Author Archives: Ben Hsu
The saddest poem you’ll ever read
Forget Keats, forget Yeats. An unnamed Mazda RX-7 owner has penned the world’s saddest poem. Found in the missed connections section of Austin, Texas’s craigslist, it tells the tale of a new FC owner that found his formerly original-paint ’88 was no longer … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 24k-mile Mitsubishi Twin-Stick
The Mitsubishi Mirage (aka Dodge Colt (aka Plymouth Champ)) has one of the most interesting transmissions ever built, with as many gear ratios as your first big kid and two shift levers poking out of the cabin floor like a split hair. And … Continue reading
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Tagged champ, colt, dodge, kidney anyone, mirage, mitsubishi, plymouth, Super Shift, Twin Stick
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QotW: What’s the most anticipated “Class of 1990” JNC?
Today is Coming of Age Day in Japan, a holiday in which adolescents become adults. Local city halls in towns across the country invite the newly minted adults for a small ceremony, a tradition that dates back to 714 AD. Of course … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
Tagged bluebird, Class of 1990, datsun, maxima, Nissan 810, QotW, Question of the Week, transformers
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DESIGN: An interview with Nissan designer Ken Lee
It’s not often that you find yourself hurtling down narrow two-lane roads with the guy that designed the very car you’re sitting in. We recently had the rare opportunity to take a ride with Ken Lee, a senior creative manager at Nissan … Continue reading
EVENTS: SevenStock 17 Spotlight — Cherry Capellas
As the name implies, SevenStock is heavy on the Sevens. At SevenStock 17, however, Mazda RX-2s made a tremendous showing. We presented some of them already, along with R100s, RX-3s, REPUs and, yes, RX-7s galore. But there were three examples of Capellas, if going by their Japanese name, that deserved to … Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC should be a Transformer and what should its name be?
Happy 2015! We asked for a Question of the Week in last Monday’s Question of the Week, and you delivered. So to kick off a new year of QotWs, here’s (one of) the winning questions. Which JNC should be a Transformer … Continue reading
QotW: What question should we ask next year?
We’ve asked you for many answers, but we’ve yet to ask you for a question. As the year draws to a close, what would you like to know from your fellow JNCers? What question should we ask next? What say … Continue reading
GALLERIES: Honda Heritage Center opens in Ohio
Honda has opened a new Heritage Center at its plants and R&D center in Marysville, Ohio. Take note, this is a different collection of Honda vehicles than the American Honda Collection we recently toured in Torrance, California. This one showcases … Continue reading
VIDEO: Nissan explores pickup history in “Truckumentary”
The next-generation Nissan Titan will be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Leading up to it, Nissan has produced a multi-part “Truckumentary” leading up to its reveal. Part one delves into Nissan’s storied truck history.
QotW: What is your JNC getting for the holidays?
The holidays are meant to be spent with your loved ones. Sometimes your family is there too. What is your JNC getting for the holidays? A new car cover, some fresh new wheels, or perhaps that impossible-to-find NOS plastic bezel that hasn’t been … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 29k-mile 1986 Toyota Cressida
Before Lexus, there was Cressida. The top-of-the-line Toyota from its 1980s glory days was a tech-laden luxo-barge with rear-wheel-drive and an M-series straight-six that will outlast the cockroaches. Obscure enough to have a cult following but cheap enough to be snapped up by … Continue reading
REMINDER: Get your California blue plate before year’s end
So here’s a thing that is probably not going to happen due to lack of interest. But it should! The California Legacy License Plate Program is offering you a chance to get a legal blue plate for your 1969-87 cars, and … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the greatest Japanese nostalgic rally car?
With all the snow blanketing the country this winter, you might as well be rallying. There have been many a JNC throughout history built for tackling the not-quite-paved roads of the world. What’s the greatest Japanese nostalgic rally car? The A73 Lancer 1600 GSR was … Continue reading
EVENTS: SevenStock 17
SevenStock is the annual gathering of the Southern California Rotary Club. The combination car show and track day is one of the largest American assemblages Mazdas both old and new, held at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California with official support … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? One-owner, 40k-mile Toyota Celica
Up for auction right now is a 1973 Toyota Celica with just over 40,000 miles. According to the listing, it has had only one owner previous to the current seller, who acquired it in an estate sale upon the first owner’s passing.
QotW: How does a JNCer pass the winter?
The weather sucks in much of the country and/or world. Even SoCal is experiencing the strange meteorological phenomenon in which drops of water mysteriously fell from the sky and temperatures dipped into the low 60s. It’s hard out there for a JNCer. … Continue reading
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GALLERIES: The American Honda Collection, Part 02 — Soichiro’s Dream
From a shed in the middle of a burned out lot in 1946 to a small US subsidiary selling motorcycles in 1959 to their first US-sold car in 1970, the company Soichiro Honda founded has come a long way. In Part 01 of our visit … Continue reading
