Author Archives: Ben Hsu

QotW: Which JNC commands the most respect?

Today is Respect for the Aged Day in Japan, so… Which JNC commands the most respect? With its racing provenance, menacing grille and the fact that its modern day successor eats supercars for breakfast, the Nissan KPGC10 GT-R seems like the obvious … Continue reading

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MUSEUMS: Motoring Mysteries of the Far East

If you’re on the East Coast and looking for a place to get your JNC fix this weekend, may we recommend the AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The museum has gathered a fantastic and diverse cross section of Japanese vehicles … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Monterey Historics, Part 03 — Motorsports Reunion

Perhaps the only thing more heavenly than hearing a cacophony of uncorked engines at full tear is actually witnessing a fleet of irreplaceable metal come screaming over the hills. The Rolex Motorsports Reunion is one of the highlights — possibly the highlight — of … Continue reading

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EDITORIAL: JCCS now screening entrants. This is a good thing.

The 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show is less than three weeks away. It’ll be a milestone event as the JCCS reaches its 10th year in existence. We hope you can join us at the Queen Mary Park in Long Beach, California on September … Continue reading

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NEWS: This is the ND Mazda MX-5 Miata

At 6:00pm Pacific Time, Mazda unveiled the fourth-gen Mazda MX-5 Miata globally and simultaneously in Tokyo, Monterey, and Barcelona. After arriving at Cannery Row in Monterey, we were shuffled into a black, tinted-windows bus headed to an undisclosed location. We thought the unveil may … Continue reading

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INTERVIEW: Bob Hall talks Japanese nostalgics, the Miata, and how the Lotus Elan fits in

In light of the 25th anniversary of the Mazda Miata and the fact that the fourth-gen is just hours away from unveiling, here is an interview with Bob Hall. It was probably appropriate that we met with Bob Hall at … Continue reading

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QotW: What’s the coolest “chick’s car”?

Fairly or not, many JNCs are labeled “chick’s cars” because they are compact, sport inoffensive designs, and embody performance in ways more civilized than spewing a boatload of HP. Besides, what’s so bad about being a “chick’s car” anyway? What’s the coolest “chick’s car”? … Continue reading

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Happy Labor Day from JNC

It’s not work if you love it, right? Happy Labor Day from JNC.

Posted in jnc | 8 Comments

KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1980 Plymouth Arrow Sport Truck with less than 19k miles

It’s a miracle! A 1980 Plymouth Arrow Sport Truck has appeared on Craiglist in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This rare captive import version of a Mitsubishi Forte pickup has color-matched wheels, the most 1970s stripe package you can imagine, and just 18,854 miles on the clock. 

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QotW: What Japanese car did we get the better version of?

Type Rs, GT-Rs, S20s, SR20s, and so on. So often we hear about how Japan kept the best stuff for themselves, while we cackling execs foisted detuned sissy versions on our shores. But that’s wasn’t always the case, and we’d like to know: What … Continue reading

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NEXT VERSION: A closer look at the Toyota FT-1 Graphite

The Toyota FT-1 is just a stunning piece of design. And now, Toyota’s built a second one and painted it Graphite Gray, making it even more beautiful than the first. It was unveiled last week at McCall’s Motorworks Revival, an exclusive pre-party … Continue reading

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25 YEAR CLUB: The R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R is officially a Japanese Nostalgic Car

“No victory, unless GT-R.” That was the saying in Japan when Nissan’s Skyline GT-R became the most dominant racing machine of its era. No, this is not another story about the hakosuka’s 50-plus victories; the adage was coined for its successor. … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Monterey Historics, Part 02 — The Auctions

We’re going to do things out of chronological order because we felt it was important to report on the auctions of four significant Japanese cars as they happened. Now that we’ve recuperated from the madness, here’s how it went down, … Continue reading

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QotW: What’s the next Japanese collectible?

Over the weekend we saw what the KPGC10, Cosmo Sport and 2000GT can do at auction. However, those flagship models have been the obvious choices in terms of collectibility. What’s the next Japanese collectible? If we’ve learned anything from Monterey, … Continue reading

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NEWS: 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport sells for $264,000

Minutes after the white Toyota 2000GT crossed the block at Gooding & Co., a short-wheel base 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport did the same.Both were from the same collection, an unnamed collector that also sold a BMW 507 and 1969 Camaro … Continue reading

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NEWS: Toyota 2000GTs sell for $1 million each

The Toyota 2000GT is a million dollar car. But you already knew that. In the auction world, the rule of thumb is that a car needs to sell for a particular price three time before it’s considered legit. Two 2000GTs … Continue reading

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NEWS: KPGC10 Nissan Skyline GT-R sells for $242,000

We will have more detailed coverage early next week, but we just wanted to tell you that the first KPGC10 Skyline GT-R to sell at auction broke expectations with a $220,000 sale in Monterey. RM Auctions expected it to go … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Monterey Historics, Part 01

So after we dropped off the hakosuka GT-R at Nissan’s garage, we set out to see what the rest of the Monterey Historics had to offer. It is the most mind-detonatingly expensive automotive festival in this hemisphere, a world we … Continue reading

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EVENTS: KPGC10 Skyline GT-R at the Monterey Historics

We just brought a genuine KPGC10 Skyline GT-R to the Monterey Historics. It was a bit surreal to say the least, watching it enter the paddocks of the legendary Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Though it never raced here, the circuit is the GT-R’s natural environment, … Continue reading

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PROFILES: The lost Datsun 240Z Sport Wagon

At this year’s Z Car Club of America’s annual convention, a unique 240Z was unveiled. The Datsun 240Z “Sport Wagon” was borne from the mind of Yoshihiko Matsuo, the original stylist of the Datsun 240Z. Though it was never put into … Continue reading

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