(Enlargement)
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The origine of T.G.E.: Established in 1910 as Establishment of Tokyo Gas Industry and produced high quality silk mantles of gaslight of those days.
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KOKENKI (Experimental long distance airplane): In 1932 of Tokyo Gas and Electric Industry (T.G.E.) era, basic design started in Tokyo University aviation laboratory. It was a pure study. So, nobody wanted the production in the reason of no-business opportunity. However, T.G.E. undertook the main charge of body production by the team of Isamu Hoshiko who who had experience of a plane production design & production. KOKENKI established world flying range record of 11651km in 1936. (A photograph; the Haneda (Tokyo Bay) offing)
For Reference - Production & Flight of Koken-Ki/ Minao Yamamoto Cyber Museum
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Mr. Isamu Hosiko: The origine of Hishiko-ism. He entered T.G.E. at the time of automotive div. establishment in 1917. He proposed public car production. In 2010, he was admitted to the Japan Automobile Hall of Fame : Establishing the foundation of Japan's automotive industrye.
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Tie-up with Renault: The companies cooperated with an overseas maker with a policy of the government in those days. Hino chose French Regie Nationale des Usines Renault. It was an opening to make a dream of a public car ofHishiko reality.
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Domestic production of Renault 4CV: Domestic production raised a percentage by the knockdown that began in 1953 producing it. It was finally produced for 10 years, then ended to production substantially in 1963 with total number of 34,853.
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Mr. K. Yamoto: He inherited Hoshiko-ism with skin and played an active part in Japanese automotive industry development adter WW II. He also performed acting as the leader of an important decision in the design & production of all vehicles of Hino.
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Hino Commerce (February, 1960): It was the Japan's first minivan which was ahead of a market while they was frantic. Besides, it is FF drive. It overused planes for simplification of a model, and it lets us feeling the function beauty within simple. A number considerably shiped abroad.
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Starting production of Hino Contessa 900 (April, 1961): It became ripe by the technical acquisition in Renault 4CV in period and finally incorporated own technology. It is the moment that can say "parting with Renault" for development to the future.
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Starting of production and delivery of Hino Contessa 1300 (Autumn, 1964): Car was deliveried by TH80 based exclusive loading car (July, 1966 photography). I think that there was the vehicle which resembled Mercedes of those days. I recall the following Peter Brock said "I sympathized with Hino having aimed at a diesel heavy truck and a high-quality passenger car like Mercedes" through this picture.
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GR100 Motor: GP Motor of Contessa 900 was a copy of Renault except displacement, but Hino needed orginal design for the issue with Renault's intellectual property on Contessa 1300.
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Mr. Ichiro Uchida: He made a big effort to sell Hino's all models for the worldwide and named Contessa to Hino's ist orginal small sedan. He was a great fan of red Alfa Romeo according to a rumore. |
HIno started KD production in New Zealand, and developed a plant in Sloehaven, Vissingen in the Netherlands. Contessa was exported to Taiwan, Oceanian countries, Middle East, Europe including Scandinavia and South and Central America, and it reached 16,799 vehicles including Commerce, Contessa 900/1300, and Contessa 900/1300 in both production by Japan and KD production. The enthusiast still own them in around the world. |
Contessa 1300 got honorary grand prix in a European elegance contest for 1965-67 years. The coupe in particular won it four times. |
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Dr. T. Suzuki: Since Renault domestic production, acting as the leader of design of an engine (Iinclude diesel) of Hino. He experienced the race field with TEAM SAMURAI. In addition, his literary talent published many books. In 2001, he was admitted to the Japan Automobile Hall of Fame : Pioneering and leadership of the advanced technology & engineering about ending for automotive.
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TEAM SAMURAI: beginning of 1966, Hino appointed Peter Brock who designed Daytna-Cobra for the technical aging assuming export to U.S., then Hino racing team in the American West Coast was born. The reason was because it fused in local culture before selling a car.
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YE28b (an engine for competitions): It is a last gasoline engine at Hino virtually. It was research and development toward Hino proto of a season for 1967. This last mashine composed of a dynamo & water pump of the crank direct and oil pan by magnesium that sharpened the body and finished.
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Mr. T. Miyako: He was a promotion position of both domestic and overseas race activity in Hino.@He knew European and American car culture with skin and practiced a safari rally and American sedan race for export.
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HINO SAMURAI - MUSEE NATIONAL DE L'AUTOMOBILE DE MULHOUSE
(COLLECTION SCHLUMPF)
In there, a true car exhibition of 200 Bugatti is famous. A world well-known car is enshrined by an exhibition of a minicar historically. Two HinoSamurai proto (Polytoy - Italy) was exhibited in there.
