Tag Archives: crown
VIDEO: Classic car commercials in Australia would be unthinkable in the US
When Ricky told me to check out the Shannons video about the Isuzu Car Club of Australia gathering, I did. But the thing that absolutely blew my mind wasn’t even an Isuzu. It was this classic car insurance ad, which … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2018 New Year Meeting, Part 02 — Sixties Sedans
In Part 01 of our New Year Meeting coverage we concentrated on sports cars and coupes from the 1960s. However, there were many fine four-doors from that era as well, and as the two-doors rise in price the once neglected sedans are gaining … Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: Maybe it’s time to stop calling Toyota boring
Modern Toyota often gets a bad rap for not indulging enough in its fun side. At the Tokyo Auto Salon, Japan’s carnival of car customization and tuning, the Big T reminded us that few other Japanese automakers willing to commit this level of far-out … Continue reading
VIDEO: The traffic to Tokyo Disneyland in 1985 was JNC heaven
Were you lucky enough to have a four-day Independence Day weekend? In Japan, one of the biggest tourism holidays is Golden Week, which takes place in the spring. So here, for your viewing pleasure, is a home video of what seems … Continue reading
EVENTS: All-Toyotafest 2017, Part 06 — Straight Sixes
With the passing of time, we are seeing more and more cars pass into 25-year classic status from what is perhaps the most epic era of Toyota history — that of the inline six-cylinder engine. From early Land Cruisers and Crowns … Continue reading
Shanghai Motor Show: China’s long history with Toyota
China is not a place you would immediately think of when Japanese nostalgic cars are mentioned. The country was largely closed off from imports until the 1980s, and wounds both psychological and physical, caused by Japanese actions during World War II, were not … Continue reading
VIDEO: Australia, a RWD Toyota paradise
Imagine a world just like ours, except that RWD Toyotas are everywhere, people still refer to their cars as “good ol’ girl,” and the “Oh What a Feeling!” jump at the end of Toyota ads never went away. The dream of the 80s … Continue reading
EVENTS: New Year Meeting 2017, Part 04 — Aichi Steel
After visiting the New Year Meeting’s swap meet and club display we ventured into the main car show area, where Isuzu and Hino were the featured marques this year. While that may have satisfied the approximately four Isuzu and Hino fans out there, here’s something … Continue reading
MINICARS: All the Japanese cars in the 2017 Hot Wheels mainline
Mattel has released the complete 2017 Hot Wheels mainline list, and it includes plenty of things for collectors of Japanese cars to get excited about. Old castings make a return, while new ones continue the trend. Here’s a complete rundown on … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2016 Classic Japan show in Australia
One of our favourite nostalgic car shows in any country is Classic Japan, which is held in Melbourne, Australia in December every year. Melbourne is 1000 km away from JNC‘s Australian HQ in Sydney, so it’s also an opportunity to … Continue reading
GRAND TOURING: Isumi Matsuri
If there’s one thing that gets carriage-loads of people enthused, it’s trains — especially in Japan, where everyone loves trains. So, combining a wide range of Showa Era kyusha with a summer matsuri (festival) and organizing it at the most famous … Continue reading
SHOP LIFE: A visit to Mooneyes Area 1
When recent travels took us to Yokohama, our resident illustrator and Japan native San Mamiya suggested that we meet up and go to Mooneyes Area 1. It had been a few years since we’d visited the Japanese headquarters of Mooneyes, and there’s always … Continue reading
EVENTS: Nostalgic2Days 2016, Part 02 — Tuning Houses
For our second installment of the 2016 Nostalgic 2 Days event coverage, we’ll take a look at some of Japan’s kyusha tuning houses, beginning with our friends at Star Road. The Tokyo-based specialists of classic Skylines and Fairlady Zs typically holds court … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2016 All-Toyotafest, Part 02 — Straight Sixes
As engines go, the Toyota straight-six is one of the best conceived by humankind. Smooth as Suntory whiskey, as long-lived as a mountain, and capable of stupid amounts of horsepower in later iterations, they are a triumph of automotive engineering. It’s no wonder the … Continue reading