Mystery Car 98 Revealed

My high school art teacher’s husband acquired a 1960’s Dodge van back in the early 1980’s. The flat nose front and large round headlights are engraved on my memory. He added carpeted benches along the rear for passengers and gave me a tour of it one day. That was one interesting vehicle! When I saw Mystery Car 98 on eBay Motors it reminded me of the Dodge van. This one is also from the 1960’s but comes from across the Pacific.

Mystery Car 98 is a Cony Wide Micro Van from Japan. It must have been very small as the seller says, “this little van fits in the back of an 8 foot pickup.” This Cony came with a sub 360cc two cylinder engine (for cheaper taxes in Japan) which could achieve a whopping 45 mph. Woohoo! But let’s be realistic, the Cony vehicles weren’t intended for speed or luxury.

“Cony vehicles were made by The Aichi machine company of Japan. Nissan purchased Aichi in the 60s and Aichi still produces engine for Nissan today. The small cars continued after Nissan’s purchase for a few years. The Cony 360 Light Van was offered in a standard and deluxe version. The deluxe had a few additional options such as white wall tires, chrome hub caps, chrome side trim, chrome bumpers and a back up light.” (link)

I don’t know what it is about these little vans, but I’ve always liked them. From the 1960’s Dodge to the 1980’s Toyota minivan. There’s just something about them that I like. So, don’t be surprised if something like this ends up in my driveway in the next couple of years. What with a claimed 68+ mpg, maybe it would payoff in the long run!