It was impossible to miss this little morsel as it sat in the morning sun, its bright colours certainly making it stand out and providing a good test for my newly acquired compact camera. There are hints around the front lights and tailgate that this was originally dark blue but ‘Mollie’ has most of her skin protected from the sun with a custom vinyl wrap. Cleverly the flowers on the back are matched into those on the side at the edges, but otherwise, festoon the rear seemingly at random. Appropriate perhaps as Commercial Motor said these minivans were “characterised as florists’ vans, a view reinforced by Daihatsu’s sales brochure: florists, florists and more florists.” though Mollie seems to be a freelancer. Perhaps a case of ‘flower power’.
At first glance, it looked like another of those ’80s/’90s small Japanese vans that were once fairly commonplace over here in the UK (though never as common as ‘proper’ size ones) and Daihatsu is obviously a Japanese brand, isn’t it? This seventh generation of Hijet were current from 1986-1994 in Japan, albeit going on to live longer lives in Indonesia and South Korea. They were available as closed vans, minibus/passenger vans with windows, and pick-ups.
But that’s not what we have here. Instead, this version was built in Italy and sold there, and in most of Europe, as the Piaggio Porter from 1992 to 2020, the same Piaggio that had made the tricycle Ape (‘Bee’) the type of vehicle now popularly known as ‘tuk-tuks’. Underneath the familiar Japanese sheet metal, it wasn’t quite identical to the original as the front end was redesigned for better crash protection (the Suzuki Carry had also undergone a similar redesign when it became the Bedford Rascal in 1986) and was given a new cab interior. In the UK though, these Piaggios were still sold as Daihatsu until 2002, after which the Piaggio name was used. This one is the 1998 facelift model, was registered in January 2001, and has a Daihatsu-sourced HC-E/EJ 1300 fuel-injected petrol engine, which probably makes it quite lively.
Apologies for a few too many rays of sunshine on the last shot, but I hope this flowered confection might brighten your day.
Would this be called Double Badge Engineering? The Daihatsu was rebranded as the Piaggio Porter when built in Italy, but those exported to the UK were then re-rebranded back to Daihatsus? Wow – never knew any of this.
And it looks good as a flower van. Even here in the US, kei vans are becoming increasingly common as delivery vehicles for small businesses. A bike shop near me operates a Honda Acty, and I’ve seen other kei vans used as parts runners or local delivery vehicles. No florists yet, but it’s a natural fit.
Someone escaped from Barbie world again, didn’t they?
It does sort of remind me of that.
Best day ever, right? 😉
It also reminds me of one of those chopped VW vans turned into “shorty” vans.
Graphics have a late 1990’s bohemian feel to them.
These little Japanese vans used to be reasonably common here for a while, though I never saw this particular model. Even Holden got into the act for a while – the Suzuki Super Carry turned up as the Holden Scurry. This was back in the eighties when GM seemed to be flailing around, nailing the Holden badge on anything and hoping it would sell.
Despite living in the state capital at the time, I never saw one.
Yes, that’s basically the same as what we had as the Bedford Rascal.
I currently own a Daihatsu Kei in my fleet of whom many label a “mini van”. I consider it more a station wagon (“If it has a D-pillar, it’s therefore a wagon”).
It was purchased new, by a lady of somewhat advanced age, with an automatic gearbox and still having (comparitively for its 26 year-old age) low milage.
It’s all original, except for the wheel covers and body-coloured door handles.
Cloth shades the no longer available plastic headlamps from ultra-violet ray damage, if anybody was wondering.
The engine is a hemispherically-headed, fuel-injected 843 cc 3-banger
I was nearly able to buy one of those chopped VW vans, a ;57 panel .
I like the idea of these and would prolly buy one if I needed an enclosed delivery truck .
The City buys KEI pickups to use as “Turf Trucks” on the municipal golf courses, it seems to me these might be better .
-Nate