When one thinks of Yamaha, images of outboard motors, keyboards and scooters are conjured up. But one area in which the Japanese firm has never seen success is that of the car.
Not that it hasn't tried before: it has, twice.
The company says that its third attempt will take the form of a city car – and it may be here by 2019.
Industry observers and analysts have been making sceptical noises about the announcement, largely because the market for small urban cars is already very crowded – and is set to become more so.
But Yamaha is anything if not eclectic in its range of business interests; it even has a swimming pool division. And with its existing mastery of motorbikes, jet skis, unmanned helicopters and outboard motors, moving from two to four wheels is not such a huge leap.
One of Yamaha's most memorable previous attempts at an automobile was the Yamaha OX99-11, which began life in 1993. This striking sports car was designed by the firm's subsidiary Ypsilon Technology, and British design consultancy IAD (International Automotive Design). The final of three prototypes featured a cockpit with a 1 + 1 seating arrangement, reflecting the seating set-up used in Yamaha’s motorbike operation.
Budgetary disagreements between Yamaha and IAD resulted in the project being taken in-house, where it was eventually cancelled. The Japanese financial crisis of the early nineties made matters worse: the firm was concerned it would not find enough customers for the car, which had a price tag of around £850,000 in today's money.
The proposed city car is likely to be much more affordable.
Breakdown Cover from 
