October 1: Too cute for wheels!

Too cute for wheels? Wheels, words, get it? Gawd, how I hate cute phrases like this and it makes me cringe to use it as the title of this week's blog, but boy does it fit. A couple of weeks back, I wrote about the Japanese kei little, miniscular mini-van (you get the picture?) parked across the street from our home. Now here is another one from that island nation, the Suzuki Sambar.........

No, I haven't seen one of these in TO, but in my kei research, I came across this van from Suzuki, which has acquired a second, third, fourth and maybe even more life as something else. What's that you say? Here's the deal......a Japanese company called Modest Cars (I love companies that are humble) has taken this cuddly little model and given it several new lives as an ersatz something else. Ok, I can see that you are confused, so let's cut to the chase with a few worth-a-1000 words pictures.........

Modest Cars does conversions. They've taken the "wheely" cute Sambar and with the addition of a few new body panels, converted it into a VW look-a-like. And who doesn't like the look of the old Vdub microbus? Missing the roof's small side windows, but hey, who cares, since the vibe is bang on. This conversion could even fool Stevie Wonder.

Not content to sell a make believe VW, Modest cars has also reached deep into the old Soviet vehicles archives and pulled out a tough as nails Gaz van..........

Why they have done this, I've no idea. Does this old Iron Curtain mobile tug at the heartstrings of the Japanese? Good question and I can't answer it for my loyal readers. 

Another old favorite (really?) is this corrugated van from Citroen............

..........now rejuvenated as a Modest Cars conversion, shown here on the upper left along with a sampling of their other works of transformation..............

Has to be seen to be believed, eh? Who would have thought that a mundane smaller than small van would lend itself to these multiple new personalities. By the way, note the "X" on the pink VW knock off. Think some astute German law firm might have sent them a cease and desist letter, when they saw the actual VW logo appear on the earlier conversions?

And lest you think that these are mere toys, Modest Cars has run the ad below.......

Good to know that they take their Sambar conversions seriously.

Want a VW knock off? A Soviet history lesson? A French confection? Or something resembling a refugee from the '70's custom van culture? Look no further than these half scale mini's from Modest Car. Be the first on your block or in your city or province or country. Wheely cute classic rides for cheap.

Until next time.......