Left to right: Popas Rushba 1500-4S II @Mikonp7, Mara Irena 1.3 SK @AndiD, Anhultz 1000 R3 @Elizipeazie, Suma M311 Selecta @Banana_Soule, Anhultz 1000 R3 Comfort, Stellar Saloon, Stellar Trekker @donutsnail, Suma M311 Sintapa, Suma M311 Sheriff, Kamaka Destiny 1800 Sedan @LS_Swapped_Rx-7, Niichi Kinema K10 Standard @MisterRocketMan, Mitsushita Kuruan 2000 GX @conan, Swanson 217BF @Ludvig
Larger than city cars, family cars promise to offer more space for passengers and cargo alike. Their larger size should allow for longer distance travel in at least some comfort. More utilitarian cars are ideal as daily drivers for the common folk as well as for family vacations, while the most expensive side of the segment caters to the opulent tastes of the rich. This is a wide segment with a lot of cars to choose from. In this first part we will look at the cheaper side of the segment.
First on the market - perhaps unsurprisingly - were the Anhultz 1000 R3 and R3 Comfort. These were basically updated and reworked versions of the R2 offered since 1952, itself an updated version of the R1 that saw daylight in 1946. Needless to say, it is a little dated. It’s four-corner independent suspension once might’ve seemed forward-thinking, now it was simply the norm in this segment. Its looks were also barely updated. As such, it fell into the same trap as the Knighwick: it was well-suited to the older generation hunkering for the “good old days” when the economy wasn’t just this bad… but the younger generation wanted something fresh, something forward looking, something exuding optimism. That said, both the Anhulz cars were well priced and their upkeep was cheap - cheaper than most city cars even. They didn’t have many creature comforts; both had a basic interior, and the Comfort model added a basic radio, but that was about it for the five potential occupants of the car. Comfort was barely acceptable, the cars weren’t overly easy to drive, and they were slow. Here, you definitely got what you paid for. So it was mostly picked up by pensioners who could not afford a Knightwick, or absolutely needed the full rear bench.
The other two cars in this segment in 1955 were the Stellar Saloon and Stellar Trekker. Priced just a hair higher than the Anhultz cars, they were still pretty cheap - cheaper still than the Knightwick Dragonfly in any case. With a fresher look than the Anhultz, the Stellar cars captured the younger generation’s attention better. Especially the two-tone paint job on the side of the car appealed to many. So, these two cars were priced almost identically, had the same standard/basic radio interior with 2/3 seating, same engine, nearly the same comfort and drivability… so where was the difference? Well, the Trekker was an offroad version. It featured a ridiculously high lifted suspension and offroad tires, but surprisingly no offroad skid tray to round out its capabilities. It had better offroad capability than the Saloon model to be sure, but it fell long behind cars that fully embraced the offroad lifestyle - so it was considered a half-hearted attempt that fell a little flat. The Saloon however did manage to hit the nail on the head, so to speak. For its price it was relatively capable, relatively comfortable, relatively roomy compared to city cars, had a fresh look, and the OHC engine even left something to talk about amongst techie-youngsters (who mostly tried to pretend or ignore the fact that it had a ladder frame). So initially the Stellar Saloon proved to be a moderate success.
Released in 1956, the Swanson 217BF entered the market with great fanfare as the first ‘hatchback’ of the era; although that is a bit of loose terminology used for advertising purposes. This car too had an older appearance, but had modern engineering under the skin with a monocoque chassis, full independent suspension, and a boxer engine with DaOHC head. The rear of the car even looked a little retro-modern in this era, but that then didn’t really carry to the front. In any case, in terms of looks it was a little bit of an oddball that people either loved or hated. In any case, this was a relatively expensive car, bordering on the ‘premium’ segment. Yet, it only has a basic interior and basic radio, which is well below par for this price range. Comfort was well below the Stellars, and much below the slightly more expensive lower end of the premium segment. So overall, it simply didn’t offer enough for its nearly premium price tag - something it could’ve perhaps overcome if it had the looks, but most people were swayed more by the forward-thinking looks of the Stellar.
After a brief drought in the segment, five new cars were introduced in 1960. First up is the Popas Rushba 1500-4S II. Perhaps a bit of a mouthful, but where the company spent its money in lettering, it saved somewhere else because this was the cheapest family car on offer during this entire era. Well… cheap to buy that is. Upkeep is a whole other story. A story that best fit a ‘premium’ car, not a cheap, basic family sedan. So in the given state of the economy, it might have been able to fool some early buyers into a purchase, and the cheap purchase price might even have made them overlook the paltry comfort of the car or its dismal drivability… yes, for those who just needed a cheap family car now, they bought a Popas. Only to regret it shortly thereafter when they were again driving to the pump or an oil change.
