Tomica Limited Vintage Mitsubishi PET Leo
The Mitsubishi Mizushima is the first of a series of three wheeled cargo carriers made in Japan by Mitsubishi between 1946 and 1962. It was a mechanically simple and rugged vehicle, with a 400 kg carrying capacity, and was equipped with a folding canvas covering and a windshield to protect the occupants. Along with the Silver Pigeon scooter it represented the company’s first contributions to the Japanese post-war personal transport boom.
Later models would be introduced offering greater load-bearing abilities and a wider variety of bodystyles. The 1948–50 TM3D model was built with a hardtop passenger cabin in response to customer demands, while the Mizushima’s successor, the TM18 Mitsubishi Go pickup introduced in 1955, could carry up to two tons in its cargo bed. The 1959 Mitsubishi Leo, heavily influenced by the Mizushima, was a transition between the company’s first post-war vehicles and the Mitsubishi Minica, which represented the company’s future in the 1960s. Almost four decades later, Olivier Boulay would borrow heavily from the Leo for styling cues for his first prototypes when he became Mitsubishi Motors’ design chief in 2001.
During the Mizushima’s life approximately 90,000 were produced, before it was replaced by the Mitsubishi Minicab in 1962.
Compare the die-cast model’s details with this real vehicle, it’s really amazing.
(The article and photo of Mitsubishi PET Leo taken from Wikipedia)
