Can Mitsuoka’s quirky Japanese take on coach-built cars translate to European roads?

Mitsuoka Motor is a boutique Japanese car company founded in 1968 with a very simple principle: to produce cars that blend classic styling with up-to-date technology. It aims to offer owners the best of both worlds -- yesterday's looks with today's reliability -- and while somteimes results are mixed, they are never boring and always unique. ALthough the term 'unique' could elicit reaction going either way.

For example, the Mitsuoka Galue starts out life as a small Nissan or Toyota, but after the company's artisans have finished with it, it looks like a compact take on a Bentley Type R.

Or the Viewt, which is an homage to the Jaguar Mark II of the late 1950s and early 1960s, but one that is built on top of a Nissan Micra and so retains the supermini's towncar proportions. Yet as bizarre as they may look, the Viewt in particular was such a huge hit in Japan when it launched in 2008 that it inspired a host of copycats that persist to this day and sold in volumes great enough for Mitsuoka to be recognized as a carmaker, rather than a customizer.

And for its European debut, it is saving what it claims is its most complete car, the Himiko Roadster, for its flagship launch model. Based on the Mazda MX-5 -- known as one of the best driver's cars -- Mitsuoka has really looked to classic British sportscars of the past in order to shape the contours of its exterior.

Mitsuoka Viewt. Photo: AFP/ Mitsuoka Motor

The front wings curve upwards from the chrome bumpers over the front wheels, tapering along the car's sides towards its rear haunches. It looks like a 1950s MG or a Morgan and even has an oversized, chromed radiator grille.

Mitsuoka has decided to start European operations in Britain because it believes there is a demand for cars that blend the best of old and new. Jen White, Mitsuoka Project Manager for T W White & Sons -- the dealership that will be handling initial UK sales -- said, "The UK represents one of the largest classic car markets in the world. The unique design of the Mitsuoka Roadster draws inspiration from the classic Roadster heritage and combines this traditional styling with the latest state of the art technology."

So while the car looks like a Morgan, it has airbags, traction control, a six-speed manual gearbox, anti-lock brakes, stability control for throwing the car into corners with confidence, and an electrically operated retractable roof. Inside, the quality of the cabin trim is also of premium grades, with leather as standard. It's way cheaper than a Morgan and has no waiting list to be delivered but then again, the Morgan is an original classic stil built today.

The Mitsuoka Roadster. Photo: AFP/Mitsuoka Motor

Whether or not the car will be a hit with British drivers remains to be seen, but the unique, premium sportscar could be just the right mix of quirky and reliable to build up a cult following.

Shift note: