Author Archives: Ben Hsu
QotW: Which non-sports, non-luxe JNC is destined to be a classic?
Identifying cars like the GT-R or LFA as future classics is like predicting you’ll see a crash in a Russian dashcam video. It’s obvious, and you don’t get a cookie. It’s much harder to recognize a run-of-the-mill model that will achieve greatness. Therefore, we ask: Which … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 09 — Editors’ Picks
Each year as part of our Japanese Classic Car Show coverage, we pick our favorites to highlight. We had six members of the JNC team at the show this year, plus one car that we voted on collectively to give the JNC Award. Here’s what we chose.
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Tagged 510, bluebird, bosozoku, c110, datsun, Editor's Choice, galant gto, honda, hot wheels, japanese classic car show, jccs, jimny, jun imai, kenmeri, LJ80, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, prelude, rx-4, Ryu Asada, skyline, suzuki
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Toyota celebrates 50 years in Canada
Toyota is officially celebrating 50 years in Canada. Established in 1964, the story is similar to that of Toyota USA. From humble beginnings — just 755 cars sold in its first year — the company has grown at an amazing … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show Part 08 — Motorcycles
Though sleds of chrome and Nihon steel will always be at the heart of JCCS, in 2011 organizers began accepting vintage Japanese motorcycles as well. It’s fitting, anyway, as two-wheeled vehicles are still hugely popular in Japan, and is how much of the Japanese motoring … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show
Part 07 — Taking Stock
As we near the end of our 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show coverage, we delve into the crux of what it means to have a classic car show. Here are some of the rarest and best preserved Japanese nostalgic cars you’ll see … Continue reading
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Tagged 240z, 280z, 510, a20, a40, accord, acura, ae86, b210, b310, black pearl, bluebird, CA6, capella, celica, charade, corolla, corona, cosmo, Cosplay, cressida, crown, crx, daihatsu, datsun, e20, ef, honda, honey bee, integra, kujira, mazda, miata, mx-5, MX-5 NA, MX-5 ND, n10, N360/N600, nissan, nsx, Peter Cunningham, prelude, pulsar, RealTime Racing, rx-2, rx-3, rx-5, s30, s60, sunny, t80, TLX, toyota, wagons, x30, x60
19 Comments
QotW: Which People’s JNC is due for a remake?
Italy had a Beetle; It was called the Fiat 500. So did Britain, the Mini. The VW Beetle was Germany’s Beetle, obviously, but it was America’s too. What all these cars had in common is that they started out as affordable, economical … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 05 — Made in the 80s
While chrome-bumpered machines from the 60s and 70s are still the Japanese Classic Car Show’s core, urethane capped 80s cars are making their presence known in a big way. In this installment we look at iconic cars from the Reagan decade.
QotW: What car is not worth preserving?
Recently the JNC wagon, our daily driven 1986 Cressida, was backed into, smashing the headlight, front bumper and fender. That’s the danger with driving your beloved classic around. Add years of rock chips and other indignities suffered during LA driving … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 04 — Modified Machines
This year the Japanese Classic Car Show began screening entrants. A JNC editorial on the development generated heated debate, with many assuming that the Queen Mary lawn would be filled with identical, bone stock examples that all looked the same. Turns out, … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 03 — The Sixties
The Sixties were a time of rapid growth and optimism for Japan. Automakers just built whatever they felt like with no cares given to what western markets would bear, and before the companies themselves settled into a comfortable pattern of four-year lifecycles. There is probably no … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 02 — JDM
As long-time readers know, the Japanese domestic market was stocked with stunning machinery that never made it to our shores. The Japanese Classic Car Show is likely the only place in the western hemisphere where you can see so many of … Continue reading
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Tagged 240z, 280zx, 510, b110, bluebird, c10, c110, c30, civic, civic wagon, corolla, corolla levin, datsun, ef, fairlady z, galant gto, honda, Kazuhiro Furukawa, laurel, mitsubishi, nissan, osaka jdm, p30, publica, r30, Ryu Asada, s130, s30, skyline, sports 800, sprinter trueno, starlet, sunny, te27, toyota
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QotW: What’s the best shade of JNC orange?
With fall among us (well, not all of us, as it is a balmy 100 degrees in Los Angeles in October), the leaves are changing. Therefore, it’s time we ask: What’s the best shade of JNC orange? Japanese cars have … Continue reading
JNC “25 Year Club” Decal now available
UPDATE: These are now available in the JNC Shop. We at JNC like to come up with something new each year for JCCS, and this year we’re proud to introduce a new, interactive decal. The JNC “25 Year Club” decal honors cars … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 — Debut Builds
With the Japanese Classic Car Show now officially 10 years old, it has become an event where people will wait to debut a build they’ve been working on in secrecy for years. Here are some of the best examples of cars … Continue reading
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Tagged 510, accord, bre, c10, c110, CA1, corona mark II, fairlady z, gto, Hakosuka, honda, japanese classic car show, jccs, john morton, kenmeri, mitsubishi, n-series, nissan, peter brock, s30, skyline, wagons, x20
26 Comments
Mazda’s founder escaped Hiroshima nuke by a hair
If it weren’t for the way a split second unfolded on the morning of August 6, 1945, some of the world’s greatest cars, like the Cosmo Sport, RX-7 and Miata, may have never existed. That was the day Mazda Motor Corporation’s founder, … Continue reading
2014 JCCS, a hint of what’s to come
It was an astounding show. This shot — taken from the safari rack on the roof of Isuzugeek Bart‘s Trooper, which he drove all the way down from Reno, Nevada — is just a small sampling. We’ll have more this week.
QotW: Which JNC model name should be revived?
History is littered with legendary nameplates that have ended in the scrapyard. We saw many of them at JCCS this weekend (coverage coming shortly), and it made us nostalgic for times when names like Silvia, Cressida and Prelude still existed. Which JNC model … Continue reading
EVENTS: Monterey Historics, Part 05 — Sights & Sounds
The Monterey Historics car week is one of the world’s great automotive events, and 2014 was a milestone year for Japanese classics. After all, seminal Nihon steel made strong showings at auctions, iconic Japanese cars raced at Laguna Seca, and Japanese automakers even held news-making unveilings … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the rarest common car?
There are some JNCs that you just don’t see, and it’s a mystery as to why. We’re not talking about kenmeri GT-Rs or Black Limited AE86s and the like. Those were never produced in large numbers or were special editions to … Continue reading
