Hope Motor Company
Hope JIDOSHA K. K. (Japaneseホープ 自動車 株式会社, Hopu JIDOSHA kabushiki - gaisha; . engl Hope Motor Company ) is a former Japanese automotive and engine manufacturers, which had its headquarters in Taitō, Tokyo. The company was founded in April 1952 by Ono Yoshisada. For the products of the brand name Hopestar was used. The manufacturer existed until April 1974, then finally the company has been in the toy manufacturers KK Hope (English Hope Co., Ltd.)., With headquarters currently available in the district Asao Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan converted.
History
In its early days, the company was a small workshop that specialized in the repair of motor vehicles and incidentally built the vehicle development and production. The entry in the commercial register took place only in January 1954 after Ono established his first independently developed model, the Hope Star SM, on the market. This met the legal requirements for light vehicles, which had been adopted in 1949. Since these rules exist only recently, the new manufacturers had expected a large amount of orders. As a competitor, there were initially only the Mazda Mazdago Toyo Kogyo KK, a few years later followed competing models such as the Daihatsu Midget and Hino Hustler. Hopestar is therefore often referred to in Japan as a pioneer of Japanese Auto rickshaw manufacturers. Finally in December, followed by another truck version of the model. As motorization of the cars we used air-cooled engines with a displacement of 360 cc and two pistons that have been assembled in our own workshop. Manufacturers of these engines was the current Mazda Group. Also, the more powerful version with an engine capacity of 750 cc came from the motorcycle manufacturer Mazda. Other components such as connecting rods and bearings are moved by the vehicle manufacturer Datsun JIDOSHA KK (now Nissan) A self-developed two-stroke single-cylinder engine was added in the late fifties, which presented the most powerful engine of the company from date. Quality and occupant protection was an important topic for the manufacturers, and have the legal guidelines adapted again and again, mainly caused by the production of new vehicle components such third party which necessitated a slight modification of the vehicles.
From 1957 there was also an advertising campaign for the new Daihatsu Midget, which the company gave additional clientele. The company was therefore also act as a distributor of Daihatsu Group. The Hope Star Unicar NT appeared in 1960. A further development of the company made in 1961 by an order of Automotive Teita Huzi. So should be built for their automobiles planned new chassis and two- stroke engines. This then finally found in March of the same year using the new Hope Star ST as in the all-wheel -driven Hopestar OT. Huzi contrast, built this in their new Gasden M36.
In 1962, next to the Hope Star OV on the market, which was very popular in the capital. The manufacturer's engine production business recorded a huge slump in 1965 reached its low point after the decrees of new legal regulations. Many workers were subsequently dismissed. Now Until then, the four-wheeled vehicles had done in Japan but her breakthrough, so Hopestar slowly fell into oblivion.
1967 was hoped that with the new Hopestar ON 4WD a new beginning. But after a few years of production sold to the licenses to Suzuki, the fact the Suzuki Jimny LJ10 developed, which in 1970 replaced the ON.
In April 1974, automobile production, the company gave up then and was incorporated into the parent company. Until then the older models of the brand Hopestar were produced.
Model Overview
- Hopestar ON (1953 to 1967)
- Hopestar ON 4WD ( 1967-1970 )
- Hope OT Star ( 1961-1974 )
- Hopestar OV ( 1962-1974 )
- Hopestar SM ( 1954-1961 )
- Hopestar SY ( 1957-1962 )
- Hope Star ST ( 1961-1974 )
- Hopestar Unicar NT ( 1960-1974 )