Daihatsu

Founded in 1907 as a gas engine producer, Hatsudoki Seizo Co. Ltd. began making three-wheeled vehicles—effectively motorcycles with a pick-up tray—in 1930 housing its own engines. The Daihatsu name appeared on the cars, as an abbreviation for Osaka-based engine (hatsudoki) manufacturer. It was renamed Daihatsu in 1951. A three-wheeled truck, the Midget, appeared in 1957. It released the Daihatsu Compagno in 1963. Toyota became a shareholder in 1967. In 1993, it held a stake in the new Malaysian car maker Perodua. By 1998, Toyota had acquired 51 per cent of Daihatsu shares, and in 2016, Daihatsu became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japanese giant.