Tag Archives: debonair

Japan Automotive Hall of Fame honors Lexus founder, Honda F1 engineer, pioneers of four-wheel-steering

The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame has named four individuals to be inducted into their ranks. Each has been chosen for their contributions to Japan’s automotive industry. As with the four cars that were announced this year, there are names … Continue reading

Posted in Legends | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hyundai continues to build better Mitsubishis than Mitsubishi

In 1986, to prepare for the upcoming Seoul Olympics, Hyundai needed a flagship sedan. But it was so wet behind the ears that it had to turn to another carmaker to design one for them, one that seemed like a … Continue reading

Posted in News | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

Hyundai’s Grandeur Heritage Concept turns an 80s Mitsubishi Debonair into a ritzy retro lounge

Hyundai has just unveiled one of the coolest concept cars we’ve seen in a while, an electric sedan based on its 1986 Grandeur flagship. Don’t check your calendar, it’s not April 1; nor have you stumbled upon Korean Nostalgic Car, … Continue reading

Posted in Next Version | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments

Japan brought out its best cars for the Tokyo Olympics in 1964

The 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo was a turning point for Japan. They were the first Olympics to be held in Asia, and Japan was ready to rejoin the world as a symbol of modernity. As a show of its … Continue reading

Posted in Nihon Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

VIDEO: Feast your eyes on 20 years of high-def Tokyo streets

As we approach the long Thanksgiving weekend, here’s a feast of a different sort. Let your eyes consume this incredible, high-definition video of Tokyo during the Showa Era. Spanning a period of almost two decades, the videos show how dramatically … Continue reading

Posted in Video | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

BACK ROADS: Mitsubishi Debonair

If asked to conjure the most opulent Japanese cars ever built, the first that come to mind is probably the Toyota Century. A Nissan President may come in a close second, or maybe even a Gloria Turbo Brougham VIP Super … Continue reading

Posted in Back Roads | Tagged , | 9 Comments

MINICARS: A beginner’s guide to JNC Legos, Part 03

In the final installment of our beginner’s guide to Lego JNCs, we are going to focus on the prevailing style of builds in Japan. In Part 01 we admired highly complex creations comprised of hundreds of pieces where the sky’s the … Continue reading

Posted in minicars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

GRAND TOURING: Isumi Matsuri

If there’s one thing that gets carriage-loads of people enthused, it’s trains — especially in Japan, where everyone loves trains. So, combining a wide range of Showa Era kyusha with a summer matsuri (festival) and organizing it at the most famous … Continue reading

Posted in Grand Touring | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Behold the bonkers trippiness of these Yellow Hat commercials

Yellow Hat is a nationwide Japanese chain of auto service stores whose ad agency has clearly huffed one exhaust molecule too many. The completely Mr Sparkle-ized ads exist ostensibly to notify you of Yellow Hat’s tire and battery services, but the execution … Continue reading

Posted in cm | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

GRAND TOURING: Tohoku, Part 02

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the twin disasters — a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and devastating tsunami — that struck Japan off the coast of Tohoku in 2011. In remembrance, we are re-running a series of stories that relate to the event’s aftermath. This … Continue reading

Posted in Grand Touring, honda, isuzu, kei, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

EVENTS: 2015 Mooneyes All Odds Nationals

If you’re looking for high-powered GT-Rs and the like, Mooneyes shows are probably not for you. The cars you find at a typical Mooneyes event celebrate the art of customization, whether it’s on kei cars or commercial trucks. The vehicles here less about racing than … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

JNC RADIO: Sing along to the The Auto Show Song

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

EVENTS: Showa Kinen Park Car Show

Today’s guest writer is Chris Nicholson, who keeps the cars running at the Lane Motor Museum. Chris recently attended a classic car show in Showa Kinen Park. Every trip to Japan is full of wonder, and every trip to Japan is too … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Ten years, 100,000km of Mitsubishi ownership

Back in 2010 Mitsubishi went around Japan looking for the most loyal members of the triple diamond clan. They sent journalist Hirohisa Kaneko across the country looking for individuals who had owned their Mitsubishis for either 10 years or 100,000km … Continue reading

Posted in mitsubishi | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

EVENTS: Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show

Step into Mooneyes‘ Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show and you might think you’ve stepped through a wormhole to 1960s America. Every style you can imagine, from high-boys to lowriders, is represented, including ones actual Americans no longer care about. Raked … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

EVENTS: Mooneyes Hot Rod & Custom Show

There’s no event on Earth that captures the the fusion of Japano-American car culture quite like the Mooneyes Hot Rod & Custom Show. Everything from Baja Bugs to T-Buckets are represented, with the majority of cars shown are imports to … Continue reading

Posted in events, isuzu, mitsubishi, nissan, subaru, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Grand Touring: The Kii Peninsula via the newly opened Shin-Tomei Expressway

Earlier this year the first section of the Shin-Tomei Expressway opened for traffic, marking a new era for Japan’s highway system. Naturally we went exploring, taking this newest road to one of the oldest inhabited regions of Japan, the Kii Peninsula.

Posted in Grand Touring, honda, mitsubishi, nissan, subaru, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

EVENTS: 2012 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, Part 02: Sedans

The Mooneyes Street Car Nationals may take place in Tokyo, but unlike the typical kyuusha gathering the SCN is a celebration of Amesha Kulture. That’s why you’re more likely to spot a Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier van than a G-nosed Z, and … Continue reading

Posted in events, honda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Your gallery of Superdeformed Nostalgics is here

In case you were wondering where you could get your favorite nostalgic drawn in superdeformed anime style, your prayers have been answered. This unnamed master of Choro-Q style illustrations is a master of the form. Peep the gallery and video … Continue reading

Posted in honda, isuzu, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, prince, subaru, suzuki, toyota | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

What a Japanese Redneck Would Drive

Whilst browsing The Intarwebs last weekend we came across this feat of fabrication. Why anyone would ute the Triple Diamond’s executive town car is something we, sadly, do not have the answer to. What we do have is a Mitsubishi Debonair … Continue reading

Posted in mitsubishi | Tagged , , | 7 Comments