything, thereby continuing to provide some of the longest model names available from anyone (e.g. Daihatsu Atrai Wagon Custom Turbo RS Limited 4WD).

[Negative Creep]

It's no surprise that they've pulled out - I'm amazed they still exist at all. They failed to make a niche for themselves that sold more than 30 cars a year - Nissan were heading the same way until they came up with the Quascquiauai and the Juke, both of which are selling in huge numbers.

 

As much as I disliked the Juke to begin with, I've warmed to them since learning that you can get one for a bit over 13 grand - that's a lot of car for very little money.

 

 

The Sunny and Almera always sold pretty well, as did the Primera which is by all account a cracking car that couldn't shake off the minicab image. THe Cashcow is just following the current stupid trend of jacking things up and adding the fake 4x4 look to drive Chloe and Oliver half a mile to school. The Juke just looks fucking awful, like a Micra that's been filled with expanding foam.

[overheadvalve]

It's no surprise that they've pulled out - I'm amazed they still exist at all. They failed to make a niche for themselves that sold more than 30 cars a year - Nissan were heading the same way until they came up with the Quascquiauai and the Juke, both of which are selling in huge numbers.

 

As much as I disliked the Juke to begin with, I've warmed to them since learning that you can get one for a bit over 13 grand - that's a lot of car for very little money.

 

 

The Sunny and Almera always sold pretty well, as did the Primera which is by all account a cracking car that couldn't shake off the minicab image. THe Cashcow is just following the current stupid trend of jacking things up and adding the fake 4x4 look to drive Chloe and Oliver half a mile to school. The Juke just looks fucking awful, like a Micra that's been filled with expanding foam.

 

Up to 2001/2 yeah but after then? I would guess not to be honest. For a new car i don't dislike the cash cow (in 4 x 4 form with a diesl lump) or the Juke, Juke isrelatively cheap and looks different so i feel it has something going for it and i can actually like it.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

It's no surprise that they've pulled out - I'm amazed they still exist at all. They failed to make a niche for themselves that sold more than 30 cars a year - Nissan were heading the same way until they came up with the Quascquiauai and the Juke, both of which are selling in huge numbers.

 

As much as I disliked the Juke to begin with, I've warmed to them since learning that you can get one for a bit over 13 grand - that's a lot of car for very little money.

 

 

The Sunny and Almera always sold pretty well, as did the Primera which is by all account a cracking car that couldn't shake off the minicab image. THe Cashcow is just following the current stupid trend of jacking things up and adding the fake 4x4 look to drive Chloe and Oliver half a mile to school. The Juke just looks fucking awful, like a Micra that's been filled with expanding foam.

 

Up to 2001/2 yeah but after then? I would guess not to be honest. For a new car i don't dislike the cash cow (in 4 x 4 form with a diesl lump) or the Juke, Juke isrelatively cheap and looks different so i feel it has something going for it and i can actually like it.

 

OHV has nailed it. Nissans sold okay up until the time when they didn't. Sales fell off a cliff because they were so bloody dull and the likes of Ford, GM etc did it better. With out the Cashcow and the Juke, Nissan would have folded.

I wouldn't buy a Juke, but they have grown on me - and for £13'200, they're bloody cheap. Apparently Nissan forecast sales of 1300 Jukes in it's first month and they sold 10'000. They're everywhere up here so despite some (including me) saying that Nissan had no idea - it turns out that they did after all. Custard on my humble pie please.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

The loss of Daihatsu in Europe is more down to the incompetence of the importers than the cars themselves, which continue to shift in huge numbers in Asia. There's a load of models which would have slotted in neatly here, yet the importers ignored the vast majority of them and completely failed to advertise the few they brought over (bar the Terios receiving a very brief TV advertising campaign). Whinging about the strong yen is a limp excuse, as the other "made in Japan" cars seem to get here alright.

 

That may be true for the UK. They've been reasonably successful in other parts of Europe, particularly places without a car industry tradition like the Netherlands and Greece, and also in Germany. It's only them and Lexus that have an entirely made-in-Japan range (not totally sure about Subaru- don't they make any SUVs together with Saab or summat?). That makes an awful lot of difference in terms of exchange rates as well as tariffs, quotas and other taxation issues- not quite the same as Honda who only bring a couple of models over from Japan.

 

It's particularly irritating to see the recent boom in retro-style city cars, knowing that the lion's share of the Daihatsu range continues to be made up of them. They're still even ballsy enough to continue to put turbochargers on very small/tall cars and offer 4WD variants of practically everything, thereby continuing to provide some of the longest model names available from anyone (e.g. Daihatsu Atrai Wagon Custom Turbo RS Limited 4WD).

 

I think that we may continue to see a handful of Daihatsus coming into Europe- branded as Toyotas.

[Pete-M]

 

NO more.

[andrew e]

Its easy to knock the Juke, but £ for £ they are a good bit of kit, jump in one and have a grope - the quality is excellent, everything feels special. I have no idea why the Daihatsu/Scion/Toyata thing has gone bad, unless Toyota is appeasing its PSA partners in europe (Aygo/107/C1).

[AnthonyG]

Didn't know Daihatsu had stopped sales all across Europe, thought it was just the UK. I guess Toyota just want them as an Asian citycar range, or maybe Toyota aren't really that bothered at all and will shut them down totally in a few years time .