Daihatsu · 1966–1970

Daihatsu Max

The Daihatsu Fellow Max is a small Japanese automobile in the Kei car class. Originally introduced as the Daihatsu Fellow, the name was partially retained for its successor, the Max Cuore (1977), and then revived in 2000 for the Daihatsu Max.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Daihatsu Opti · Successor: Daihatsu Sonica

All Daihatsu Max data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

360cc era

=== Fellow === On 9 November 1966, Daihatsu introduced the Fellow, also known as Daihatsu 360 in export markets. Originally available only in DeLuxe and Super DeLuxe equipment levels, a Standard version joined in February 1967. Also available with a wagon body (Fellow Van), as a mini-pickup truck and as a panel van from June 1967, the L37 was conventionally built with a front-mounted engine and rear wheel drive. It used a 23 PS iteration of the 356 cc, water-cooled two-cylinder two-stroke "ZM" engine already seen in the Hijet and a four-speed manual transmission. The self-lubricating ("Oil-Matic") little engine weighed only 58 kg (128 lb). The Fellow was the first Japanese car to be equipped with rectangular headlights. As a result of Honda's 31 PS N360 having been introduced early in 1967, a Kei-car horsepower war broke out, with Honda, Subaru, Suzuki, Mazda, and Mitsubishi contributing competitors. Daihatsu's response, the Fellow SS, was presented at the 1967 Tokyo Motor Show in October but did not go on sale until June the next year. A Le Mans-style sportscar prototype, the P-5 with the SS engine was shown alongside. The 32 PS "SS" could do the 400 meter sprint in 21.2 seconds and had a 115 km/h (71 mph) top speed. The Fellow also received a slight facelift in October 1967, with a new dashboard and steering wheel most noticeable. Another minor change came in January 1969, with a fixed driver's side headrest and seatbelts installed because of new safety regulations. In July, along with what was literally a facelift (the front bumper was now mounted higher), the lesser engine's output increased to 26 PS and a comparatively luxurious "Custom" version was added at the top of the lineup. The size of the taillights also increased somewhat. An electric version called the D

550cc era

In May 1976, responding to a change in the Kei car regulations, Daihatsu increased the Fellow Max' engine size to 547 cc and gave it a new chassis code (L40/L40V). The name remained, although the "Fellow" portion received less prominence and some marketing material simply referred to the car as the "Max 550". The new "AB10" four-stroke two-cylinder engine replaced the old two-cycle "ZM". This, developed with help from Toyota, was an overhead camshaft design (belt-driven) which also featured balance axles to smoothen the inherently imbalanced two-cylinder design. The AB10 engine was also briefly sold to Suzuki for use in the four-stroke version of their Fronte 7-S. The cleaner four-stroke offered less power than the revvy 360, down to 28 PS (21 kW) at 6,000 rpm. Torque increased somewhat, to 3.9 kg⋅m (38 N⋅m) at a significantly lower 3,500 rpm. New bumpers meant length and width were up marginally to 3,120 mm (122.8 in) and 1,305 mm (51.4 in). Claimed top speed was 110 km/h (68 mph), somewhat lower than that of the 360. With Honda withdrawing from the Kei passenger car segment, Daihatsu became the only maker to offer a Kei car featuring front-wheel drive. The Van used the front end and front doors from the two-door Max, but with a more square-rigged rear end featuring a split tailgate (divided horizontally) and a folding rear seat which allowed for a flat loading floor. Max Cuore. In July 1977, the name was changed to Max Cuore (chassis code L45, although Vans remained L40V). The new name also heralded a wider body shell (up to 1,395 mm or 54.9 in) which also increased the length to 3160 mm for the sedan and 3165 mm for the wagon. By March, 1979 the car was renamed Daihatsu Cuore (though it still carried discrete "Max" badging), along with a power upgrade to 31 PS (23 kW

Daihatsu Max (2001)

The Daihatsu Max was a partial revival of the Daihatsu Fellow Max nameplate, appearing on October 10, 2001. Sales of the Daihatsu Max 5-door wagon began on November 1, using the same technical data as the second generation Move, though 10 mm lower. In 2006, the Max was discontinued and replaced by the Sonica. == References ==

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Daihatsu Fellow
Manufacturer: Daihatsu
Production: 1966–1970
Assembly: Ikeda, Osaka, Japan
Body style: 2-door sedan, 2-door pickup truck, 3-door van
Layout: Front engine, rear-wheel-drive
Engine: 356 cc ZM water-cooled 2-stroke I2
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Wheelbase: 1990 mm
Length: 2990 mm
Width: 1285 mm
Height: 1350 mm
Kerb weight: 495 kg

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10263733CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daihatsu_Fellow_MaxCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1366599418 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daihatsu-max_1st_zenki-front.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: TaitaFkm · retrieved 2026-10-01
Manufacturer website (link only) — https://u-catch.daihatsu.co.jp/history/max/Link only; no content copied · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.