There are quite a few G-Wagens around Japan. Why should it be any different here? Those things are everywhere, be they in full Russian mafia-style black or well-worn ex-army green, you’re guaranteed to run into those boxy Benzes in virtually any country. But they’re expensive. Luckily, the Daihatsu Midget II is not.
So here’s what you do, if you’re in the land of kei cars: find a 1996-2002 Midget II van, paint it black, tint the windows, add a touch of bling and a Mercedes star on the front – and voilà! Instant classic. Instead of wasting money on an imported gas-hog, you’ve taken the G-Wagen’s best attributes and put them on your trusty JDM microvan.
There are many other benefits. Instead of having a thirsty and cumbersome 4×4 that will attract undue attention from the local constabulary, you are riding in a thrifty go-cart that can park anywhere. Maybe you’ll say that the Midget II’s tiny mid-mounted 3-cyl. engine is too weak to haul hundreds of kilos of stuff. But who hauls anything in a G-Wagen?
With the money you save by using the Midget II, you can one day hope to put a down payment on an actual G-Wagen. If you start now, you might get there in a couple decades. Don’t worry, the G will still be around, though it will have gone full EV by then, probably. If not, maybe Daihatsu will have designed a 3rd generation Midget. So you buy one of those, paint it black, tint the windows, put some bling on it…
Related post:
Curbside Classic: Daihatsu Midget II, by David Saunders
It reminds me of a Messerschmidt Kabinenroller done Japanese tall-boy style. And you aren’t wrong about the G-Wagens, I see plenty in the US, but nothing like as many as I saw over there, to the tune of dozens per day.
This Daihatsu looks like it could make a excellent choice as a parade vehicle for a local restaurateur who calls himself ‘The Garlic KIng’. All of his fleet vehicles being equipped with a rooftop dome for his adoring fans. 🙂
The pickup version does litter duty here, they are footpath capable.
It reminds me of the Honda Vamos of the early ’70s.
Nice find. I love these. One of my favourite bits of trivia about them is the automatic is a two seater while the manual has only seating for one!