The Toyota Publica, the original small but great domestic mass-market car
In this feature, 19-year-old female racing driver Rami Sasaki, who loves old cars, is asked to test-drive various old cars to give her honest impressions from a young person’s point of view. This time, with the cooperation of ENDLESS 130 Collection, we took a ride in a great popular car, the Toyota Publica.
Test drive a fully restored Publica by ENDLESS
Rami, who made her 4-wheel racing debut in the 2023 season in the KYOJO CUP, a women-only motorsports category held at Fuji Speedway, is such a deep-rooted old car enthusiast that she posts about her participation in old car events on SNS. In recent years, many racing drivers have said, “I like racing, but I don’t care that much about cars.
In addition to being a racing driver, Rami usually works for MSC Corporation, the company that manages Formula Drift Japan, and she leads a car-soaked life both in her private and public life.
Rami is such an old car enthusiast, and this time she test-drove a 1968 Toyota Publica, a vehicle on display at the Endless 130 Collection.
The Endless 130 Collection is a facility opened in March 2021 by Endless, a parts manufacturer famous for its brakes and suspensions, and includes a café, a museum with exhibited vehicles, and a racing garage where race cars are maintained. The opening of this facility was made possible by the founder of ENDLESS, who is also the founder of the company. The opening of this facility had been a longtime dream of the late Isao Hanazato, the founder and chairman of the company.
Surprised at its size, as compact as a modern Kei-car
With a body size of 3,620 mm (length) x 1,415 mm (width) x 1,380 mm (height), the extremely compact Pablica is not much larger than a modern minicar, even though it is a regular car. When she first saw it, Rami was surprised at how small it was.
“I was surprised that it was a family car at that time with this size. Also, maybe because of the small body size, the lights look bigger and more impressive. Also, the edges of the roof panel joints are kind of cute, as if it were wearing a hat!”
And when she sat in the driver’s seat, she seemed surprised at how many things were packed into the compact space.
“The pedal layout is very narrow! When accelerating, my right foot might hit the tire house if I am not conscious of it, and there is no footrest, so I am unsure where to put my left foot. The other thing that surprised me was the interior door knob. I was surprised at how small the handles are to use the small space effectively. It shows ingenuity in securing space for passengers.”
At first, struggled with the throttle operation of a carburetor
Rami was surprised by the compactness of Publica. When she drove the car, she struggled with its compactness at first.
“I found it difficult to operate the pedals. The brake pedal is closer to the front of the car, so if I am not conscious of it, I might end up stepping on the brake instead of the accelerator pedal. Also, because the car is so light, it feels as if it might fly away.”
She was also subjected to the unique mechanisms of old cars, such as air-cooled engines, carburetors, and ball-nut steering wheels.
“The throttle operation is also difficult. Perhaps it is because it is an air-cooled engine with a carburetor, but it responds differently depending on how it warms up, and the response seems to come out of nowhere. The steering also does not respond well in the early stages, giving the impression of being loose. Maybe it’s because of the low power, but when going uphill, I have to step on the gas pedal hard to get up the hill!”
Steering also feels more solid once you get used to it
However, after a while, when the car entered a winding road, it gradually changed to a mode to enjoy the test drive. During the restoration of this Publica, the front brakes were replaced with “S4F” calipers and the suspension with original dampers, and the driver could feel the ENDLESS tuning.
”The front end has been replaced with drum brakes and S4F calipers, and the suspension has original dampers. Also, the engine and gears operate like an old car, but the suspension has been changed, so the ride is very comfortable. I was also surprised at the loose steering wheel at first, but when I turned the steering wheel to take some of the play out of the car, the feeling became firm. Since there is no power steering, it is easy to grasp the feeling of firmness, and since the car is RWD, I feel a good balance in which the tires play different roles, with the front entering at the entrance of a corner and the rear kicking out at the exit of a corner. Because the car is light, it is easy to feel this sense of balance, and above all, it responds to my maneuvers in a way that is easy to understand!”
Although she was at the mercy of the old car’s unique points at first, she soon became accustomed to them and enjoyed the ride, a characteristic that is typical of racing drivers.
translated by DeepL