This year, team Lucha Libre Racing’s Datsun 1600 roadster wasn’t the only nostalgic running in Mexico’s vintage road race, La Carrera Panamericana. Check out Francisco Ortiz Rivera’s BRE-replica Datsun 510! Our Spanish is a little rusty (ie, nonexistent), but it appears that it sustained some damage and was a possible DNF. Even if you don’t habla Español, check out photos on Rivera’s blog.

Team Lucha Libre Racing’s Datsun 1600 Sports roadster has once again returned triumphantly from La Carrera Panamericana 2008. As readers know from the article in Japanese Nostalgic Car magazine Issue 2, this was the first Japanese car ever to run the legendary road race, and we are happy to report that it is still in one piece. Car owner and navigator Michael Emery emailed us to say that the Datsun “ran like a dream.” Over the week-long race across Mexico’s open roads, he needed only to adjust the timing once and change the oil. That’s it! Says Emery, “We ran as high as 58th overall out of 100 cars, with 30hp less than the next lowest-powered car. Finished at 70th overall with my lousy navigation the only thing to blame.” Congrats, Michael! You can read more about his adventures at LuchaLibreRacing.com.

[Photo credit: Michael Emery]

In a ceremony last month, Yutaka Katayama has finally been inducted to the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame at the age of 99. Known as Mr. K to his fans, he presided over Nissan USA during its formative years in the 60s and 70s, largely responsible for making it the car company that it is today. Katayama is also called the father of the Z-car for his involvement in developing a sports car for the US market that became the Datsun 240Z. He is also helped build Nissan’s storied reputation in motorsports, having pushed for racing programs that he knew would be key to building a strong following for the marque. It’s great to see such an influential figure finally get the recognition he deserves in his home country. Mr. K was inducted into the US Automotive Hall of Fame in 1998.

He is shown above with Luis Carriles, Z Car Club of San Antonio (left) and Yoshihiko Matsuo, lead designer on the Fairlady Z project (right).

[Photo credit: Luis Carriles, via Datsun Heritage Museum]

Old School Japanese Drag Cars

Break out the earplugs before watching this footage of vintage Japanese iron doing the Zero-Yon (0-400m, approximately a quarter-mile), circa 1986. Unlike the nostalgia drag racers of the US, these cars sport canister mufflers and big fat turbos instead of superchargers and open headers. This setup probably favors trap speed over low E/Ts, but the ear-splitting echoes in the mountains of Fuji Speedway sound incredible all the same. The majority of cars in this video are radically modified Datsun Fairlady Zs, but some Toyotas and Mazdas appear at the 3:00 mark. Thanks to Daron for the tip!

Today at the LA Auto Show, Nissan finally revealed the 370Z to the world, finally, at long last, and for reals. Mitsubishi also brought out a couple of classics to show the world, “Hey, we’ve been doing this since waaay before rebadging ourselves as Plymouths!” (more…)

Here’s a quick reminder for our Aussie JNCers in Melbourne, Australia. This Sunday November 23 is the Cars of the World show, and the featured marque is Nissan. There will be a concours type show and a charity auction. See these posts Go Baby Go and ajax240k for details.

The Nissan 370Z doesn’t officially debut until the LA Auto Show next Wednesday, but Datsun Z owners were invited to bring the car’s forefathers down to a special sneak preview event in LA that just ended an hour ago. Sponsored by Edmund’s Inside Line and Nissan, the purpose was to have older Z-cars on hand for comparison and photo shoot opportunities, so we tagged along with some members of Group Z. (more…)