Tag Archives: alto

Suzuki surpasses milestone of 25 million kei cars sold

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Ben Hsu

It’s taken 65 years and 7 months, but Suzuki announced on May 11 that it has sold 25 million kei cars. That’s not a huge number compared to, say, the Toyota Corolla, which has sold over 44 million of a … Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged alto, carry, Every, fronte, kei, suzuki, Suzulight, Wagon R | 3 Comments

EVENTS: The inaugural Kyushu Kei Car Meeting

Posted on May 5, 2021 by Daniel O'Grady

On Sunday April 25th the inaugural Kyushu Kei Car Meeting was held in Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture. I see a raised hand in the back there. “Inaugural” means, like, the first one? Well, yeah. Due to a glaringly obvious oversight, … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged alto, Autozam AZ-1, B360, beat, Cara, copen, crown, daihatsu, Fellow, fronte, honda, kei, life, Life StepVan, mazda, minica, Minica Dangan, minicab, mitsubishi, NIII 360, nissan, porter cab, R-2, s12, s40, silvia, subaru, subaru 360, suzuki, tn360, toyota, Vivio | 14 Comments

VIDEO: And the best Japanese car of 1995 was…

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Ben Hsu

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 →

Posted in Video | Tagged 3000GT, A80, accord, Accord 5g, alto, best motoring, camry, capella, cappuccino, Cefiro, Celica GT-Four, celsior, daihatsu, estima, F20, familia, fd3s, fto, gto, honda, impreza, infiniti, Infiniti I, kei, lancer evolution, mazda, mira, mitsubishi, mr2, nissan, nsx, Odyssey, r32, RAV4, rx-7, s14, silvia, skyline, st205, subaru, supra, suzuki, sw20, toyota, Vivio, wrx | 1 Comment

Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Ben Hsu

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, here’s a collection of red cars for your viewing pleasure. The theme is the early days of Japan’s post-war auto industry. Can you name them all? Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC!

Posted in Holidays | Tagged 312, alto, bellett, bluebird, colt, compagno, daihatsu, datsun, hino, honda, Honda N-Series, isuzu, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, prince, publica, r100, skyline, subaru, subaru 360, suzuki, toyota, Valentine's Day | 7 Comments

VIDEO: A cartoon history of the Suzuki Alto and motorcycle business

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Ben Hsu

After a brief hiatus, Suzuki is back with two new cartoon videos explaining how the company got where it is today. The first outlines the genesis of the Alto, a revered name in kei cars, and the second explains how … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged alto, kei, Motorcycle, suzuki | 2 Comments

KEI HERO: Suzuki Alto Works

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Ryan Senensky

Poor America. We don’t even know how bad we have it. In the States, we think of hatchbacks as puny, minimally equipped tin cans that people buy because they can’t afford something better. Elsewhere in the world and especially in Japan, not only are … Continue reading →

Posted in kei | Tagged alto, kei, suzuki | 17 Comments

PIXELATED: Kat’s Run Zen-Nippon K Car Senshuken

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Ryan Senensky

Have you ever played Mario Kart and thought, “I wish these were all kei cars.”? If so, we have a game for you. Kat’s Run: Zen-Nippon K Car Senshuken produced by Atlus Games in 1995 was available exclusively for the Super … Continue reading →

Posted in Video Games | Tagged alto, Autozam AZ-1, beat, cappuccino, daihatsu, honda, jimny, kei car, mazda, minica, mira, mitsubishi, Nintendo, Sega, Super Famicom, Super Nintendo, suzuki, today, Toppo, video games, Wagon R | 16 Comments

PIXELATED: Tokyo Xtreme Racer is coming back

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Video game publisher Genki recently tweeted an picture of a Nissan GT-R idling at a Tokyo expressway pull-off zone at night, ready for action. For JNCers of a certain age, then image should instantly evoke the thrill of Tokyo Xtreme … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Video Games | Tagged alto, gt-r, honda, nissan, r35, s660, shutoku battle, suzuki, Tokyo Xtreme Racer | 18 Comments

