Keicars (K-cars), also called keijidōsha (in Japanese: 軽自動車), are small passenger cars as well as trucks. They are mainly sold in Japan, because there are some tax and insurance relaxations and an exemption from the usual requirement of certification of park space that one has adequate parking space at his or her home or has contract with a parking spot.

These relatively relaxed standards came from the post-World War II days when most Japanese were too poor to buy a full sized car, yet had more than enough money to buy a motorcycle. To promote the growth of car industry as well as to offer an alternative delivery method to small business and shop owners, Keicar standards were created. In Japan, the cars feature yellow licence plates, earning them the name "yellow-plate cars" - black numbers on yellow ground for private use and yellow numbers on black ground for commercial use - in English-speaking circles. The keicar field is very competitive, so that manufacturers are in a constant race to provide better performance, utility, and fun within the keicar regulations, driving the pace of technological innovation, which then spreads to the rest of their automobile line. As a result, keicars are available with turbo-charged engines, automatic transmission, continuously variable transmission, 4-Wheel-Drive, Hybrid Gasoline-Electric engines, air condition systems as well as car navigation systems.

History and regulations

• 1949 July 8 first regulations
  • length: up to 2.8 m
  • width: up to 1 m
  • height: up to 2 m
  • engine displacement: up to 150 cm³ (4 stroke), up to 100 cm³ (2 stroke)
• 1950 July 26 major changes
  • length: up to 3 m
  • width: up to 1.3 m
  • displacement: up to 300 cm³ (4 stroke), up to 200 cm³ (2 stroke)
• 1951 August 16 minor changes
  • displacement up to 360 cm³ (4 stroke), up to 240 cm³ (2 stroke)
• 1955 April 4 minor changes
  • no further differentiation between 2 stroke and 4 stroke: all up to 360 cm³
• 1976 January 1 major changes
  • length: up to 3.2 m
  • width: up to 1.4 m
  • displacement: up to 550 cm³
• 1984 January 1 medium changes
  • length: up to 3.4 m
  • displacement: up to 660 cm³
• 1998 October 1 today's regulations
  • length: 3.4 m or less
  • width: 1.48 m or less
  • height: 2 m or less
  • displacement: 660 cm³ or less

Manufacturers of keicars

• Daihatsu
• Honda
• Toyo Kogyo/Mazda
• Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
• Nissan
• Smart (the only non-Japanese company)
• Fuji Heavy Industries/Subaru
• Suzuki

Famous example cars

• Daihatsu Copen (a convertible with a turbocharged engine, now sold in Europe)
• Daihatsu Mira, also called as Cuore (sold with some minor changes in Europe)
• Honda Beat (a convertible with a mid-engine and rear wheel drive)
• Mazda AZ-1 (turbocharged gullwing sports car)
• Mazda Carol (The Carol's engine was the only four-cylinder in the 360 cc class)
• Mitsubishi Minica, Pajero Mini
• Subaru 360
• Subaru Rex
• Subaru Vivio
• Suzuki Cappuccino (also a convertible, was also sold in UK)
• Suzuki Twin a hybrid_vehicle
• Suzuki Wagon R+ (sold with some minor changes in Europe, also sold as Opel Agila)

External links

• Official association 全国軽自動車協会連合会 (Japanese)
• Honda Beat (Japanese)
• Honda Beat
• Mazda AZ-1
• Smart K (Japanese)
• Suzuki Cappuccino