Mitsubishi Minicab
| Mitsubishi Minicab | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer |
|
| Also called | Mitsubishi Veryca (Taiwan) Mitsubishi Jetstar (Indonesia) Mitsubishi L100 Nissan Clipper CMC Varica |
| Production | 1966–present |
| Assembly | Mizushima plant, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Kei truck |
| Body style | Pickup truck, microvan |
| Layout | FR layout, F4 layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 359 cc ME24 I2 two-stroke 359 cc 2G10 I2 two-stroke 471 cc 2G22 I2 546 cc G23B I2 644 cc 2G24 I2 783 cc 2G25 I2 548 cc 3G81 I3 796 cc 3G82 I3 659 cc 4A30 I4 1.1 L 4G82 I4 |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Mitsubishi 360 |
The Mitsubishi Minicab is a kei truck and microvan built and sold in Japan by Mitsubishi Motors since 1966. In Japan, it was sold at a specific retail chain called Galant Shop. An all-electric model, the Minicab MiEV, is sold in the Japanese market since December 2011. It was also sold by China Motor Corporation (CMC) in Taiwan as the CMC Verica, starting in 1985.
The Minicab cab-over pickup truck was launched in 1966 to replace the 360 trucklet, which by this time had adopted the same model name as the Minica sedan. Codenamed LT30 it shared the sedan's air cooled two-stroke 359 cc ME24 engine, and was available with cargo gates on three sides to simplify loading and unloading. A van version was introduced in 1968, available in four different equipment levels. The T30 truck was replaced in 1971 by the new Minicab EL, but the van was kept in production (now also called the "Minicab EL") and updated with a dummy grille and headlight surround. The air-cooled T30V with its 26 PS (19 kW) engine was kept in production until 1976, with no further modifications except a 1974 adjustment to fit larger license plates.
In 1971 the Minicab underwent its first model change, with the Minicab EL offering a new interior and a longer cargo bed. Called the T130 it was only available in truck form, with the old LT30 van soldiering on until the third generation was introduced in 1976. Ride quality was improved with the adoption of a front wishbone and rear leaf spring suspension. The EL received all new bodywork with tiny rectangular headlamps.
A panel van was added to the Minicab truck lineup in 1972, when it also became the Minicab W with the new water-cooled 2G10 engine (hence the W). This model carries the T131 chassis code and is easily identified by its reworked front end, reverting to round headlights. It also carries a prominent "W" on the front, beneath the left headlight. The grille was altered and the headlights made larger yet in 1973, with the "W" replaced by a "Minicab" script. For 1975 the Minicab received an emissions cleaned engine using Mitsubishi MCA technology, still with 28 PS (21 kW).
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