Tag Archives: sambar

A Subaru Sambar is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ new Party Wagon

Like Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine and Inspector Gadget’s Gadgetmobile, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Party Wagon is one of the all-time great cartoon vans. Since the original show in 1987, it’s always been depicted as a generic yellow-and-green box on … Continue reading

Posted in Film/TV | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Japanese Classic Car Show 2021, Part 01

To close out 2021, a year where things were finally opening up again, we’re going back to the Japanese Classic Car Show. After a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, JCCS was back in full form. Perhaps trying to … Continue reading

Posted in events, jccs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 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

MINICARS: 2021 Matchbox lineup includes MR2, BRAT, T360, and more

The annual Matchbox collector’s convention was supposed to be last weekend, but the coronavirus happened. Instead, it was held virtually, with a video presentation to show what’s coming down the line. There’s a lot of excellent new castings for fans … Continue reading

Posted in minicars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

2019 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 — USDM Rare

Even in the 15th year of the wonderful and ever-growing Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, California, after so many iterations, there are still new things for the casual Japanese car enthusiast to discover. The phyla of Japanese cars … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Automotive Invitational

It has been a banner year for Nihon steel at Monterey Car Week. The annual series of ultra-prestigious automotive events have traditionally excluded Japanese cars, but 2018 saw, for example, Nissan become the first carmaker from Japan to be honored … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

MINICARS: Subaru SVX and Sambar, Honda S2000, Nissan trucks join Matchbox lineup in 2019

The annual Matchbox convention took place last weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is where the diecast brand has traditionally revealed the new cars to appear in next year’s lineup. As it turns out, in 2019 there will be several … Continue reading

Posted in minicars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Subaru celebrates 60 years with Japanese postage stamp set

Subaru is celebrating its 60th anniversary in Japan this year, and to honor the occasion the country’s post offices are issuing a set of commemorative stamps. The postage sheet features several Subaru models from the company’s six decades of cars, from the 360 (in … Continue reading

Posted in Collectibles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

VIDEO: Subaru releases dueling heritage spots

This year is Subaru’s 60th anniversary as a carmaker, its 50th anniversary in the US, and also the 30th anniversary of STI, so it makes sense that the company is going HAM on the heritage spots. In a span of a … Continue reading

Posted in Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

VIDEO: You can’t not love the Subaru Sambar

Scott Coletti is a lifetime Subaru fanatic, and his 360 Sambar is among the best kept examples stateside. I can only think of a handful that are anywhere near to being on par. He’s honest about the van — it’s … Continue reading

Posted in Video | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

EVENTS: 2018 New Year Meeting, Part 04 — Trucks

The New Year Meeting has plenty of cars and wares, but one needs to get them to the show in style. We’ve covered the classics, now let’s look at some of the commercial vehicles — utes, vans and trucks — that are … Continue reading

Posted in new year meeting | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

EVENTS: Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 03 — Stock as a Rock

Before we get started on this installment of the 2017 JCCS coverage, let us just say that it has become impossible to capture every click-worthy car on camera. That’s a good thing, a testament to the ever-increasing quality of cars … Continue reading

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

EVENTS: New Year Meeting 2017, Part 06 — Trucks, Wagons, Vans, and Kei Jidosha

One of the great things about the New Year Meeting is that in addition to all the brilliant classics and street machines, commercial vehicles are welcomed as well. There aren’t many places on the planet where you’ll see such a gathering of classic Japanese … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

EVENTS: Subaru holds first official Fan Meeting in Japan

Subaru recently held its inaugural Fan Meeting at the Subaru Kenkyu Center in Tochigi. SKC fort short, the Research & Testing Center is the proving ground where many of Subaru’s signature high performance cars, such as the Alcyone SVX and WRX … Continue reading

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

EVENTS: Old Car Heaven, Part 01

Recently I was invited to accompany the Prince Driver’s Club to Kyuusha Tengoku, or Old Car Heaven, on the outskirts of downtown Tokyo. With many cars expected, we were asked to assemble on site at 06:00 in the morning. The early … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

EVENTS: 2015 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 08 — Editors’ Choice

As is tradition, each year we conclude our JCCS coverage with list of our favorites, and each year it gets harder and harder to choose. I asked the JNC staff to each pick the two cars that they liked the most, and provide a … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

EVENTS: 2015 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 04 — Workhorses

This year’s JCCS had a higher turnout, truck-wise, than any other in recent memory. Former workhorses that managed to survive — or evade — decades of hard labor showed up en masse on Queen Mary lawn to enjoy their new status as classics. 

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

NIHON LIFE: A kei car Sunday

For a number of years we’ve passed a lone Subaru 360 perched atop a rack built from scaffold over a similar-age Sambar truck. I kept thinking, “I must stop and photograph it before it disappears.” Like a Honda S500 no … Continue reading

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

EVENTS: 2015 New Year Meeting, Part 06 — Trucks, Vans and Wagons

There’s nothing like a good, honest work truck. In fact, many of the earliest forms of four-wheeled transport in Japan were commercial vehicles, but precious few, like this row of forlorn-looking Mazda Porter Cabs, have survived till retirement without major wear … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

EVENTS: 2014 Meiji Jingu Classic Car Festival, Part 01

Unlike last year‘s clear blue skies and balmy weather, this year’s Meiji Jingu Classic Car Festival was held on a cool, wet Saturday. The annual event, put on by the Toyota Automobile museum, welcomes all marques and takes place in a … Continue reading

Posted in events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments