Ok, here’s another photo, once all the tires were filled:
Wordless Outtake: Hino Contessa PC 900 Sedan and Fiat 500 – What a Difference in Size Some Fifty Years Make
– Posted on December 26, 2017
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Curbside Classics Archives
Ok, here’s another photo, once all the tires were filled:
The HIno is dwarfed by the 500.
Ok, let’s put this in proper perspective, as the camera’s angle is giving us an improper one. The Contessa is actually 10 inches longer than the 500. It is a bit narrower and 3″ lower. Let’s not forget the Contessa was based on the very small Renault 4CV, which was a very small car.
If we’re going to compare cars like this, let’s try to make sure that they are both the same distance from the camera.
I´ve noticed the cars are not in the same distance. I´ve mentioned dwarfed, even the Hino being 10″ longer and 3″ lower than the 500, just by the true fact
that if you put one besides other, the 500 will keep looking bigger because the style of the greenhouse and more fat appearance than the Hino. Try to put a ’85 Deville beside the ’17 VW Golf and the Golf will look like a miniman in terms of height.
Camera angle can certainly exaggerate relative differences… or understate them. Jay Leno has an employee drive a FIAT 500 up by his 27 liter Bentley, and guffaws about the discrepancy in size. The only problem is that his placement of the two relative to the camera undermines that claim.
I’ve seen pictures of what I’m guessing was this car’s successor, I had no idea any Hino was this small.
Wasn’t Hino “absorbed” by Toyota?
Always wondered how Hino would have fared had it remained a part of or merged once more with Isuzu instead of Toyota.
Hino became Toyotas truck division, Toyota assembled the last Contessas we got around 1968 after the merger went thru then only assembled Toyotas from then until local assembly ended.
Yohai, was the Contessa imported to Israel, or this was brought in as a historical vehicle?
It was assembled locally by Kaiser Illyn who also assembled Kaiser-Frazers, Jeeps and Studebakers.
When I initially saw this, I thought these shots were taken in Japan, the Hino’s native country. It would be a rare car even there – but Israel, surely it would be the only one left. We had a few of the successor model Hino Contessas come to New Zealand in the mid to late 60’s, those are now a rare collectable car here
I’d rather like to know how popular Fiat 500s and Minis are in Japan. I’m guessing that their main advantage is novelty.
Original Mini’s have a bit of a following in Japan. There are many clubs, etc. and they love customising them. I met a Japanese guy travelling once, who had bought one for 20000 quid! New ones are popular as well.
In the summer of ’69 (all respect to Bryan Adams), our family was in Israel & had a rental Hino Contessa like the one in attached link.
My dad drove it all over & back again, but my mother found that it always stalled out on her.
Altho I didn’t have drivers licence yet, I knew what the problem was —
Accustomed to her ’63 Olds 98 at home in NY, she didn’t know that she needed to up-shift when tackling the hills going up to Jerusalem.
And so, always a soft spot for the Little Hino That Could.
The Hino in Yohai’s photo looks great — a real survivor!
Hino must have maintained its Renault connection. The one you pictured is basically an R8 with quad headlights and different doorhandles.
Good point, Pol —
And for our viewing audience, here’s the R8
But, unseen in the photo —
Did the Contessa use 3 lug nuts, as did the small French cars …… all the way up through the R5 ‘LeCar’ (< my 1st new car)….?
Last time I was there (last summer) Minis were reasonably popular in the Tokyo region but not hugely so. If I had to give some comparator, I would say they’re as common as Teslas here in Dallas. That is, you might see one a day or so in the flow of traffic. I didn’t see any Fiat 500’s that I can recall…at all. I am not even sure how much presence Fiat has in Japan, although I know that Alfa Romeo is there because I visited a showroom. Yeah, I’m a fan.
The Fiat 500 looks like an Easter egg on wheels.==;-}
What is the sign in the back window?? Is it for sale??
Yes.