Hope Motor Company


Hope Motor Company was a Japanese car company bought by Suzuki in 1968. In December 1967, they released the HopeStar ON360, which in Japanese is called sanrin " or "three wheels", with a Mitsubishi 360-cc two-stroke, straight-two ME24 engine producing 21 bhp. The ON360 had a four-wheel drive layout. While 100 engines were purchased from Mitsubishi, most sources state that only 15 ONs were finished, all in 1968.

HopeStar ON360

The HopeStar ON360 was originally developed in 1967 and was available from April 1968. It used a Mitsubishi air-cooled two-stroke ME24 engine, which produced. The rear axle was sourced from the Mitsubishi Colt 1000 and wheels were sourced from the Mitsubishi Jeep. It was a very basic two-seater vehicle with no doors, but a sturdy four-wheel drive system allowed it to go off-road. Top speed was, 30 km/h in 4WD mode. The company sold very few ON360s, possibly as few as 15, although 100 ME24 engines were purchased. Hope sold the design to Suzuki, as the Suzuki Jimny, in 1968, after Mitsubishi declined to take over production.

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