The Autozam AZ-1

After World War ll Japanese car companies wanted to make cars more economical and cost-effective for people. So KEI cars were created. They were small cars that could only be 11.2 feet long and have 63-pound feet of torque. After these cars started showing up all around Japan, Mazda decided they wanted to make one, so they gave the job to Autozam (Mazda’s Side company - a bit like the Toyota/Scion relationship). Autozam came up with the AZ-1.

AZ-1 sold on bringatrailer.com

This tiny car was part of a group of three cars called the ABC Kei cars. These cars consisted of the Autozam AZ-1, The Honda Beat, and The Suzuki Cappuccino. I think this is the best small car out of all of the three.

The AZ-1 has many cool features that make it stand out. The first feature I want to talk about is its gull-wing doors. I just find it so incredible that they found a way to have gull-wing doors on a car that is less than half the size of a Ford Raptor. Another really cool feature is the engine is mid-mounted. It’s basically a slower, smaller supercar.

When Autozam was making the AZ-1 They did not know what engine to use. So they asked their friends at Suzuki for an engine. They gave the AZ-1 a transversely mounted turbocharged inline 3, making 64 horsepower and 63 pound-feet of torque. Even though it might not make much power, the turbo spooled up and made it go to 9000 RPM.

There are many downsides to having one of these AZ-1’s. One reason is that there is no storage space. Is there a “frunk” (front trunk) you might be asking? No, no there is not. It is filled with a spare tire. Due to its size, it is very scary to drive one on a busy freeway, however, this tiny car also has a 5-speed manual that can make it really fun to drive when there isn’t other traffic around. When I’m older I really want one of these fun Kei cars. This car is just a little fun car that you can cruise with. The AZ-1 is not the most practical but it has a lot of heart.