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A site owner chose big four people in a glance of enthusiast. They are neither the founders nor owner. As the management, they always led the field, namely marketing & sales, engineering, and production, then gave energy to Contessa day and night in there.
Mr. Hoshiko learned aviation engineering and walked around Europe and America, and he learned evolution of aviation industry and the automotive industry deeply. Then, he was invited by T.G.E. Mr. Hoshiko preached necessity of the automotive industry so that Japan became a modern nation. In T.G.E, a mass production of a small car designed for the middle classes was the heart's desire not the car which kept company with a rich person. In 2010, he was admitted to the Japan Automobile Hall of Fame : Establishing the foundation of Japan's automotive industrye.
Mr. Yamoto (at the era of Contessa; an executive director) inherited tHoshi-ism with skin. and took revival of the postwar Japanese automotive industry. Then, he did a technical acquisition & manufacturing technique of Renault as well as development of a full-size commercial vehicle in Hino. He put a hand in clay with designers from own in a design of Hino Commerce and Hino Contessa 900 and made an en effort for element technology development & implementation of production in the production spot. Then, Hino Contessa 1300 withdrawal decision right became heartrending grief for him again inlcuding an employee.
Mr. Uchida ran around the world with "the car which can be exported the excellent car" and "liberalizing trade is an opportunity to expand export" with Contessa named by him. He made an agreement to sell 1,000 Hino Contessa 900 in Hong Kong and continued an effort and also promoted KD production aggressively. He also was very knowledgeable person to a sports car, and he extended his dream that Hino manufacture Contessa 900 Sprint in Italy, then sell it in Europe and North America market. Thereafter, he completed Hino 1300 GT with Alpine of Dieppe in Normandie, France. Styling was a copy of Contessa 900 Sprint, but Chassis was re-develped by Alpine with Plastic Body and Engine was TOHC by Alpine based on Hino GR100.Those activities were in process concurrently before Hino release Hino Contessa 1300 Sedan to the market.
Dr. Suzuki did parting from Renault engine for Contessa 1300, then for domestic engine technology establishment, he challenged newly-designed GR100 engine. n addition, he became a member of Team Samurai, and through engine development for competitions in U.S.A. in particular, he contributed to feedback to commercial contessa of Japan side. After Contessa withdrawal, He devoted to new technology development of a diesel engine, then became the world first person. In 2001, he was admitted to the Japan Automobile Hall of Fame : Pioneering and leadership of the advanced technology & engineering about ending for automotive.
From a situation of an auditor, Mr. Miyako was able to advance by fusion to a certain history European and American car original culture for business of Hino. It does not push forward production of merely cars and export because it spread Hino Contessa in the world. He acted as Chairperson of race committee and was concerned with motor sports positively. At first he rolled up Erik Carlsson and did an entry of a Safari Rally. Then, He bound a hand together with Mr. Peter Brock which was an advanced designer of those days in U.S.A. and planned success in U.S.A. race and sale as well as domestic competition. He was precious existence to know the world of an international business and automotive race with real practice in Japan in those days.
Furthermore, as for Mr. Miyako, the race withdrawal back of Hino did great aid for the making of relation from a favor to BRE (Brock Racing Enterprises) to Toyota Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Corp. Nissan Motor in U.S.A. made a way for race activity of Datsun Fairlady with Bob Sharp of the East Coast in those days. However, it was not a visible result. Mr. Miyako introduced BRE to Nissan Motor of Japan side. As a result, Japanese Nissan directly sent a vehicle & race part to BRE, then BRE fought against much comeptitors including U.S. Nissan and Bob Sharp team based on support of Nissan's Japan side. As a result, it was laid a legend of a Fairlady. As a result, it became birth in a legend of Z-car based on the sucsess of Fiarlady and 510 sedan. It may be said that a result of Nissan car by BRE at race field was not born without Mr. Miyako, and we must not forget that a shadow has such history in a legend of Z-car. You also must not forget an inheritance in the form that DNA of this BRE is clear for race activity of 300ZX era (from the later half of 1980 through the first halt of 1990) if add one more thing.
They (All photography except Mr. Hoshiko at 1993) did not merely sell a car in pursuit of QCD (Quality, cost, and Delivery) on hardware side of the making goods, and they were "Car Guys" of precious world level in Japanese automotive industry who knew the software side that was original pleasure of real use of car. In addition, after Contessa withdrawal, design engineer of the YE28 engine mentioned in the above moved to Honda and contributed the experience for Honda's many engines including F1 competition engines. The boa * stroke ratio of Honda 1300 accords with this Hino's YE28. Should we regard it as a simple coincidence?