The Yamada Rhythm is a 2+2 sports coupe initially released in 1977. The second generation debuted in 1982 for the Japanese market, with the rest of the world receiving it the following year.
A departure from the first generation, the second generation Rhythm moved towards a more boxier but slimmer design. Riding on an all-new platform with a state of the art independent suspension system, the new generation of Yamada sports coupe was designed to help further bolster their position as not only a manufacturer of reliable everyday cars, but that of high-performance vehicles too.
In 1985, alongside a new fuel injected engine, the Rhythm would receive a convertible variant, sold by Yamada themselves as a “factory” car. Initially conversions performed by a well-known North American auto shop, it later moved to serial production as a separate variant of the Rhythm. There was no specific name for the convertible variant, although some have coined the terms “roofless”, “topless”, or “Breeze Roof”.
For 1987, Yamada would introduce the Rhythm Milan, a more luxury oriented trim inspired by the old style of grand tourers. It featured a bored-up Japanese-spec fuel injected engine, going from 2.0 litres to 2.1, but still retaining the 160 PS rating from the factory. The Milan was available with numerous state of the art technologies that were a preview of items that would be available later in Yamada’s more premium offerings, notably items such as the Digital Information Display system which was the precursor to the system found on the 1988 Sendo GT. Other amenities included the Yamadamatic 4-speed intelligent automatic transmission, an upgrade in body rigidity, leather upholstery, and wood lining around the interior to name a few.
The Rhythm would conclude production in 2002 after spanning five generations, with Yamada citing declining sales and a new company direction as they shifted their business strategy to be geared more towards MPVs and crossovers. The second generation ended production in 1988, with the third generation being introduced that same year.