Ohta Ohta PA History

Reorganised as Ōhta Jidōsha Kōgyō in 1947, the company returned to passenger-car production with the PA (Passenger Automobile), introduced from mid-1948. The PA was a compact two-door, four-passenger saloon measuring just 3.6 m in length, with modern pontoon-style bodywork — a clean break from the pre-war cycle-wing look — powered by the 760 cc E8 overhead-valve four-cylinder producing around 20 PS.

Body construction still relied heavily on wood framing and hand-formed sheet metal, reflecting the factory's limited press tooling. Despite the traditional construction, the PA's proportions and relative sturdiness made it a preferred choice among Tokyo's taxi operators, who valued its economy and durability over cramped city streets.

The PA was joined in 1951 by the larger, four-door PB variant, which offered more interior room while sharing the same basic platform and powertrain. Together the PA and PB carried Ohta's passenger-car output through the Korean War reconstruction period.