Monthly Archives: May 2018
The heartwarming tale of strangers rescuing a Datsun wagon from the desert
There is a B310 Datsun Wagon that has been baking in a remote corner of the Mojave desert for over 20 years. The car was abandoned there when the owner died in a freak accident, but now, in a heartwarming tale … Continue reading
NEWS: Mazda celebrates production of 50 millionth car
On May 15, Mazda reached a production milestone. The Hiroshima-based company has built 50 million cars since it began making its first road vehicles in October 1931. A small ceremony was held at the Hofu plant in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
VIDEO: Suzuki Jimny ads sure beat the crap out of these kei SUVs
We continued to be tickled by the fact that Suzuki is releasing a lot of archival footage showing the evolution of their products. From animated history lessons to old ads, the company seems to be digging deep into the vault for this stuff … Continue reading
Happy S30 Day from JNC
Well, there really isn’t an S30 Day on the calendar, but the seminal Japanese sports car certainly deserves a day of its own. So, we might as well make May 30 that day, because an “S” looks kind of like … Continue reading
VINTAGE RACING JOURNAL: The Mitty, Part 04 — The Final Race
It was only in 2010 that I attended my first vintage race as a spectator. Eight years later, I was reliving racing history at the famed Road Atlanta circuit in an authentic C-Production 240Z I had spent a year restoring. We can only … Continue reading
QotW: What JNC belongs in a museum?
Looking over the new Petersen Automotive Museum exhibition: Monozukuri, the Creative Spirit in Japanese Automaking and Fine Tuning from last Friday’s post has me excited to see all the rare J-tin on display for all (go see it in person!). … Continue reading
MINICARS: Can you help us identify these Japanese race car toys?
I recently rediscovered these toys of two historic Japanese endurance racing prototypes. They are completely plastic, have no branding underneath, but are extremely well-made examples. Can you help us identify where they came from?
Posted in minicars
Tagged 24 Hours of Daytona, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 787b, mazda, minicars, nissan, R91CP
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KIDNEY, ANYONE? S40 Toyota Crown BOGO
There’s a incredibly rare S40 Toyota Crown being auctioned on Bring A Trailer right now. It’s located in New Hampshire and has no reserve. Specifically, it’s a 1966 Toyota Crown Deluxe with a 3R engine and a three-on-the-tree manual transmission. And, if you act now, they’ll … Continue reading
JNC THEATER: A Datsun 510 episode of Wheeler Dealers
It’s been a while since we mentioned Wheeler Dealers (is the show any good since Edd China left?) but tonight’s feature car is something that piqued our interest. It’s a Datsun 510, that seemingly had hopes of being a BRE tribute car … Continue reading
NEWS: New license plates reflect 41 regions of Japan
For nearly 70 years, the simple green-on-white number plate has been the default vehicle registration identifier for passenger cars throughout Japan. That’s all about to change, because on May 22 the Japanese government unveiled 41 new license plate designs, each … Continue reading
EVENTS: Get a discount code to The Petersen Automotive Museum’s unprecedented Japanese car exhibit
This week the Petersen Automotive Museum is opening three unprecedented exhibits featuring classic Japanese cars. Although the Petersen has exhibited classic J-tin in the past, this is the first time nostalgics have taken such a prominent position in the museum’s … Continue reading
Happy 521 Day from JNC
You can’t not love an honest truck. They basically tie dogs for status of man’s best friend. The Datsun 520 and 521 were the first of the modern compact pickups by Nissan, and kicked off decades of the breed. Obligatory: Wish … Continue reading
QotW: What made you start collecting Hot Wheels?
After hearing of Hot Wheels’ 50th anniversary and Jun Imai’s departure from Mattel, I began thinking back to when I started collecting Hot Wheels. It was the “Toyota AE-86 Corolla” that set my heart afire. To see the beloved Hachiroku next … Continue reading
MINICARS: the Jun Imai Era comes to a close at Hot Wheels
There is just one more bit of Hot Wheels news left for today, and it’s a sad one. Our friend and star designer Jun Imai has left Mattel for new opportunities. We had known it was happening for a couple … Continue reading
Happy 50th Birthday to Hot Wheels from JNC
Today we mark 50 years of Hot Wheels, the brand that changed toy cars forever and stoked the flames of automotive passion in millions. Since 1968 was the debut year for Hot Wheels and the US-market Datsun 510, we wanted to commemorate … Continue reading
50 YEAR CLUB: Hot Wheels celebrates half a century of toy cars
Fifty years ago today, the world was introduced to what just might be the most influential cars ever made. The automotive world was forever changed on May 18, 1968 when Mattel introduced the Hot Wheels brand of toy cars to … Continue reading
Posted in 50 Year Club, Hot Wheels, minicars
Tagged 2000gt, 200sx, 240z, 260z, 300zx, 50 Year Club, 510, a60, acura, ae86, Alton Takeyasu, bluebird, corolla, Corvette Stingray, datsun, honda, hot wheels, mazda, nissan, nsx, Odyssey, rx-7, Ryu Asada, s110, s30 z, sa22, silvia, supra, toyota, z31
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VIDEO: Classic car commercials in Australia would be unthinkable in the US
When Ricky told me to check out the Shannons video about the Isuzu Car Club of Australia gathering, I did. But the thing that absolutely blew my mind wasn’t even an Isuzu. It was this classic car insurance ad, which … Continue reading
VIDEO: The world’s biggest classic Isuzu meet isn’t in Japan
It is noted somewhere in this video that the Isuzu Car Club of Australia is one of the country’s smallest car clubs, but also one of the oldest. This year it celebrates its 50th anniversary and, despite its size, dwarfs … Continue reading
