Featuring Italian-inspired design, motorsport connections, and near-total rarity, this week's Nice Price or No Dice Hino Contessa could stand out at any Cars and Coffee gathering or JDM event. The question is what price makes that display worthwhile.

Don Schlitz, unrelated to the brewing family, passed in April. As a performer and composer, he gained fame in 1976 by writing the tune The Gambler. Though recorded by others, it topped the country charts in 1978 as the lead single from Kenny Rogers' matching album. The lyrics recount a train encounter where, for a final sip of whisky and a smoke, one traveler tells the other that you must know when to hold and when to fold.

Here the advice applies to purchasing any vintage automobile, particularly a complex German model far beyond its original warranty coverage. That issue arose last Friday with a 2007 Mercedes-Benz S 550 saloon. Clean and free of obvious trouble, it still carried the risk of costly repairs ahead. Its $8,400 price tag, however, made the risk seem acceptable, as reflected in reader comments and the 72 percent Nice Price victory.

Hino background

Time now for something different. The focus is a 1967 Hino Contessa 1300 coupe whose engineering traces run through France, Italy, and the United States, while its final assembly took place in Japan.

Hino Motors takes its name from the city near Tokyo where it began. Although its story reaches back to the early 1900s, the Hino brand appeared in 1942 when the firm produced half-tracks and trucks for the Japanese military. The Contessa examined here belongs to a brief line of passenger cars made by Hino in the 1960s, a program ended by financial strain that allowed Toyota to acquire majority control. Hino continues today, manufacturing medium-duty trucks and hybrid buses.

The Contessa debuted in 1961 as a sedan, two-door, and coupe. A partnership with French maker Renault meant the first model drew engineering cues from the 4CV. In 1964 Hino updated the Contessa with bodywork by Italy's Giovanni Michelotti. It remained a rear-engine layout, the water-cooled four-cylinder mounted behind the rear axle and the radiator placed just aft of it. The base 1,251 cc four-cylinder with one carburetor delivered 54 horsepower; twin carbs raised output to 64 horsepower.

Brock on the circuit

Although Hino's passenger-car efforts lasted only a short while, they included an attempt to market the Contessa in the United States. Race driver and engineer Pete Brock was enlisted to build credibility through competition. Brock campaigned the Contessa under his Brock Racing Enterprises banner and secured a victory at the 1966 Los Angeles Times Grand Prix at Riverside. He later created the Hino Samurai, a purpose-built racer. The close of car production halted both American sales plans and further racing success in the States.

The example shown is not prepared for track use, yet it carries some performance changes. The engine appears fitted with a pair of Weber DCOE carburetors or their Japanese counterparts, plus red ignition leads that may add a small power increase. Bumpers have been removed and gold basket-weave alloy wheels installed. Minor body dings exist but remain modest.

One of two examples stateside

Inside the four-seat cabin the interior looks largely intact and appealing. Carpeting is absent, and the gear lever has been replaced by an unusually tall shifter and knob that detract from the original design. Positive notes include auxiliary gauges in the wood dash and a signature on the glovebox door beside a taped shift-pattern diagram. As a Japanese-market car it is right-hand drive.

The seller states this is one of only two Contessas in the United States. The writer recalls seeing it at an Art Center Car Show honoring Pete Brock some years ago. The second example belongs to noted collector Myron Vernis.

A clean title accompanies the car, along with an odometer showing 35,000 units believed to be kilometers. The seller describes it as ideal for this year's Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, whose theme celebrates icons of Japanese motorsport.

A noteworthy transaction?

The details add up to an uncommon vehicle compared with typical offerings here. Still, the chance to view such a machine and learn its brief history seems worthwhile. The asking price stands at $19,950. Readers are invited to judge whether that figure represents fair value and to share thoughts on the car itself. Does this Hino earn hero status at $19,950, or does the sum exceed what obscurity should command?

The decision rests with you.

Offered in Los Angeles, California, via Craigslist.

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