Monty217 - Solved: 1957 Yanase YX360

[kwgibbs]

is it anything to do with agriculture?

[el_monty]

No. The company has always been involved in the automotive sector, but mostly in other ways rather than car production. They have only built a handful of cars throughout their history.

[mekubb]

Nippon ?

[el_monty]

The name is not, nor does it contain, the word Nippon.

[kwgibbs]

the car looks around the early 1960s?

[el_monty]

It's from earlier than the early 1960s.

[kwgibbs]

1952?

[el_monty]

Later than 1952

[kwgibbs]

1956?

[el_monty]

Just a bit later than that.

[tobytwirl]

I think it is a Yanase YX360, with a 2-cylinder 360cc engine, from 1957.

[el_monty]

Sorry kwgibbs after all your work, but tobytwirl got it! 

Yanase, founded in 1915, is the exclusive importer in Japan of many Western marques, such as Mercedes, BMW, VW, Volvo, Cadillac, Chrysler, etc. At different points in their history they have also built a few vehicles of their own, such as the VW-based Yanase YX1200 of 1964 (https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2009-37/q380-solved-1964-yanase-yx-1200). This kei car is earlier, but only this prototype was built, using the engine from a Marusho Lilac motorcycle.

[el_monty]

Sorry, wrong folder.

[kwgibbs]

no problem :)its funny I almost said yanase but went with something different,

[Allemano]

Interisting car!

There's a pic on the internet on which this car is captioned Yanase YX-3 not YX 360

[el_monty]

I initially found a smaller version of the puzzle picture and the name on Yanase's own website (see below), though I later found a larger version (which is the one I posted) in a tweet from some random Japanese Twitter user. I also include a rear view that was posted in the same tweet.