The three Suma M311 siblings took to the market in the same year. The three trims were the Selecta - the base trim with a smaller engine that slotted nicely between the two Anhultz cars, the Sintapa with its slightly larger engine and detachable top, and the Sheriff also with the larger engine and a bit more offroad-oriented set-up. All cars have a locking differential, but only the Sheriff gets an offroad skid tray and all-terrain tires. These car’s chassis is also a bit of an anomaly in this segment: they have a light truck monocoque chassis, which is a bit of an odd choice. Are these meant to be light trucks? Or offroaders with their locking diffs? Or simple family sedans? Whatever they were mean to be, they were a bit of an oddity in many ways. At least their looks were appealing - fairly modern and pleasing to the eye. As for their other characteristics, they were all three hard to drive only ‘beaten’ (if that is the right word here) by the Popsas in terms of how difficult they were to handle. They were not particularly economic in the long run either. The Selecta and Sintapa were slightly better off-road than most others in this segment, so they did have a use in the more remote areas of the country, but they were not that popular in the better developed areas. The Sheriff, however, had very decent off-road capability indeed, and basically became the competitor of the Popas Rushba 1500-5S-4 II for those who wanted an off-roady sedan rather than a wagon.
The last entry to the market in 1960 was the Niichi Kinema K10 Standard. This was another relatively modern looking car, although a little more bland than the Stellars, despite being priced quite a bit higher. But for this price you did get a nice monocoque chassis, full independent suspension, and a standard interior. Of note is also the class-exclusive aluminium head engine (albeing only a push-rod design). But alu heads were only seen on the KHI cars thus far, and overall were quite rare still. So if you had one of these cars, there was plenty to talk about at the water cooler. But did you want to get one of these? Well, priced between the Suma and Swanson, both in terms of upfront cost and long-term upkeep, it did have better comfort than either, but not quite as good as the Stellar cars. In terms of capability and drivability it was decent. Maybe not quite as nimble as some of its rivals, but it was certainly fast in a straight line. Indeed, in 1960 this was the cheapest way to get yourself over 140 km/h (unless you bought a train ticket for the new super-speed passenger train between Lerance and Storia, of course). So overall the Niichi was not an overwhelming success, but due to its strong points and bragging rights, it did sell in decent numbers for one year - especially among young who could not afford a sports car, but wanted that outright top speed. Its only rival in that regard was the Tabi 1500S, but for any young person thinking about eventually establishing a family, the Niichi was more future proof.
Introduced in 1962, the Kamaka Destiny 1800 Sedan slotted in-between the Suma cars and the Niichi. It also had nice modern styling and an interesting forward-looking safety feature: a third center brake light! Its engineering was a little more traditional though, with a ladder chassis and solid rear axle. Combined with a standard/standard interior, its 2/3 seating was not overly comfortable. It was pretty decent to drive, however, and oh boy was it sporty! It immediately let you know too with a nice rumble from its tubular headers. And it simply blew by the Niichi with its top speed in excess of 157 km/h! Yes, it could be said that this was the only true budget-friendly sports-family-sedan on the market. As such, it quickly displaced the enthusiasm for the Niichi. Especially the new-found optimism as the economy started to turn around, the Kamaka seems to have entered the market at the right time and found a new niche to fill. So sales were pretty strong as it took significant market share of away from the Niichi and Resuki both. It could never compete with the true sports cars of course, but for those with a family who still wanted a little excitement, this was their car.
Also introduced in 1962 was the Mitsushita Kuruan 2000 GX. This entry slotted in between the Niichi and Swanson in many ways. It had a galvanized monocoque chassis (step up from the Niichi), fully independent suspension that wasn’t quite as nice as the Swanson’s, a fully standard/standard interior (nicer than the Swanson)… the list goes on. Where the Mitsushita had bragging rights was the front disk brakes, a class first. Interestingly, in terms of statistics, it was almost identical to the Niichi. They had an identical 0-100 time of 16.63 s (yes, to the 100th of a second!), the top speed was just 2 km/h apart (141 vs 143 km/h), they had basically the same comfort, drivability, practicality… everything. But the Mitsushita did look more refined, better fitting its slightly higher price tag. So it could be said that the entry of the Kamaka killed the Niichi, the Mitsushita finished it off… because anyone who didn’t want the crazy performance of the Kamaka, but wanted something slightly more comfortable, got a Mitsushita instead. It was a tight market indeed in the upper standard-family segment!
Last to be introduced, in 1963, was the Mara Irena 1.3 SK. The Mara completely avoided the ongoing battle in the upper echelon of the ‘standard family’ segment, and went for the jugular of the lower tier. It slotted in just above the Popas, but below the Anhultz 1000 R3. So it was cheap to buy. Not quite as cheap to maintain, but cheap to buy. It was relatively modern in this lower end of the segment with a monocoque chassis, and did have a standard interior with standard radio, which was a step-up for anyone on this (cheap) side of the segment. Given its price point, it was still a pretty capable car that could reach highway speeds today rather than tomorrow, had decent comfort (compared to its nearest rivals that is), was easy to drive (again, compared to its nearest rivals)… So overall, not a bad car. Its looks were rather bland, but modern enough, which suited buyers just fine. Given the slow upturn in the economy, the people who were without any transportation in the last few years were clawing themselves out of complete destitution, and the Mara was one of the newer offerings they could turn to for their first car. As such, it became a bit of a symbol among people who had nothing, but were beginning to have something, and sales slowly picked up as the economy improved and people emerged from the gutters.
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