I have always liked old outboards and have just begun to collect them, as I reckon that, whilst it’s possibly a bit sad and reflective of the fact that I should maybe get a life (although I would keep buying classic cars if I had any money), it’s not the worst interest one could have while inching towards eventual retirement. Not to mention that it’s about as cheap a hobby as one could have. Old outboards are like old VHS recorders, 8-track cassettes and telex machines in that nobody wants them.
I came across this little gem recently down in the New South Wales Riverina, so it would have spent its entire life in fresh water. It’s a Tohatsu M5A (a derivative of the original Tohatsu Sea Swallow) from 1975. It’s a single-cylinder motor of 102cc with an air-cooled power unit but a water-cooled exhaust (there’s a little scoop/snout behind the prop).
In Northern Europe in the early-mid ’70s, the nearest Japanese competitor (and by far much more popular) was the Yamaha P95A/5A (92 cc, also single-cylinder air-cooled with water-cooled exhaust). Like the Tohatsu, the Yamaha was forward-neutral gearshift only, with full 360 degrees swivel so that maximum power (without any prop cavitation) was available when going astern! The nearest equivalent Suzuki power-wise was the DT70 – 4.5 hp water-cooled – and Honda had no similar offering at that time.
It’s great to see pioneering, rare, idiosyncratic machinery like this from an era when the big two US outboard manufacturers treated Japanese products with the same sort of snide derision reserved by the likes of Ford, GM and British Leyland for Toyota, Datsun and Mazda. Many supposed experts and industry icons sneered at these little air-cooled Japanese motors but, by the late 1970s, it was fast becoming apparent that there was little reason for mirth.
This little Tohatsu is a runner, too, albeit the pungent, heady aroma emanating from the fuel tank would tend to indicate gasoline older than many a fine, well-aged whiskey.
When I was growing up in Ireland, this was not a popular brand, with little to no dealership coverage (in either Ireland or the UK), and no one had any idea that Tohatsu was in fact the oldest Japanese manufacturer of outboards. Outboards by Tohatsu (the name is a contraction of “Tokyo Hatsudoki” – Tokyo Engine Company) had been around since 1956. The company had previously manufactured motorcycles and even small railway station and depot-type trucks, as well as fire pumps – which are still a huge share of its business today.
But a key fact is that Tohatsu predated all its Japanese competitors, as Yamaha didn’t start in the outboard business until 1960; with 1964 for Honda and 1965 for Suzuki.
Danny Casey is highly experienced, undoubtedly idiosyncratic, and immensely knowledgeable about things mechanical, new or old. His knowledge and passion are as a result of spending his whole life in or around anything power-driven – especially marine engines. His passion for boating is second to none, with his life a montage of fabulous memories from decades spent in or around water and boats, both here and in Europe. Danny has spent myriad years in the recreational marine industry in a varied career in which he has bamboozled colleagues and competitors alike with his well-honed insight.
His mellifluous Irish accent, however, has at times been known to become somewhat less intelligible in occasional attempts at deliberate vagueness or when trying to prevent others from proffering a counter-argument or even getting a word in. Frank and to-the-point, but with a heart of gold, it can be hard to convince Danny to put pen to paper to share his knowledge. Marine Business News is grateful that he took the time to share his thoughts and insight. Connect with Danny through LinkedIn.
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