Aichi Cony Guppy

The Cony Guppy is a compact pickup truck built by Aichi. It featured suicide doors, small circular brake lights, and rotating amber beacons mounted on the B-pillars.

Positioned behind the seats was a 199 cc single-cylinder, two-valve engine producing 11 horsepower (8.2 kW), giving the little truck a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h). It takes 22 seconds to cover 200 meters from a standstill.

Aichi claimed the Guppy has a fuel consumption of about 50 km/L and carries up to 100 kilograms (220 lb) of cargo.

Priced at just ¥225,000, it appealed to small business owners and light-duty transport operators. Other notable features included four-wheel independent suspension and a torque converter that allowed clutchless driving.

In the end, despite the appealing concept, the vehicle was not suited to Japan’s rough roads and was clearly underpowered. Production targets were never met, and it was discontinued in 1963.

In 1965, Nissan donated 100 Guppy-based vehicles to the Kodomo no Kuni Children’s Park in Hazu, Aichi. Production of the Guppy had already ended by then, but Nissan assembled these cars—named the Datsun Baby—using leftover Aichi parts after gradually taking over the company.

Mechanically, they were unchanged apart from a speed limiter that capped top speed at 30 km/h (18.6 mph), and they wore unique bodywork.

1962 Aichi Cony Guppy Sports

A special Guppy Sports version was built in 1962 by a Cony Giant dealer for promotional purposes.

The spider-style body made it resemble even more the fish it was named after.

It is unclear whether more than one was produced. A red example is preserved at the Toyota Automobile Museum.

1963 Aichi Cony Super Guppy

An improved version, the Super Guppy, attempted to boost sales but was no more successful.

Slightly longer, it featured door windows equipped with deflectors.