Description
The Hino Contessa 1300 Coupé was the sportiest and most stylish version of Hino Motors’ second-generation Contessa line, introduced in 1965 and designed by the celebrated Italian stylist Giovanni Michelotti. While the Contessa sedan was a refined compact car aimed at the middle-class family market, the coupé was conceived as a more exclusive, youthful, and performance-oriented model—a car that demonstrated Hino’s ambition to compete with the best European small GTs of the mid-1960s.
Michelotti’s design gave the Contessa 1300 Coupé a sleek and modern appearance, setting it apart from most Japanese cars of the period. The body had crisp, linear proportions with a long bonnet, sharply defined fenders, and a fastback roofline that flowed gracefully into a short rear deck. The front featured a wide grille framed by quad headlamps, a design touch that gave the car a distinctly Italian flair reminiscent of contemporary Lancias or Triumphs. Chrome highlights and subtle trim details added sophistication without excess, and the overall profile was beautifully balanced. It was compact and purposeful, but with the elegance of a miniature grand tourer.
The interior of the Contessa 1300 Coupé was designed to match its sporty exterior. The cabin was configured as a 2+2, with deeply contoured front bucket seats and a smaller rear bench suitable for occasional passengers. The dashboard featured a full instrument cluster with a large central speedometer and, in higher trims, a tachometer—an uncommon feature in most Japanese cars of the time. Chrome bezels, a wood-tone fascia, and high-quality upholstery gave the interior a premium feel. Visibility was excellent, and the low seating position contributed to the sense of being in a true driver’s car.
Mechanically, the Contessa 1300 Coupé shared its basic layout with the sedan—a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration carried over from Hino’s earlier collaboration with Renault—but the coupé was tuned for livelier performance. It used a 1,251 cc inline four-cylinder, water-cooled engine producing about 65 horsepower in twin-carburetor “S” specification, paired with a four-speed manual gearbox. Weighing only around 800 kilograms, the car offered spirited acceleration and a top speed of roughly 150 km/h (93 mph). The engine was smooth and rev-happy, and its distinctive sound added to the car’s charm.
On the road, the Contessa 1300 Coupé handled with poise and agility. The independent rear suspension and light chassis gave it excellent balance, while the rear-engine layout provided good traction, particularly on steep or winding roads. Its compact size made it nimble, and its combination of responsive handling and refined ride quality drew comparisons to small European sports sedans like the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint and Triumph Vitesse.
Production of the Hino Contessa 1300 Coupé was relatively limited, as Hino was still a small manufacturer competing in a crowded market. The car’s sophisticated styling and engineering made it more expensive than most domestic rivals, but it earned admiration for its quality and originality. Unfortunately, Hino’s passenger car program came to an end in 1967 following the company’s merger with Toyota, bringing the Contessa line—and the coupé’s promising future—to a close.
Today, the Hino Contessa 1300 Coupé is a rare and highly prized collector’s car, both in Japan and abroad. Its Italian design, rear-engine layout, and finely balanced character make it one of the most distinctive Japanese cars of the 1960s. It represents the pinnacle of Hino’s brief but brilliant venture into passenger car manufacturing—a fusion of Japanese precision and European style that remains one of the era’s most fascinating automotive achievements.