Tag Archives: capella

Mazda Rotary cars on display in Ginza, circa 1971

The curved glass San’ai Dream Center in Ginza has been a major advertising platform in Tokyo for decades. The building at times has been home to the Nissan Gallery, worn a Mitsubishi triple-diamond logo and, in 1971, hyped Mazda’s latest … Continue reading

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100 YEAR CLUB: Mazda, Part 02

Mazda turned 100 years old earlier this year, and to mark this very special occasion we went in search of what makes this small Hiroshima carmaker so unique. In the previous installment of our retrospective, we examined Mazda’s origin story … Continue reading

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Happy 626 Day from JNC

The Mazda 626 was known as the Capella in Japan, and though it had some really trick technology on it, it was mostly remembered as a fairly middle-of-the-road compact in the US. However, if you were in Japan, you could … Continue reading

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VIDEO: And the best Japanese car of 1995 was…

By 2020 the 25-year threshold of what constitutes a classic car will cut off at 1995. What was the best Japanese car of that year? Back then, Japan’s Best Motoring sought the answer in a series of videos pitting several … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Why the Mazda RX-2 is the next collectible Mazda

The Mazda RX-2 was the first truly accessible mainstream rotary-powered car. The Mazda Cosmo Sport and Luce R130 were too rare and expensive and the R100 too small, but the Capella (which eventually became the 626), was the perfect mid-size … Continue reading

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Happy 626 Day from JNC!

Many forget that the original Mazda 626 came in rear-wheel-drive and pillarless hardtop coupe form. If you can find them, they are typically pretty well preserved and fairly affordable. Perhaps you can adopt one today, this happy 626 Day!

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BACKROADS: 1988 was Mazda’s Year of the Turbo

It’s an old trope among JNC enthusiasts in North America: we never get the good stuff like they do in Japan. From the obvious to the obscure — the Skylines, the City Turbo, the AZ-1 — the list never ends. But … Continue reading

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MOTORSPORT: The hakosuka Skyline GT-R at its absolute peak

By the end of 1971 racing season, the Skyline GT-R was barreling towards its highly anticipated 50th victory in Japan’s hotly contested touring car races. The GT-R had enjoyed three years of domination but, as history knows, the planning for that much publicized 50th win would all … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Nostalgic2Days 2016, Part 03 — The Fast & the Fastidious

In this installment, we take a look at two very different types of cars: original barn finds and restorations whose every last nut is factory correct, and those that were treated like instruments of war. In other words, all the stuff that’s prized by predictably … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Nostalgic2Days 2016, Part 01

At this year’s Nostalgic 2 Days show, we were on assignment to meet a very specific person, a towering figure from the golden age of Japan’s automotive history. Before our appointment — which will be covered in the next installment — … Continue reading

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NEWS: Mazda’s new Australian HQ proudly displays Heritage Collection

Mazda Australia recently celebrated the opening of its new headquarters in Mulgrave, a suburb of Melbourne. While this type of news usually excites business journals more than enthusiasts, the new state-of-the-art building does have something that catches our attention: a … Continue reading

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TOUGE CALIFORNIA: The Cars and Teams of 2016

The Touge California is done. We’ve covered how the epic, 8-hour, 200-mile rally went, but we also wanted to recognize all the fearless drivers, stalwart navigators, and gorgeous machines that participated. Here are the cars and teams of the 2016 JNC Touge … Continue reading

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RIP Yoshimi Katayama, 1940 — 2016

It was announced in Japanese media yesterday that Yoshimi Katayama (片山義美) — the legendary race car driver often associated with Mazda — had passed away on March 26. He was 75. His prolific career was marked by some of Japan’s most … Continue reading

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COLLECTIONS: Inside Mazda North America’s Basement

Talk to Mazda employees about their cars, past and present, and it immediately becomes clear that the company is comprised of people passionate about what they’ve built. This is no small feat, and we have peeked behind the walls of enough automakers to … Continue reading

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EVENTS: SevenStock 17 Spotlight — Cherry Capellas

As the name implies, SevenStock is heavy on the Sevens. At SevenStock 17, however, Mazda RX-2s made a tremendous showing. We presented some of them already, along with R100s, RX-3s, REPUs and, yes, RX-7s galore. But there were three examples of Capellas, if going by their Japanese name, that deserved to … Continue reading

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EVENTS: SevenStock 17

SevenStock is the annual gathering of the Southern California Rotary Club. The combination car show and track day is one of the largest American assemblages Mazdas both old and new, held at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California with official support … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Pacifico

Pacifico is the first show in southern California by Historic J, who have put on events like the Bayline Gathering, Vintage Auto Salon, and Shokuji J-Tin in the San Francisco area. If the show’s name sounds familiar, you might be thinking of … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show
Part 07 — Taking Stock

As we near the end of our 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show coverage, we delve into the crux of what it means to have a classic car show.  Here are some of the rarest and best preserved Japanese nostalgic cars you’ll see … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 04 — Modified Machines

This year the Japanese Classic Car Show began screening entrants. A JNC editorial on the development generated heated debate, with many assuming that the Queen Mary lawn would be filled with identical, bone stock examples that all looked the same. Turns out, … Continue reading

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RIP James Garner, 1928-2014

James Garner, actor, car enthusiast, and Mazda spokesman has passed away at the age of 86. He will be missed.

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