The BUBU 505-C, a small replica moped car with a 50cc engine

In the car world, the term ‘replica’ often refers to a reproduction of a famous car of yesteryear, using components from a modern car. It was probably around the mid-1960s that such replicas began to be made more frequently. Well-known replica cars from that period include the American ‘Excalibur SS’, which imitated the Mercedes-Benz ‘SS’, the pioneer of this type of car, and the British ‘Panther J72’, which imitated the Jaguar ‘SS100’.

A lineage of replica cars paying homage to pre-war sports cars

Because the real ‘originals’ from the vintage (1919-1930) and post-vintage (1931-1939) periods of the British era were rare and too expensive, replica cars that could easily enjoy the atmosphere of the vintage period attracted a certain amount of support from enthusiasts all over the world. The replica cars, which could easily enjoy the atmosphere of the original, gained a certain amount of support from enthusiasts all over the world.

Although most of the manufacturers of these replica cars were small workshops, there were some examples, such as the Alfa Romeo Gran Sport Quattroruote, where the manufacturer/carrozzeria itself revived its heritage in the modern age.

Incidentally, 1971 was a time when “classic cars” were in the limelight worldwide, with the exhibition tour of the Hurler’s Automobile Collection of the USA being held in Japan under the title of “World Classic Car Festival”. Such a historical background may have been a distant cause of the birth of many replica cars in this period.

BUBU original of the 80s

Standing in front of the AMW interview team is another kind of replica car. It is clearly based on the SS100, Jaguar’s 1935 debut car, and the Panther J72, which it replicates, but what is different is its size. This was the ‘BUBU 505-C’, a small one-seater moped car measuring around 2.5 m in length. This model was released in 1985 by Mitsuoka Motors, now known as a unique car manufacturer releasing models such as the Viewt and Buddy.

In 1982, Mitsuoka Motors, which had long been developing a safe and economical minimal transporter that could be ridden with a moped license and was easy to operate, released an original moped car named the BUBU Shuttle.

The company’s moped car lineup, which was created under the concept of “easy to ride ‘anytime’, ‘anywhere’ and ‘anyone'”, continued to grow with the BUBU501, 502, 503, and 504. The lineup of moped cars has been continuously expanded with the “BUBU501,” “502,” “503,” and “504. All of them were originally designed as one-seater mopeds with weather-resistant cabins and, depending on the model, even doors.

However, among such a line-up of practical tools, only the 505-C is unique in that it is a hobby open-body car with a motif of an actual classic car.