Saturday 9 July 2016

Clown shoes with a small Eco footprint: it's Ronald McDonald's Minica..

3200mm long, half a tonne, and pale yellow with red detailing....

1985 H11A Mitsubishi Minica Econo. Second year of production for the fifth generation Minica (which ran through to 1989), with this basic econo variant powered by the intimidating 546cc 6valve two-cylinder..

Currently for sale at a dealer in Aichi, Japan (Company Yatomi..?), with a supposed 45,000km on the clock and in what seems to be overall outstanding original condition. No price listed (offers) but I can't imagine it's a whole lot..

Handsome little thing anyway, with a wheel in each corner, large airy glasshouse, small (..well proportioned..) lenses, and some optimistically-sporting red pinstriping surrounding the car...

What look to be 10" Bridgestones wrapped around adorable 4-spoke pressed steel wheels. Front drum brakes too..

The paddle-like wing mirror, with 1985 being very early days for the pillar-mounted style. Surprised to see it actually has a passenger mirror too..

..a red/pink/pale-crimson interior isn't my first thought for a buttercup-yellow car.. but damn it sure is sweet! Strawberries-and-cream combination with the off-white vinyl bolsters and doorcards.. thorough red carpeting and belts, and some edgy 1980's detailing for the dash design.
LOVING that two-spoke wheel too. The wide hornpad and off-centre logo and horn marking looks great; and ergonomically a joy to steer, with thumbs simply hooked over those downturned spokes..

How good is that trapezoidal arched speedometer!? Having 40, 60, and 80km/h in one horizontal line across the top not only looks great, but would struggle to be more user-friendly. The absolute clarity at speeds that are actually relevant...
As for the blue? With a red interior and yellow outside, it'd be silly to skirt the primary-colour trifecta...

Extremely simple push-button radio providing the tunes, and floor-shift automatic misguiding as many of the twenty nine horses as possible. Seriously.. 29ps @5500rpm and an automatic. Whoa..

The rear bench seat, and what is a MORE than surprising amount of space behind..

...and we're done.

What an irresistibly sweet little thing. Would absolutely drive/own this....







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