The Big Car Database

Hino

Hino Motors, Ltd. (日野自動車株式会社, Hino Jidōsha), commonly known as simply Hino, is a Japanese manufacturer of commercial vehicles and diesel engines (including for trucks, buses and other vehicles) headquartered in Hino-shi, Tokyo.

The company is a leading producer of medium and heavy-duty diesel trucks in Asia.

Hino Motors is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation and one of 16 major companies of the Toyota Group.

Type

 Public
Traded as TYO: 7205
Industry Automotive
Founded May 1, 1942
Headquarters Hino-shi, Tokyo, Japan

Area served

 Worldwide

Key people

 Masakazu Ichikawa,Chairman
Yasuhiko Ichihashi,President and CEO
Hiroshi Kajikawa, Managing Director
Products Trucks and buses
Parent Toyota (50.1%)
Website Hino.com

History

The company traces its roots back to the founding of Tokyo Gas Industry Company in 1910. In 1910 Chiyoda Gas Co. was established and competed fiercely against incumbent Tokyo Gas Company fighting for gas lighting users. Tokyo Gas Industry was a parts supplier for Chiyoda Gas but it was defeated and merged into Tokyo Gas in 1912. Losing its largest client, Tokyo Gas Industry Co. broadened their product line including electronic parts, and renamed itself as Tokyo Gas and Electric Industry(東京瓦斯電気工業), TG&E and was often abbreviated as Gasuden. It produced its first motor vehicle in 1917, the Model TGE "A-Type" truck. In 1937, TG&E merged its automobile division with that of Automobile Industry Co., Ltd. and Kyodo Kokusan K.K., to form Tokyo Automobile Industry Co., Ltd., with TG&E as a shareholder. Four years later, the company changed its name to Diesel Motor Industry Co., Ltd., which would eventually become Isuzu Motors Limited.

The following year (1942), the new entity of Hino Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. spun itself out from Diesel Motor Industry Co., Ltd., and the Hino name was born. During World War II, Hino manufactured Type 1 Ho-Ha half-track and Type 1 Ho-Ki armored personnel carrierfor the Imperial Japanese Army. Following the end of World War II, the company had to stop producing large diesel engines for marine applications, and with the signing of the treaty, the company dropped the "Heavy" from its name and formally concentrated on the heavy-duty trailer-trucks, buses and diesel engines markets, as Hino Industry Co., Ltd. The company took its name from the location of its headquarters in Hino (日野市 Hino-shi?) city within Tokyo prefecture.

To sharpen its marketing focus to customers, in 1948, the company added the name "Diesel" to become Hino Diesel Industry Co., Ltd. In 1950 the heavy-duty TH10 was introduced, equipped with the all-new 7-liter DS10 diesel engine. An eight-tonner, this was considerably larger than existing Japanese trucks which had rarely been built for more than 6,000 kg (13,230 lb) payload.

In 1953, Hino entered the private car market, by manufacturing Renaults under licence, and in 1961 it started building its own Contessa 900 sedan with an 893cc rear-mounted engine, and a pickup truck called the Hino Briska with the Contessa engine slightly enlarged and installed in the front with rear wheel drive. The Italian stylistGiovanni Michelotti redesigned the Contessa line in 1964 with a 1300 cc rear-mounted engine. Fed by two SU type carburettors, this developed 60 hp (44 kW) in the sedan and 70 hp (51 kW) in the coupé version. However, Hino ceased private car production very quickly in 1967 after joining the Toyota group. In 1963, the Hamura factory began operations, and focused entirely on commercial truck and bus manufacture.

Hino Trucks have also been assembled in Portugal and in Canada.

Canada

Hino has been marketing trucks in Canada since the 1970s. Hino Motors Canada Ltd., is the exclusive distributor of Hino products in Canada, and is part of the Toyota Group of Companies, with head office and Parts Distribution Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. In May 2006, Hino opened a new 12,300 m2 (132,000 sq ft) assembly plant inWoodstock, Ontario, employing at first 45 (grown since to more than 70) and with an annual capacity of 2,400 trucks. It began assembly of Class 4 and 5 trucks in 2006 and continued to do so until 2010. Since then, it has been building only Class 6 and 7 trucks.

Colombia

Hino Motors Manufacturing Colombia (HMMC) is a partnership between the Mitsui group and the Colombia manager for the Hino Brand, PRACO-Didacol S.A.. The partnership assembles medium and heavy trucks, destined mainly to the export market for the Andinean and Central American countries. The factory was opened on 9 October 2007 in Cota, a municipality near the capital city of Bogotá. From this facility, the FCJ and Hino Dutro (300, 500 & 900 series) trucks are assembled. The Mitsui-Keiretsu is the principal shareholder and owner of this factory. The plant produced the 1000th unit in July 2009. The 20,000th truck was finished on 14 May 2014.

Ireland

Hino Trucks have been assembled in The Republic of Ireland since 1968 by J Harris on the Naas/Nangor Roads, Dublin.

Israel

MexicoHino Motors signed a 10-year assembly agreement with Kaiser-Illin Industries of Haifa, Israel, in 1963. Assembly of the Contessa 900 started in 1964. Later, Briska 900 and 1300 and the Contessa 1300 sedan were assembled in Haifa as well. During the years 1964-1965, Israel was Hino's second most important market for its Contessas. Israel exports amounted to ~10% of total Contessa production. After it was purchased by Toyota, the contract was terminated and the very last Israeli Contessas rolled off the assembly line in March 1968. In total, over 8,000 Hino Contessa and Briska were assembled in Israel.