EVENTS: Nostalgic2Days 2016, Part 04 — Odds and Ends

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

One of the excellent things about a show like Nos2Days is that there are plenty of things for sale. You never know what you’ll come across, which can make browsing the aisles rather dangerous to your wallet. From new-old-stock center … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged a60, alto, Alto Works, aristo, bbs, bridgestone, c10, c130, c230, celica xx, Dampachi, dr30, eunos roadster, Ford F-350, GX70G, Hakosuka, Kusaka Engineering, laurel, lexus, mark II, mazda, Melber, miata, NA Miata, nissan, Nos2Days 2016, Nostalgic 2 Days, r30, rb26, Renoma, s20, SkyActiv, skyline, soarer, supra, suzuki, toyota, utilitas, x70, yokohama | 4 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 04 — The Streets

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

In the last two installments of our 2016 New Year Meeting coverage, we prowled the parking area to find as much diversity in marques and models as there were in customization styles. In our final installment of the 2016 New Year … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 710, a20, a60, ae86, alto, bosozoku, c210, celica, celica xx, chaser, clipper, corolla, corona mark II, cosmo, cosmo sport, cressida, cresta, datsun, Fukuoka Style, gx71, haisoka, kaido racer, mark II, Master Ace, mazda, new year meeting, nissan, porter, rx-5, skyline, soarer, sprinter trueno, subaru 360, supra, suzuki, ta22, toyota, Toyota Van, violet, x20, z10, z20 | 4 Comments

ART CORNER: Beautiful dioramas of model cars from Japan

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Takuji is a Japanese artist who places 1:43 and 1:64 scale minicars into beautifully constructed dioramas. From AE86s on touge roads to Mitsubishis tearing through a rally stage to mechanics tuning Skylines in a garage, each scene is a slice of … Continue reading →

Posted in Art Corner, minicars | Tagged 200sx, 323 GTX, 510, a70, ae82, ae86, alto, Art Corner, aw11, az-1, b110, beat, bluebird, c110, carol, carry, colt, corolla fx, fairlady z, familia, fj60, fronte, fto, Galant VR-4, Hakosuka, honda, Honda N-Series, jimny, K10, kei, kenmeri, lancer celeste, land cruiser, march, mazda, miata, minicars, mirage, mitsubishi, mr2, mx-5, nissan, rally, rx-3, s12, s30 z, safari rally, silvia, skyline c10, sprinter trueno, starion, starlet kp61, stepvan, subaru, subaru 360, sunny, supra, suzuki, toyota, violet, Vivio | 14 Comments

ART CORNER: Bosozoku Cats and Kyuusha by San Mamiya

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Ben Hsu

San Mamiya is a brilliant artist from Japan that operates mainly on Instagram. With an apparent fondness for old cars, bosozoku cats and the superdeformed style that populates manga, his illustrations exhibit a unique Nihon style that can probably be loosely described as Japanese Ed Roth.

Posted in Art Corner | Tagged 2000gt, 240z, 510, a20, alto, Art Corner, aw11, b210, bosozoku, bre, carry, celica, chaser, corolla, cressida, crown, datsun, datsun 620, e70, fairlady z, fc3s, Galant Lambda, honda, hot wheels, jimny, juke, kujira, mad manga, manga, mazda, mitsubishi, mr2, nissan, prius, rx-3, rx-7, s30, s60, samurai, san_mamiya, savanna, sports 800, suzuki, toyota, x30, x40, x60, x70 | 10 Comments

JNC RADIO: Sing along to the The Auto Show Song

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Ben Hsu

Originally released in 1964, “The Auto Show Song” was composed by famed Japanese songwriter Tetsuro Hoshino and performed by action movie star/singer Akira Kobayashi (there are a lot of crossover entertainers in Japan). It was an old standard of the Showa Era, and sounded … Continue reading →

Posted in JNC Radio | Tagged Akira Kobayashi, alto, Austin, axela, bellett, bluebird, carol, cedric, celica, charade, civic, colt, contessa, corolla, corona, crown, datsun, debonair, delica, demio, estima, fairlady, familia, fit, Freed, galant, gloria, hillman, honda, impreza, jimny, JNC Radio, juke, land cruiser, Lapin, legacy, march, mazda, minx, mira, mirage, mitsubishi, montero, Move, nissan, Odyssey, pajero, prius, roadster, Serena, Stella, subaru, Tanto, The Auto Show Song, toyopet, vitz, Wish | 1 Comment

