The prettiest light truck ever

On Saturday 24 February 2024, the 2nd “Kei-Truck & Super Cub Meeting” was held in Ibaraki Prefecture. From the venue of this unique event organized by the Super Cub Enthusiasts’ Association, we present the owners of the Vamos Honda, a multi-purpose light vehicle launched by Honda in 1970.

This Andes Yellow unit is the second car he has owned

“The car is like a big dog to me.”

Mr Nisaku was 59 years old at the time of the interview when he spoke to us, holding his beloved dog Choco (a three-year-old toy poodle) in his arms. He seems to like Honda cars with air-cooled two-cylinder engines and has a collection of not only this “Vamos Honda” but also “N360”, “N III 360” and many others.

“I didn’t drive it today, but I also own a caravan green Vamos Honda. I’ve been driving it for 35 years now, and this Andes Yellow Vamos Honda, which I bought about 15 years ago, is my second one. It took me about two years to finish it to the same specifications as in the catalog.”

Only 2,530 units were produced

The Vamos Honda was a fully open light truck produced from 1970 to 1973, with a unique style that had no doors. It debuted as a vehicle with an unlimited range of uses depending on the ideas of its occupants. The first-generation Vamos Honda was modeled on the TN360, which was derived from the TN360 light truck, as it had parts related to driving. The TN360 light truck was renamed after each minor change, with the following changes for reference: TN360 (1967-1970), TN III 360 (1970-1972), TN-V (1972-1975), TN-7 (1975-1977). Is.

The Andes Yellow Vamos Honda 4 owned by Mr New is a 1971 model, so it has an engine for the TN III 360, while the Caravan Green has an engine for the TN-V.

The Vamos Honda debuted as the perfect vehicle for jobs requiring mobility, such as outdoor work and deliveries, including security, construction sites, in-plant transport, electrical work, farm and forest management, and ranching, but despite its off-road car-like styling, it was not available in 4WD and was not a major player in the business world. It did not play a major role in the business world. The production plan, including exports, was initially announced as 2,000 units per month, but it is said that only about 2,530 units went off the line in total.

He will continue to preserve the dynamic

Mr. New also uses the two Vamos Hondas as multi-purpose leisure car-like hobby vehicles, enjoying driving them on sunny days and driving them when attending old car events and kei-truck-themed events like this one.

“I don’t plan to add any more cars to my collection, so I want to keep the cars I love now in dynamic preservation.”

Speaking of his future plans with a smile on his face, Mr New will continue to enjoy his unique car life surrounded by his Vamos Honda, N360, N III 360, and other cars.

translated by DeepL