Joint agreement
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• Japanese manufacturer Daihatsu has signed a jointventure agreement with Piaggio to build vans and pickups based on the Hi-Jet microvan in Italy. Manufacture will be in existing Piaggio plants; the shareholding is 51% Piaggio and 49% Daihatsu. Production is scheduled to start in December 1992, with a target of 35,000 vehicles per year.
Principal markets are in Europe, but it is not yet clear if the UK will receive any of the Italian-built vehicles. Since the vehicle is essentiallyJapanese, building right-handdrive models should not present problems. Power will be courtesy of a Daihatsu 1,000cc, three-cylinder petrol engine.
Piaggio has experience of producing light CVs with its "Ape" and "Ape Poker" three and four wheel models which are common throughout Italy. Daihatsu stopped importing the current Hi-Jet range just over a year ago to concentrate on its passenger cars.