Autozam AZ-1, Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino — Kei Cars are Japan’s SUVs — Cammisa Revelations Ep 26

Here’s the history of the legendary A-B-C Cars, all in one place! The SUV is to America as the Kei Car is to Japan — nearly half the car on the road in Japan are Kei Cars, a classification of small car that created tax benefits to encourage mobility after the second World War. Keijidōsha, or “light automobiles“ were created by the Japanese government in the early 1950s, and really started to become popular a decade later. But when this economic measure to favor the economically disadvantaged crashed head-on with the unprecedented economic boom of the 1980s’ “Japanese Bubble Economy,“ ,the result was three Kei sports cars known together as the A-B-C cars: A for the positively insane Autozam AZ-1, B for the Pininfarina-designed, 8500-rpm ITB-equipped Honda Beat, and C for the turbocharged Suzuki Cappuccino. In this video, veteran automotive journalist Jason Cammisa examines the history of the Kei-car regulations, including their start, their initial suc