Daihatsu
Hatsudoki Seizo Co Ltd was founded in 1907. In 1951, the company was renamed to Daihatsu Motor Co Ltd. Daihatsu Motor Co Ltd is the oldest Japanese manufacturer of cars, known mostly for its smaller models and off-road vehicles. Its headquarters are located in Ikeda,Osaka Prefecture. Daihatsu was formed in 1951 as successor organisation to Hatsudoki and, by the 1960s, had started exporting cars to Europe, although it did not enjoy any major sales success until well into the 1980s.
Daihatsu USA launched the Charade (a supermini) and Rocky (a mini SUV) in 1988. Since February 1992, in North America, it has been common for Toyota to distribute Daihatsu models.
In 1999, Toyota gained a controlling interest of 51% in Daihatsu Motor Ltd.
Daihatsu Motor Co Ltd has devoted its efforts to the mission of “creating small cars that are loved by people all over the world." Today, Daihatsu is pursuing this mission at an even higher level, with the aim of achieving further globalisation.