Category Archives: kei

QotW: What’s the coolest kei car?

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Kev

Seeing some excellent examples of kei jidosha on the way back from Nagano last week got our brains churning. These uniquely Japanese micro machines are what put the island nation on the road and have been around for over 50 … Continue reading →

29 Comments

Early Japanese classics among top emerging collectibles says Hagerty

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Ben

With all the automotive madness whipped up by the Arizona auctions week, let’s take a look at how it affects the nostalgic car scene. First, collector car insurance company Hagerty issued a press release identifying three “segments represent[ing] a group … Continue reading →

18 Comments

Subaru celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Sambar

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Ben

It’s not fast, luxurious or particularly sexy, but the Subaru Sambar is a key part of Japan’s automotive history and one of its first kei trucks. If you’ve ever set foot in Japan you’ll know these little breadboxes are everywhere, … Continue reading →

11 Comments

Friday Video: Suzuki Jimny SuperTrials

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Ben

It always amazes us how unbelievably varied Japan’s automotive culture is. Here is an entire event, televised no less, dedicated to kei-class Suzuki Jimnys. In the Jimny Supertrials, these 660cc, oft-turbocharged little four-wheelers run a time attack in the snow. It … Continue reading →

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Suzuki Fronte 550

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Ben

This here rare brown bird is a Suzuki Fronte 7-S 550. That’s 550cc’s of rear-engined, rear-wheel drive kei car sweetness. It’s difficult to eyeball the scale of this car until you get a look at the fender mirrors, which protrude … Continue reading →

2 Comments

EVENTS: New Year Meeting 2011 Part 04: Kei Jidosha

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Dan

If a flux capacitor equipped kei car from 1960 traveled to the present, it’d be totally jealous of the “massive” 660cc displacement its modern counterparts enjoy. Back then, maximum allowable engine size was a scant 360cc. But as the Mazda … Continue reading →

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Unloved Cars of Tochigi

Posted on June 24, 2010 by Skorj

Location scouting North of Tokyo, we were surprised to pass a yard not filled with the usual rural kei cars — or farming implements — but one filled with an enormous range of nostalgics.

15 Comments

Posted on March 16, 2010 by Ben

Suzuki Mario Bros.: Those Koopa Troopas don’t stand a chance when Mario and Luigi are behind the wheel of Suzuki Carry. The kei truck feasts on turtle soup tonight. [Reddit via Jalopnik]

3 Comments

Reader Build: Mitsubishi 360 Van

Posted on March 15, 2010 by Ben

Congrats to JNC reader Nakazoto for getting his 1967 Mitsubishi 360 Van project featured on both Jalopnik and Speedhunters in the same week! David lives in Nagoya, Japan and came across this kei commercial vehicle rotting away in a field. … Continue reading →

3 Comments

EVENTS: JCCS 2009 Part Two: Wagons Ho!

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Ben

Continuing with our JCCS 2009 coverage, here are the cars from my personal favorite category — the wagons! This restored orange Datsun 510 was gorgeous, and aside from the re-upholstered interior it looks like it could have driven off the … Continue reading →

9 Comments