In mid 2008, Hino Motors was said to be building a new truck assembly facility in Guanajuato, Mexico, serving international deliveries. The facility was reportedly built in an 80:20 partnership with Japanese trading firm Mitsui, opening in 2009 and with a production capacity for 1,200 of the Hino 500 series trucks per year.

Pakistan

Hinopak Motors manufactures and markets diesel trucks and buses in Pakistan. Hinopak Motors has gained 70% market share making it the largest manufacturer in medium and heavy-duty truck and bus industry in Pakistan. Hinopak Motors Head Office is located in S.I.T.E Industrial Area, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.Hinopak Motors was formed in 1985 by a diverse group of sponsors. These included Hino Motors Limited, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Al-Futtaim Group and PACO. In 1998, Hino Motors, and Toyota Tsusho Corporation obtained majority shareholding in the company after disinvestments by the other two founding sponsors.

United States

Trucks and busesIn the United States, Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc. assembles medium-duty trucks at its Williamstown, West Virginia, plant. Its manufacturing facilities in Ontario, California, and Marion, Arkansas, produce axles, knuckles, and suspension components for Toyota's Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia models. Hino's Parts Distribution Center inMira Loma, California, supplies Latin American and Caribbean distributors with genuine Hino service parts. The 18,000 m2 (194,000 sq ft) assembly plant in Williamstown, West Virginia, assembles Class 6-7 Hino trucks at an annual capacity of 10,000 units. The plant was opened in November 2007 and employs about 200. The plant in Long Beach, California, was closed in 2007 and its production was transferred to the West Virginia facility. Production in West Virginia began with Class 4-7 trucks but the Class 4-5 products were dropped after 2010 model year and the plant now focuses on Class 6-7 products. Opened in 2016, Hino operates a distribution center in Gahanna Ohio. It occupies a former Petsmart distribution center on Taylor Road.

Trucks

  • Hino TH-series: a heavy duty bonneted truck, sold from 1950 until discontinued in favor of cab-over trucks in 1968.
  • Ford N Series trucks (sold 1980-1998 in Oceania) These were badge-engineered Hino Ranger models.
  • Profia (previously Super Dolphin Profia), sold as Hino 700 for export: heavy duty truck
  • Bonneted medium truck (for North America): coded Hino 600.
  • Dutro: light truck, hybrid vehicle version available, sold as Hino 300.
  • Ranger 2 FA, FB, FC: light trucks replaced by Dutro.
  • Ranger: also sold as Hino 500, medium to heavy truck
    • The Ranger KL was first introduced in 1969
    • The 2nd generation was launched in 1980
    • The 3rd generation of 1989 is called Rising Ranger and Cruising Ranger.
    • The latest 4th generation (Ranger Pro) came in 2002, Hybrid vehicle version available.
The first generation Ranger KL spawned into KM, KR, and other variants. In Australia.
  • 155 Class 4: light duty truck

Hino also sells the European truck Scania R 420 in Japan, into an agreement with the Swedish brand.

United States

USA only conventional/bonneted trucks Hino 600:

  • 145 Class 4: medium duty truck (discontinued)
  • 165 Class 4: medium duty truck (discontinued)
  • 185 Class 5: medium duty truck (discontinued)
  • 238 Class 6: medium duty truck
  • 258 Class 6: medium duty truck
  • 268 Class 6: medium duty truck
  • 338 Class 7: heavy duty truck
  • 358 Class 7: heavy duty truck

Buses

  • Poncho: Non-step light bus
  • Liesse & Liesse II: light bus
    • The Liesse II is a rebadged Toyota Coaster.
  • Blue Ribbon & Blue Ribbon II: city bus
    • The Blue Ribbon II is a rebadged Isuzu Erga.
  • Rainbow & Rainbow II: medium bus
    • The Rainbow II is a rebadged Isuzu Erga Mio.
  • Melpha: medium bus
  • S'elega: luxury bus
    • The new model is offered as High Decker and Super High Decker.
  • Front-engine chassis (FB, FC, XZU): light bus
  • Front-engine chassis (AK, FF, FG): big bus
  • Mid-engine chassis (BG, BX, CG, CM): big bus
  • Rear-engine chassis (RC, RF, RG, RM, RK, RU, RV, RN, HT): big bus
  • Front-engine Type C school bus chassis (Hino 338): Used in the production of the Starcraft Guardian

Cars

  • Hino Renault 4CV, built under license
  • Contessa, passenger car built in 1960s
  • Toyota FJ Cruiser, SUV built for Toyota, 2006-2016

Affiliates/subsidiaries

  • Hino Motors Canada, Ltd.—see Toyota Canada
  • Hino Motors Sales U.S.A.
  • Hino Motors Manufacturing Colombia
  • Harris Hino, Ireland
  • Hinopak Motors, Pakistan
  • Hino Motors Philippines Corporation (Pilipinas Hino, Incorporated), Philippines
  • Samco (Vietnam)
  • Indomobil (Indonesia)
  • Audi Motor Assembly, Japan (a former joint-venture with Audi)
  • Hino Motors Manufacturing USA
  • Hino Motors Manufacturing (Thailand) Ltd.
  • Hino Motors Sales (Thailand)Co.,Ltd.

Motorsport

"Team Samurai" entered a Contessa in the Trans Am Series in 1966 at the race at Riverside International Raceway. After being retired due to a collision, the team withdrew from the series.

Hino has competed in the Dakar Rally since 1991 with a Ranger FT 4WD truck driven by the Japanese rally driver, Yoshimasa Sugawara. Hino has always finished in the Top 10 in the Camion Category, and 1-2-3 overall in the 1997 event.