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Daihatsu was founded in 1907 as Hatsudoki Seizo Co., Ltd. in Osaka, an industry-academia collaboration with Osaka University to produce internal combustion engines. The company built Japan's first 6hp suction gas engine that same year. It began producing three-wheeled vehicles in 1930 and was renamed Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. in 1951. The Daihatsu Compagno Berlina launched in the United Kingdom in 1965, becoming the first Japanese car marketed in Britain.
Daihatsu formed a business alliance with Toyota in 1967 that deepened over decades. Toyota acquired a controlling 51.2 percent stake in 1998 and made Daihatsu a wholly owned subsidiary in 2016. Throughout this period Daihatsu specialized in kei cars, the lightweight micro-vehicles unique to Japan, and developed a reputation for efficient small-car engineering across Southeast Asia through its Indonesian operations.
In 2023 Daihatsu was hit by a major safety scandal when an internal investigation uncovered 174 certification irregularities across 64 models, with some violations dating back to 1989. All Japan production was suspended from December 2023 to April 2024. Daihatsu has exited most global markets over the years including the United States (1992), Europe (2013), and Australia (2006), and now focuses primarily on Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Daihatsu pioneered the DNGA (Daihatsu New Global Architecture) platform, a lightweight modular architecture optimized for compact and kei-class vehicles that reduced development costs while improving safety and efficiency. The company was a master of kei car engineering, consistently producing the most fuel-efficient and space-maximizing vehicles in Japan's unique micro-car segment.
Daihatsu's just-in-time manufacturing and lean production techniques for small vehicles influenced Toyota's own production system. Through its Astra Daihatsu Motor joint venture in Indonesia and its stake in Malaysia's Perodua, Daihatsu became the dominant small-car platform provider for emerging markets across Southeast Asia.
Hatsudoki Seizo Co., Ltd. established in Osaka; produces Japan's first 6hp gas engine.
Company renamed Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.
Compagno Berlina becomes first Japanese car marketed in Britain.
Toyota acquires controlling 51.2% stake in Daihatsu.
Daihatsu becomes wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation.
How the platform works for buyers and dealers