Tag Archives: crown

MINICARS: This 1:150-scale Toyota Crown is one of the smallest R/C cars we’ve ever seen

There are minicars and then there are minicars. A Japanese radio controlled car builder has constructed one of the smallest R/C cars we’ve ever seen. It’s based off of a 1:150-scale Tomytec Toyota Crown, but all its guts have been … Continue reading

Posted in minicars, R/C | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Toyota will drown 65 years of history and tradition in a shallow bathtub by discontinuing the Crown sedan

It’s been a hard year and we’re so close to the finish line. Before it leaves us, though, 2020 is going to deliver one last sucker punch to the gut. The Chunichi Shimbun newspaper reports that Toyota will kill off … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , | 22 Comments

The Toyota Automobile Museum has opened a “Motorsport Biography” exhibit

“A harsh environment of competition toughens our people and cars,” said Toyota Motor founder Kiichiro Toyoda once said. It’s a quote framing the Toyota Automobile Museum in Aichi, Japan’s newly opened an exhibit highlighting some of the company’s historic race … Continue reading

Posted in Galleries | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

VIDEO: Behold, a loop of Tokyo’s Shuto Expressway in 1986

While most people are downing large quantities of Netflix right now, here’s something a bit more relevant to our interests: Home videos of driving through Tokyo in the Showa Era. It’s a clockwise loop of Tokyo’s Shuto, and speaking of … Continue reading

Posted in Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

SHOWA SNAP: The old school face of Niigata Station will soon be torn down

The north side of Niigata Station is a Showa Era relic that will soon be no more. It might not look like much, but the nondescript rectangular building screams Showa Era, specifically the time when Japan was emerging from its … Continue reading

Posted in Showa Snap | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

SHOWA SNAP: A fleet of convertible Toyota Crowns are ready for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics

We would be in the first week of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics if the coronavirus hadn’t thrown a giant pole vaulter’s bar into the entire world’s plans. The first time Japan’s capital hosted the Olympic Games was back in 1964, … Continue reading

Posted in Showa Snap | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

ART CORNER: Look at these amazing cars made out of cardboard

Are you having trouble figuring out what to do with all your used Amazon boxes? Perhaps these incredible cardboard cars can spark an idea or two. YouTuber Papa Ken has several videos showing off his amazing skills in building corrugated … Continue reading

Posted in Art Corner | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

SHOWA SNAP: Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo, 1974

The Shibuya Crossing, also known as the Shibuya Scramble, is the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world. It’s the intersection Sean’s Evo, Han’s Veilside RX-7, and the Drift King’s Z (digitally) slid through in Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, and … Continue reading

Posted in Showa Snap | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

SHOWA SNAP: Peko-chan looms large over Ginza, circa 1964

Four hundred years ago, Sukiyabashi was a bridge crossing the outermost moat of Edo Castle, which separating nobles and samurai from ordinary townsfolk. Post-war, it became one of the two main intersections in Tokyo’s ritzy Ginza shopping district. In 1964, … Continue reading

Posted in Showa Snap | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

SHOWA SNAP: Tokyo Tower under construction, circa 1958

This Tokyo street scene shows a variety of vehicles, from sedans like the Toyopet Crown to large trucks like the Toyota Toyoace to three-wheelers like the Daihatsu CO10T. What really makes the shot, though, is the ghostly bones of Tokyo … Continue reading

Posted in Showa Snap | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

KIDNEY, ANYONE? MS75 Kujira Toyota Crown Coupe

The fourth-generation Toyota Crown is one the most outlandish designs in the company’s long history. The space-age front end was like nothing else at the time, and like nothing else since. Predictably, it was quite polarizing, leading to perhaps an … Continue reading

Posted in for sale | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

The winners and runners up of the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon

The 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon was, like SEMA, largely a big ol’ Supra-fest. However, after the trophies were handed out there were a few highlights from the awards categories that defied convention. Like the teachers said in English class, you … Continue reading

Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Japanese Classic Car Show 2019, Part 09: Trucks, Vans, and Wagons

We have arrived at what could be our favorite part of JCCS, the vans, trucks, SUVs, and wagons. And now, in addition to seeing amazing US-market builds of such cars, their Japan-market counterparts are flooding in. No longer are the … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

SHOWA SNAP: Akita Prefecture, circa 1965

Akita Prefecture, where Japan’s bear-hunting dogs get their namesake, once boasted the northernmost tram on Honshu, Japan’s main island. In this cool shot, all the greats of the early Sixties are seen. A Toyopet Crown waits for pedestrians in the … Continue reading

Posted in Showa Snap | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

SHOWA SNAP: Chiyoda, Tokyo, 1972

Tokyo’s subway system is a confounding wonder, but as late as 1972 the metropolis still had streetcars that drove alongside traffic. Here in the Chiyoda district, 510 Bluebirds, Cedrics, Sunnys, Corona Mark IIs, and kujira Crowns teem among the rails. … Continue reading

Posted in Showa Snap | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

EVENTS: All-Toyotafest, Part 05 — Big Sedans

There’s nothing like a big Toyota sedan, and Toyotafest was full of ’em. Whether you’re talking about the brilliant luxury of a Lexus LS or the deadbolt reliability of a Camry, each one had its fans and fastidious owners. With … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

SHOWA SNAP: Amago Bridge, Iwaki Prefecture, 1977

For our first Showa Snap of the Reiwa Era, let’s go back to Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture in August of 1977. The Amago bridge traces its origins back to the times of the samurai. It was part of the Hama … Continue reading

Posted in Showa Snap | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

NEWS: Japan’s new emperor takes first ride in a Toyota Century Royal

On May 1, Japan’s newest Emperor, Naruhito, took his first ride as the head of the royal family to a ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Of course, the media was very interested in his inheritance of the swords … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

VIDEO: Who did it better, Toyota USA or Toyota UK?

Recently, Toyota subsidiaries on both sides of the pond put out a call to enthusiasts and owners, assembled them at a race track, and filmed the experience. In the US, it was to promote the new Supra at Auto Club … Continue reading

Posted in Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

EVENTS: Final New Year Meeting, Part 02 — The End of an Era

After 42 years, the New Year Meeting, once the biggest classic car show in Japan, is no more. The Odaiba venue where the event is held will soon be bulldozed, making way for the future. We’ve covered New Year Meetings … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments