YOSHIDA MOTOR COMPANY
"Drive Your Soul"
Yoshida Motor Co. was founded in Osaka, Japan in 1945 during the U.S. occupation. Yoshida produced military vehicles under contract for the U.S. military. After the conclusion of the occupation, the contract ended and Yoshida began to produce passenger vehicles. Their first vehicle would be the Alpinist SUV, derived from the military vehicles they had been producing.
Released in 1952, the Zenith sedan proved popular in Japan but had limited success in the United States. In 1958, Yoshida released the Calyx compact sedan. Although failing to capture the interests of land barge buyers, it proved popular with lower income families and those concerned with fuel efficiency. Also releasing the small Zephyr sports car in 1965, the vehicle failed to compete with high power muscle cars. Yoshida had planned to pull out of the U.S. market until the fuel crisis of the 1970s.
With fuel prices on the rise and land barges and muscle cars no longer being practical to own, Yoshida had found its niche in the U.S. market. Americans were buying Yoshida's small Calyx in droves. The then newly released Zephyr YTD (tuned by YTD, or Yoshida Tuning Division) proved to be popular with performance car lovers with its high-output 2.0L I6 engine and nimble handling. With their newfound success, Yoshida would proceed to greatly expand their company during the 80s.
In the 80s, Yoshida began to expand their lineup in order to overtake domestic manufacturers. Their lineup now included the compact Starling hatchback, midsize Dynasty sedan and full-size Nazareth sedan. In 1985, Yoshida introduced the Eurus, a new performance car to be above the Zephyr. In 1990, Yoshida released the S-GT, which aimed to be their top performance car and a platform to experiment with new technologies. In 1985, they released the Starling YTD, a high performance version of their hatchback. It proved popular with those who wanted practicality and fun in their cars. With performance now at the forefront of the company, it began to introduce performance DNA into its sedan lineup starting in the 90s.
Yoshida had decided to expand their YTD lineup in the 90s, using technology from their performance vehicles. 1995 saw the release of the Calyx YTD, with a high output four cylinder engine and a custom made aero kit. Yoshida invested a large sum of money and time into research and development for manufacturing processes and performance technology, aiming to reduce the cost barrier to high-performance motoring. In 2000, the culmination of this saw the release of the Dynasty YTD.
The Dynasty YTD was Yoshida's most advanced performance car yet. Building off of their Dynasty midsize sedan, Yoshida equipped it with SuperTrac AWD due to the FWD nature of the original vehicle. The dual MacPherson struts were modified to be advanced adaptive air suspension, able to adjust to any road condition. The engine was a heavily modified, twin-turbo V6 sourced from the top trim model. It managed to make over 400 HP. The car had high sales success with its $30000 pricetag ($45000 today), able to outrun and outhandle its competitors. The YTD line would be expanded upon until 2008, with the recession making fuel thirsty cars unpopular.
2018 saw the return of the YTD line. All YTD vehicles were to be equipped with an updated version of SuperTrac AWD and high-output engines. First it began with the Nazareth YTD in 2018, the Dynasty YTD shooting brake in 2019, and the Starling YTD in 2020. Although Yoshida's passenger cars remain popular, its brand image has long been one of affordable performance. This strategy has proven successful to Yoshida, managing to satisfy both the commuter and enthusiast market. Today Yoshida continues to produce both normal and performance cars. Their only SUV on offer is the Alpinist, tracing its legacy to the origins of the company. To capture the CUV market, Yoshida offers a shooting brake version of the Dynasty sedan and the Starling hatchback, stating that they offer the practicality of a CUV with superior performance. Starting in 2020, Yoshida has included their AI-powered S-IQ safety system with all cars standard.
Current Lineup
Standard Lineup
Starling Hatchback
Calyx Compact Sedan
Dynasty Midsize Sedan
Dynasty Shooting Brake
Nazareth Full-Size Sedan
Alpinist Full-Size SUV
Performance Lineup
Zephyr Sports Coupe
Runabout Sports Coupe (Soft-Top Convertible Optional)
Eurus Sports Coupe
S-GT Supercar
YTD Lineup
Starling YTD Hatchback
Dynasty YTD Shooting Brake
Nazareth YTD Sedan
HATTORI
"Perfection Through Precision"
Hattori is the luxury marque of Yoshida Motor Co., founded in 1988. The aim was to conquer the luxury car market by offering a vehicle more advanced, more luxurious, and less expensive than the American and German competition. Hattori was given plenty of liberty from Yoshida Motor Co., including funding to develop its own exclusive platforms and designs. Hattori's Excelsior luxury sedan changed the game with its 1988 release, with many of those who owned American and German luxury cars coming in to trade in their vehicles for a Hattori.
Hattori expanded their lineup in 1995 to appeal to more luxury car buyers, adding the FWD Tridom and RWD Elysium midsize sedans to their offerings. In 2000, the compact Cyon sedan was also included. In 2016, the Shogun coupe was introduced and in 2018, the new flagship Emperor coupe.
Hattori introduced their TC (standing for Tsukuba Circuit) spec vehicles in 2006, with the Cyon TC. TC spec vehicles employ the latest in high-performance technologies and powerful V8 engines, designed to conquer any track and set unbeatable lap times.
All Hattori vehicles are crafted in Japan. Hattori employs the skill of master craftsmen and advanced technologies to ensure the tightest tolerances in the car industry. Automated processes are developed using the techniques of Hattori's craftsmen to produce superior results.
To get even more buyers to make the switch, Hattori offers extensive owner benefits. This includes discounts to certain events and hotels, complementary first and second services and the H-Sync app that connects to an H-Sync enabled Hattori vehicle.
