The Daihatsu Compagno is an

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded ...

which was produced by

Daihatsu , commonly known as Daihatsu, is a Japanese automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest surviving Japanese internal combustion engine manufacturers. The company's headquarters are located in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture. Historically, Daihatsu was ...

in Japan from 1963 to 1970. The name comes from the Italian word for "partner." The Compagno was designed to be offered in multiple bodystyles, and was introduced prior to the acquisition of Daihatsu by

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

in 1967. The Compagno was available as a two-door sedan, four-door sedan, two-door

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...

, a three-door delivery

van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across th ...

and a

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

. The first Compagno prototype was shown at the 1961

Tokyo Motor Show The is a biennial auto show held in October–November at the Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), it is a recognized international show ...

and was of an appearance reminiscent of the

Fiat 1800/2100 The Fiat 1800 and 2100 are six-cylinder automobiles produced by Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1959 and 1968. Both models were introduced in 1959. A four-cylinder 1500 cc version, the 1500L, was added to the range in 1963. The 1800/2100 were d ...

. This was not a very well balanced design and Vignale's production version ended up looking quite different. The Compagno used a ladder-type chassis instead of the more modern monocoque style, with torsion bar wishbone suspension at the front and semi-elliptical leaf springs for the rear axle. The Compagno is also the first Daihatsu car to use the famous "D" logo.

History

120,000 Daihatsu Compagnos were produced between 1963 and 1970. The first model introduced, in April 1963, was the Compagno Light Van light commercial vehicle (F30V). It was available in Standard or Deluxe trim. Two months later the Compagno Wagon (F30) followed, a pricier and more comfortable and passenger oriented version. This cost over twenty per cent more than the Standard Light Van and was Daihatsu's first four-wheeled passenger car. In November 1963 the Japanese-designed two-door saloon appeared, called "Berlina" and with the F40 chassis code. This was available in either Standard and Deluxe trim, priced close to their Light Van and Wagon counterparts. The Deluxe had an Italianate dashboard, reflecting Vignale's input, complete with three-spoke Nardi steering wheel. To celebrate the

1964 Tokyo Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this h ...

, Daihatsu used a Consorte in a PR stunt, driving the from the

Olympic flame The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olymp ...

Olympia, Greece Olympia ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ολυμπία ; grc, Ὀλυμπία ), officially Archaia Olympia ( el, label=Modern Greek, Αρχαία Ολυμπία; grc, Ἀρχαία Ὀλυμπία, links=no; "Ancient Olympia"), is a small town in ...

to Tokyo in a little over three months. In April 1965 the Compagno Spider appeared, introducing the larger and more powerful 1000 engine. The engine displacement was initially kept below one liter to price the car in the lowest road tax bracket for Japanese buyers. The Spider received a twin-carb unit producing . One month later the larger engine was also installed in the Berlina, and a new four-door model (only with the bigger engine) was added. The four-door model sits on a longer wheelbase. 1000 Berlinas have a single carburettor and produce . In October 1965 the F31P Compagno Truck appeared, a small pickup truck capable of loading . The 800 cc engine gradually became installed only in the lesser variants as the 1000 cc segment gained in popularity in Japan. In November the Compagno 1000 GT appeared, a Berlina two-door with the more powerful Spider engine. In April 1967 a two-speed automatic transmission became available. In May 1967 the Compagno received a minor facelift, with new head- and taillights and a new grille. The fender pressings were also subtly altered so as to streamline production. A Super Deluxe version of the four-door was added, while the Spider and GT gained front disc brakes. Last amongst the news was the 1000 GT Injection, with mechanical

fuel injection Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines. All com ...

albeit no more power than the existing twin-carb version. In April 1968 the front grille was altered again, with black trim for the Spider and GT. The Super Deluxe gained chrome trim at the rear. In April 1969 the succeeding

Daihatsu Consorte The Daihatsu Consorte is a small sedan sold by the Japanese automaker Daihatsu from 1969 to 1977. It was based on the Toyota Publica, and its name, meaning ''"consort"'' in Italian, reflected Daihatsu's newly established affiliation with Toyota. ...

appeared, using Daihatsu's own 1.0-litre engine fitted in the

Toyota Publica The is a small car manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota from 1961 until 1978. Conceived as a family car to fulfill the requirements of the Japanese Government's "national car concept", it was the smallest Toyota car during that period an ...

KP30 body. Daihatsu decided to depend on Toyota for designing compact cars from now on. The Consorte was initially only available as a two-door sedan, and while the Van, Truck, and Convertibles were not replaced the four-door Super Deluxe remained in production until January 1970 so as to meet existing orders.

Models

* 1963–1967 Compagno 800 Van (797 cc, ) three-door

; model F30V * 1963–1967 Compagno 800 Berlina (797 cc, ) two-door sedan; model F40 * 1965–1970 Compagno 1000 Berlina (958 cc, ) two or four-door sedan; model F40 – later models have 58 PS * 1965–1969 Compagno 1000 Truck (958 cc, ) two-door

; model F31P * 1965–1969 Compagno Spider 1000 (958 cc, ) two-door convertible; model F40K Maximum speed was around for the 800 cc model, for 1000 cc models. Late Spiders and GTs have a

fuel injected Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines. All comp ...

engine. It went on sale in the United Kingdom in May 1965 as the first Japanese car to be sold there. Kießler, p. 33 It was also sold in numerous other European markets. In Australia it was marketed until import tariffs were changed in 1968, which would have made the car prohibitively expensive. Daihatsu returned to the Australian passenger car market in 1972 with the Max 360X.

DN Compagno Concept

The DN Compagno is a concept car that was shown at the 2017

along with the original Compagno. According to Daihatsu, the design was aimed at "active seniors" and prioritized the relaxing comfort of the two front seats, combined with a high-quality interior.

Gallery

File:Daihatsu-CompagnoBerlina.JPG, Compagno Berlina 1000 (4-door) File:Daihatsu Compagno Berlina left front view at 10th Osaka Motor Show December 10, 2017 01.jpg, Compagno Berlina 2-door at the 2017

File:Daihatsu Compagno Berlina left rear view at 10th Osaka Motor Show December 10, 2017.jpg, Daihatsu Compagno Berlina 2-door, rear File:Daihatsu Compagno 1000 Estate (15336579135).jpg, Daihatsu Compagno Estate File:Daihatsu Pick Up (3722459405).jpg, Daihatsu 1000 Pick-Up File:1965-1969 Daihatsu Compagno (F31P) utility (26695941572).jpg, Daihatsu Compagno Pick-Up, rear File:Daihatsu DN Compagno.jpg, DN Compagno Concept at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show

References

External links

Motorbase:Daihatsu Compagno

Carfolio: Daihatsu Compagno 800

Carfolio: Daihatsu Compagno 1000

Histomobile: Daihatsu

{{Daihatsu timeline pre-1980 Cars introduced in 1963 Compagno