EVENTS: 2013 Nostalgic2Days, Part 01

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Guest Writer

The latest dispatch from guest writer David Lovett of Classic Car Nagoya covers Part 01 of the annual Nos2Days event, where we first encountered CCN years ago. —Ben There’s one show every year I absolutely refuse to miss. Nostalgic 2 Days happens every year … Continue reading →

Posted in events, honda, isuzu, nissan, suzuki, toyota | Tagged 300zx, a70, alto, beat, bellett, contessa, corolla, crown, csp311, daihatsu, datsun, Datsun Type 16, fairlady z, hino, honda, isuzu, levin, ma71, midget, mooneyes, ms51, nissan, nos2days, Nostalgic 2 Days, nostalgic hero, os giken, publica, Publica Sports Concept, r381, s50, s600, s800, silvia, sports 800, sprinter, supra, suzuki, te27, toyota, trueno, yotahachi, z31 | 18 Comments

QotW: What should Suzuki USA have done differently?

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Dan Hsu

Alas, Suzuki, we hardly knew ye. This statement rings especially true in the wake of the Suzuki’s departure from US shores last week, because as JNC reader Tyler pointed out, many of their best cars were not sold here under the … Continue reading →

Posted in kei, Question of the Week, suzuki | Tagged alto, kei, QotW, Question of the Week, suzuki, works, ymo | 30 Comments

American Suzuki Motor Corp, 1985-2012

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Ben Hsu

After 27 years American Suzuki Motor Corp. has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. Though it will no longer be selling cars in the US, the motorcycle and ATV side of things will continue on.

Posted in suzuki | Tagged alto, chevrolet, chevy, cultus, geo, metro, samurai, sprit, suzuki, tracker | 24 Comments

QotW: What’s the most beautiful OEM color?

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Ben Hsu

The world of nostalgics is filled with bold colors, perfectly paired two-tones and the whitest whites this side of heaven. Go to any gathering of vintage Japanese cars and it’s a feast for your retinas, a refreshing break from the … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, minicars, Question of the Week, suzuki | Tagged alto, f1, honda, jimny, Question of the Week, ra272, sj140, suzuki | 30 Comments

Nostalgic Japanese Police Cars

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Ben Hsu

Here’s a collection of photos of nostalgic Japanese police cars strung together by an amateur, unidirectional Ken Burns. Some are equipped with high-power engine options and transmission pairings not available on civilian versions of the same model. Sadly, Japanese patrol … Continue reading →

Posted in datsun, honda, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, suzuki, toyota | Tagged 240z, 280zx, 300zx, 911, accord, alto, bmw, capella, cedric, civic, corolla, corona mark II, cosmo, cressida, crown, datsun, dyna, e30, e70, fairlady z, gloria, honda, japanese police cars, legato, luce, mark II, mazda, mitsubishi, montero, nissan, pajero, patrol car, police car, porsche, rx-4, rx-5, s130, s30 z, skyline, suzuki, toyopet, toyota, z31 | 7 Comments

EVENTS: 2010 New Year Meeting, Part 3

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Ben Hsu

Okay, okay. We can’t keep the rabid Nissan nutters at bay any more. Luckily, as with most nostalgic car shows in Japan, the New Year Meeting has heavy emphasis on Skylines with a hearty helping of Fairladies and Sunnies on … Continue reading →

Posted in datsun, events, nissan, subaru, suzuki | Tagged 117, 2010 new year meeting, 510, alto, b110, b210, bellett, bluebird, c10, c110, c210, carry, contessa, datsun, datsun 1200, excellent, Hakosuka, hino, isuzu, kenmeri, kgc10, kgc110, kpgc10, kpgc110, new year meeting, nissan, os giken, rays, skyline, subaru, subaru 360, sunny, suzuki, te37v, tomei, violet | 7 Comments

Actual Nostalgic Cars at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show

Posted on October 23, 2009 by Ben Hsu

We’ve talked enough about retro themed cars at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, so here are some actual vintage cars from the event. Makuhari Messe has two main halls, where Japan’s automakers reveal to the world their next supercars and … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, mazda, suzuki, toyota | Tagged accord, alto, concept, concept car, cvcc, fronte alto, honda, mazda, rx-500, sports 800, sports 800 gas turbine, sports 800 hybrid, suzuki, tokyo motor show, tokyo motor show 2009, toyota | 5 Comments