#TodayILearned that the “bemo” autorickshaw, a three-wheeled, motorized public transport vehicle popular in #Indonesia since the 1960s, were actually *two* different vehicles.
The first is a derivative of a Daihatsu Midget, a three-wheeled Japanese Kei car driven by a two-stroke 250 cc engine. This was a super popular model, also used for the ubiquitous “tuk-tuk” in the Phillipines. In Indonesia, the vehicle was modified to have a pair of longitudinal bench seats and a canopy for passengers over the rear cargo area.
The second is actually a trike built on the Piaggio Vespa 150 scooter, with its rear end completely replaced with a passenger compartment.
Both vehicles (as well as the later ill-fated 4-stroke Renault variant) were made by #Bajaj Auto, an Indian manufacturer of tiny public transport vehicles, which is still going strong today.
Photo 1: Daihatsu Migdet. From: https://otomotif.kompas.com/image/2023/11/24/070200215/mengenal-sejarah-bemo-di-indonesia-berasal-dari-daihatsu-midget?page=2
Photo 2: Vespa-based Bajaj trikes. From: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jakarta_Indonesia_Bajaj-in-Glodok-01.jpg
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