F20
1979 - 1985
On bush tracks the Daihatsu really shined, the relatively large engine size (in comparison to body size) allowing the performance to be leisurely, and unlike the Suzuki, not requiring the driver to continually change cogs to get the best out of it. The achilles heel when off-road was found with the standard dampers, they fading rapidly on corrugated and hard-packed ripple surfaces, giving the car a pitch and bounce ride. Many owners chose to replace these dampers with good quality after market units – a strategy that quickly solved the problem | Charade
1981 -
The diminutive Charade was the star performer among petrol-engined vehicles in the 1980 Australian Total Oil Economy Run, achieving a staggering 5.4 litres per 100 kilometres over the 1600 km course, which included mountainous conditions and had to be negotiated at high average speeds that required some energetic driving, especially by crews of the smaller cars | Charade Turbo
1984 - 1987
These days buying a turbo charged car is par for the course, but in the early 80’s it was a rare thing, and usually associated with a performance vehicle. And that is exactly what the Daihatsu Charade Turbo was – a genuine hot hatch at a bargain basement price. When the Charade hit the showrooms it was asking just A$9195 – and it was almost as quick as the Nissan EXA. |
DeTomaso Charade Turbo
1984 - 1987
When the Daihatsu DeTomaso Turbo Charade first appeared at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1982, there were more than a few chuckles from various motoring journalists and writers - surely this was a "concept only" toy car that would never make it into serious production. | Rocky
1984 - 1999
The Rocky went on to enjoy a long 15 year stay, however in the latter years the vehicle was seen as rather primitive. The 2.0 litre petrol engine was phased out in 1989, followed by the non-turbo diesel in 1990. By the mid 1990's the off road virtues of leaf spring suspension were largely forgotten, and the competition had evolved well beyond the solid underpinnings of the Rocky. What was once seen as solid was now perceived as primitive. |
