Hino

Hino was a Japanese vehicle manufacturer based in Tokyo, tracing its origins to 1942, when it was established as Hino Heavy Industries Ltd following a split from Tokyo Jidosha Kogyo Co., a maker of diesel engines. In its early years the company focused exclusively on commercial vehicles, building trucks and buses powered by its own diesel engines.

In 1953 Hino began producing the Renault 4CV under license, an arrangement that lasted until 1961 and gave the company its first experience in passenger car manufacturing. This period allowed Hino to develop expertise in small-car design and construction, which it later applied to its own models.

In 1961 Hino introduced the Contessa, a four-door saloon that clearly showed the influence of its Renault predecessor, featuring a rear-mounted, air-cooled four-cylinder engine of 893cc. The car was substantially revised in 1964, when Italian designer Michelotti restyled the body and the engine was enlarged to 1251cc, producing 60 brake horsepower. The updated Contessa also gained a fully synchromesh four-speed gearbox, and a more powerful 70 brake horsepower coupé version was offered alongside the saloon.

Hino's independent passenger car production came to an end in 1967, when the company was absorbed by Toyota. Following this takeover, Hino redirected its efforts entirely toward commercial vehicles, and it went on to become one of Japan's major manufacturers of trucks and buses.