CarBrandLogos archive · Daihatsu · 1977

DaihatsuCharade

A three-cylinder supermini that punched several classes above itself.

Photo: Tommi Nummelin · CC BY-SA 3.0

The story

A defining chapter in Daihatsu history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Daihatsu Charade, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

1985-1987 Daihatsu Charade CX 5-door hatchback 01

Origins

When the Charade appeared in 1977 it did something unusual for a small car: it used a one-litre three-cylinder engine at a time when nearly everyone else fitted fours. The layout was chosen for compactness and economy, and it worked well enough that the car took Car of the Year Japan and gave Daihatsu a credible entry in the supermini class above its kei-car heartland.

1985-1987 Daihatsu Charade CX 5-door hatchback 01 · OSX · Public domain

1991-1993 Daihatsu Charade SG Getaway Pack sedan

Design and engineering

The second and third generations built the reputation. Diesel and turbo-diesel versions made the Charade one of the most frugal cars on European roads, and at the other extreme the GTti of the late 1980s squeezed a turbocharged 993 cc triple into a light three-door body. It was quick enough to embarrass hot hatches with twice the capacity, and it became a fixture in class rallying and one-make racing.

1991-1993 Daihatsu Charade SG Getaway Pack sedan · OSX · Public domain

In production

Daihatsu also lent the name out: De Tomaso-badged versions were sold as sporting trim in Japan and Europe, an odd pairing that made more sense as marketing than engineering.

1982 Daihatsu Charade G20 850 · papurojugarpool;Cropped and minor alterations by uploader Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 2.0

Legacy

Production in Japan ran until 2000, when the Storia — sold abroad as the Sirion — took over, while Chinese licence-built versions carried on for another decade. Surviving GTtis are now collected, which would have surprised most people who saw one new.

At a glance