This article covers the history of manufacturers that pursued both sides of the business, including Kawasaki’s KZ360 four-wheeled prototype and the “cars from motorcycle makers” and “motorcycles from carmakers” of companies such as Daihatsu and Subaru.
Kawasaki, one of Japan’s leading motorcycle manufacturers, developed the KZ360 four-wheeled prototype in the late 1950s to meet kei-car standards. However, commercial production was ultimately shelved, and the project ended as an unrealized plan.
Alongside Kawasaki’s four-wheeled project, Daihatsu moved from three-wheeled vehicles equipped with motorcycle engines to market the Daihatsu-go HA type and HB type three-wheelers in the latter half of the 1950s. It later launched the Hallo, a kei three-wheeled scooter, in 1974, but ended production after only 2 years.
Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries) used postwar military-aircraft technology to develop the Rabbit steel scooter. Following corporate spin-offs, it continued to evolve, including the adoption of a 2-stroke engine in 1955, and launched its first kei car, the Subaru 360, in 1958. In the 1960s, however, it shifted its focus to four-wheeled vehicle development.
Although many companies today specialize in either four-wheeled or two-wheeled vehicles, there were several examples in the past of manufacturers seeking to pursue both cars and motorcycles.