Welcome to a new series on the JNC Blog. In Learning Japanese, we’ll introduce nicknames for Japanese cars and delve into their etymology. We started informally with the erimaki Mitsubishi Mirage, but now it’s official.
Let’s kick off with the tateguro, or 1967-71 Nissan Gloria. So how did the third-generation Gloria get its name?
Tate means “vertical” in Japanese, and the most distinctive feature of the A30 Gloria was its stacked headlights.
The second half, guro, is simply the first two syllables of Gloria in their closest Japanese approximation (gu-ro-ri-ah). Alternatively, this car is sometimes called the tateme, or “vertical eyes.”
The Gloria’s styling is probably the most American-looking of all the nostalgics, with a lot of 1963 Pontiac in its lines. As a result, it became a common platform for the slammed sled school of tuning.
Is there a nickname you’ve been wondering about? Let us know and we’ll put it in the queue!
[Image: No Future Tokyo]
Looks like a Parisenne* or a Catalina. *(Spelling ??)
Ford had a couple vehicles from that era with similar front ends. But I bet the Nissan’s ran better!
That car was definitely copied after the 66-67 Ford Fairlane.. the car on Dragnet.
Ummm Love it! looks like it would be a hard car to find….
Pontiac came out with the stacked headlight design in ’63… the Fairlane in ’66. I can see elements of both. An illicit GM-Ford love child, perhaps? 😉
Those are gorgeous! Especially the black one with the red wheels.
(Personally, I think it’s closer to an AMC Ambassador rather than anything GM or Ford produced, but it’s certainly an original take in the same genre. I really like the detailing on the headlights, with the little bit of fluted rims around the outside — shades of a ’59 Imperial, almost! but far more subtle — and the way that chrome trim band goes all the way around the whole car except for the tiny gap beside the taillights.)
I’d love to have one, though it would have to be in scale-model form so I’d have a place to put it. Does anyone know if such a thing is available?
Here ya go, Brooks: http://www.tomytec.co.jp/minicar/lineup/tlv/lv69.html
Nifty. Thanks!
did they make these as wagons as well? or am I wrong?