1997 Daihatsu ‘Aerodown’ Custom Van is an (Almost) Life-Size Hot Wheels Car
Kei-class microvans are wonderfully quirky vehicles. Even regular ones look like little toys. But when Daihatsu added an āAerodownā custom package to its Move van, it might have created the closest thing to a life-size Hot Wheels car on the road today. Best of all, one of these is available.
The Kei van is a subcompact vehicle you can buy in the Japanese market. Alongside its Kei-class mini truck cousins, it is becoming very popular to import to the U.S. Daihatsuās Kei van model is the Move. The marketing team decided to offer its turbocharged I3 engine (which makes 63 horsepower) along with a custom aero package. The resulting āAerodownā van has a ground effects and, get this, a spoiler! So cool.
Thereās one currently up for auction on Cars & Bids (pictured), and itās quite the spec. The van has a black metallic wrap and an interior color listed as āConfetti.ā Look at the picture below and youāll get it. It also has some great modifications for drivability, namely a new Sony touchscreen head unit with Bluetooth connectivity AND a microphone above the driver. This also happens to be an automatic, unlike many micro vans.
One downside of this specific van is that it seems to have had a bumper swap. The bumper was cracked and sits a bit misaligned. It is also the stock silver, while the rest of the van has that black wrap. But I think the two-tone look suits its quirkiness. It is also a FWD, while some Moves were offered as AWD. So this isnāt a great candidate for gnarly off-roading.
Two fantastic features of this van are its mileage (Just 68k) and the fact that itās already been imported. It is in Virginia and has a clean Virginia title. So, if your state allows Kei-class vehicles on the road (worth double-checking), registration will be easy. It is also offered with a pre-sale inspection and list of all known flaws.
Some Kei class vans have a third row of seating, for a whopping total of six seatbelts. This one appears to be limited to four seatbelts. So if you are looking for a minivan, this micro van might not be the best choice. But if you want a quirky ride sure to draw a crowd at the next Cars & Coffee or RADwood meet, this RHD van might be perfect for you.
Next, see a Daihatsu mini truck that might be the worldās smallest, or see a Move Aerodown Custom reviewed in the video below: