1992 Autozam AZ-1

With gullwing doors and a mid-mounted turbocharged engine the Autozam AZ-1 has the makings of a supercar. Only available in Japan between 1992 and 1994 there were just 4,392 ever produced.

The AZ-1 was designed to meet Kei car requirements in Japan, which meant with its small dimensions, engine, and emissions owners could avoid paying hefty registration and insurance rates. However, the AZ-1 was priced higher than it’s competitors and with little practical use, sales for the pint sized exotic tanked.

Now old enough to be legally imported to the United States the Autozam AZ-1 can be found for around twenty to thirty thousand dollars.

The gullwing doors open with the hiss of pneumatic shocks. The interior is rightfully spartan, there’s no room for non-essentials.

The 3-cylinder turbo charged engine ticks to life with ease. Clutch engagement is short and with tiny wheels the AZ-1 moves off the line without hesitation. Steering is stiff when navigating slowly but sharp at speed.

Apart from the left handed shifting, driving on the right side of the car doesn’t seem to make much difference at this scale. Though drive throughs would be difficult with the mail slot sized window openings.