Mitsuoka’s transitional period from moped cars to classical standard cars

The new Road Traffic Act of 1985 made it necessary to obtain a regular license to drive a moped car, instead of the moped license that had been required until then. As a result, the advantages of the simple moped car were reduced by one, but Mitsuoka Motors took advantage of this 1985 amendment to the law to start developing a replica of the standard car.

In 1987, the company launched the BUBU Classic SSK based on the Volkswagen Beetle, reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz SSK. This can be said to be the roots of the replica-style standard cars that have led to the Mitsuoka Viewt, the Galue, and the Zero One to this day.

On the other hand, the company gradually withdrew from the moped car market around this time. In other words, the BUBU 505-C, which was born in 1985, can be said to be one of the cars produced at a turning point in the company’s history, when Mitsuoka Motors made the transition from being a “light moped car manufacturer” to becoming a “car manufacturer that releases cars with a classical original design for the enthusiast”.

One of the most difficult of microcars

The owner of the BUBU 505-C is Mr. Yuki Mizuguchi. He says he has loved vehicles in general since he was young, but he is particularly keen on small cars. He is an avid “small car collector” who owns many other mopeds and his day job is as a veterinary doctor.

The BUBU 505-C was born as a high-end moped car for fashion-conscious adults, a complete change from the previous BUBU series cars, and was priced at over one million yen when it was first announced. The number of units produced was announced as a limited edition of 500, but it is said that only a little over 300 were sold.

The BUBU 505-C, a Jaguar SS100-style replica moped car was never a commercial success, but its significance was never small.

“I called Mitsuoka the other day to enquire about the 505-C, but they replied that they had zero documentation and no parts in stock. Even among those who choose microcars, the 505-C is famous for its difficulty (you can’t buy parts, there is no documentation, and there are only a few of them). Even so, there seems to be no doubt that this design still has many fans.”

Mr. Mizuguchi told us. Even now, 505-Cs still appear for sale on the used car market from time to time, and they seem to have a cult-like popularity among enthusiasts.