Javillac
After the devastating Second World War, Japan's meager industry had been reduced to rubble. Before the conflict The country had little experience in car manufacturing., but there was beginning to be a need for a small, economical car.
In one of those curious circumstances in which the stars align, Renault 4CV It began to be sold all over the world, including Japan, shortly after the end of the war. The French benefited greatly from the exchange rate, while the Japanese received a model that was frequently used as a taxi on the streets of the country.
Renault wanted to continue promoting its brand in Japan, and They reached an agreement that would last seven years with Hino, a truck and bus manufacturer located near Tokyo, but with no previous experience in car production. This alliance was another international collaboration in the 1950s, such as that formed between Nissan and Austin or Hillman and Isuzu.
1953: THE HINO-RENAULT 4CV IS BORN
As chance would have it, the same year the first Renault 4CV left the factory FASA in Valladolid, also saw the first unit manufactured in Japan. In both cases The first examples were almost entirely assembled as CKD, with the kits arriving directly from France. As a curiosity, some Hino trucks were exported to Spain in the 1950s, these being probably the first Japanese vehicles to circulate in the country.
There was some reluctance from France towards the Japanese manufacture of the 4CV, as there was a certain fear that Hino would simply copy Renault's technology, but the company's president Pierre Lefaucheux saw a great opportunity to increase the brand's influence internationally in a market that began to experience accelerated growth.
Japanese efficiency was able to overcome major obstacles, such as the precarious factory where the bodies could only be painted when the weather conditions permitted. From the hundredth unit onwards, Hino was allowed to use Japanese-made parts, and From 1954 onwards, 25% of the components were produced locally.
This rapid progress and the quality of the cars manufactured by Hino came to frighten Renault executives, although the agreement stated that no changes could be made to the manufacture of the 4CV without prior consultation with Billancourt. Over time, the Hino-Renault distinguished itself from its French counterpart., with a different moustache and rear lights with a different design, as well as a new location for the fuel tank filler neck in the latest units.
A COMPLETELY JAPANESE 4CV
By 1956 Hino was on the verge of surpassing the 10.000 4CVs manufactured, with a percentage of Japanese parts of 75%, which included such important components as the mechanics and the chassis. After the sudden death of Pierre Lefaucheux in a traffic accident, his successor, Pierre Dreyfus, was more focused on exporting cars from France, so Japan was no longer a priority.
By mid-1957, 100% of the 4CV's components were manufactured in Japan, something that the French did not pay much attention to as they were focused on the success of the new Dauphine in the United States. The Japanese Ministry of Industry challenged Renault when In 1958 they refused to pay the rights to manufacture the 4CV, and yet the car remained in production until 1960.
In the end, Hino's 4CV managed to adapt to the tastes and needs of the Japanese population, and ended up being a more refined product than the original. 34.853 units were manufactured until 1960, which served as an important step towards a new industrial society in Japan and which allowed Hino to manufacture other very interesting models during the 1960s.
Images: Hino
