Author Archives: Ben Hsu
JCCS PREVIEW: JNC “KAIDO” Shirt
As long time readers know, it’s tradition for us to debut a new shirt at each JCCS. This year we’re paying homage to the rich car culture of Japan with the JNC Kaido shirt.
EVENTS: Japanese Classic Car Show this Saturday
There are only five days to go until the 9th annual Japanese Classic Car Show. The exhibition at Queen Mary Park in Long Beach, California has been hugely influential event since its inception in 2005, a driving force in the … Continue reading
Posted in events
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QotW: How would you like to see the JNC scene evolve?
This coming weekend will be the ninth Japanese Classic Car Show. In those nine years, awareness of vintage Nihon steel has grown in leaps and bounds. They are acknowledged by mainstream media that used to willfully dismiss them, values of … Continue reading
NEWS: New Datsun wagon and pickup coming soon, and the mistake everyone makes about the new Datsun
Last month we were invited to Nissan’s global product showcase. After the Zama classics and Juke-R, the car we were most eager to see was the new Datsun Go. he first new model to wear the revered Datsun name in decades. Since … Continue reading
PROFILES: Tom Knudsen, Nihon Classics Ambassador
“Japanese cars will never be classics.” That was a sentiment commonly expressed by traditional collectors when we founded JNC in 2006. Despite huge strides in recognition made since then, there are people who still think so. Tom Knudsen is not … Continue reading
NEWS: Eiji Toyoda, the man who built Toyota, 1913-2013
Eiji Toyoda, the man who led Toyota from its formative years to a worldwide manufacturing empire, has passed away at the age of 100 years and five days. His career at Toyota spans the time from the Toyoda AA to … Continue reading
JNC Forum is live again.
Over the weekend the JNC forum experienced a catastrophic database crash equivalent to a con-rod through the block. For four days we worked with our webhost to trouble shoot the problem. At one point we thought we had lost … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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MOTORSPORT: Nissan to restore 1971 Safari Rally winning Datsun 240Z
Deep within the corporate juggernaut of Nissan Motor Company there’s a team of 60 old school petrolheads. Many of them have been around for decades, bearing witness to the racing programs of the automaker’s most famous race cars. Next up … Continue reading
Posted in motorsports, nissan
Tagged 240z, datsun, motorsport, nissan, rally, safari rally
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QotW: Which JNC should remain stock?
Look, we know it’s fun to take a 2,200-pound car that doesn’t require any smog checks and shoehorn into it the biggest engine you can find. However, one day these cars are going to be rare (some would say they … Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan 360, Part 03 – Driving Insane Stuff
Thus far our Nissan 360 coverage has focused on your rare but predictable classic and race cars. However, the global Nissan empire is built on stuff sold in reaches of the world you can’t even find on a map. So every four … Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan 360, Part 02 – 80 Years of Cars
In December Nissan will turn 80 years old, and in light of that milestone this year’s multi-day Nissan 360 press event was all about heritage. Part 01 of our coverage spotlighted the company’s rich motorsports lineage, including some race cars never before seen on … Continue reading
Posted in News, nissan
Tagged 240z, 510, bluebird, concepts, csp311, datsun, Datsun Type 14, EXTREM, Fairlady 1200, fairlady z, Friend-ME, Hypermini, kei, moco, nissan, Nissan 360, Resonance, silvia, SPL213, tama
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NEWS: Mazda Furai destroyed by fire while in Top Gear custody
The Mazda Furai is (correction: was) one of the greatest concept cars ever built. After debuting in 2007 it was everywhere. Then it was nowhere, making zero public appearances when the car’s very reason for existence was to make public … Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan 360, Part 01 – Racing Heritage
For the Nissan faithful, the name Zama needs no introduction. The sleepy little town outside of Yokohama is home to Japan’s largest and most wondrous collection of classic and race cars, wholly owned by the Nissan Motor Company. For decades … Continue reading
Posted in motorsports, museums, News, nissan
Tagged 510, bluebird, bre, datsun, datsun 210, GT-R GT3, japan grand prix, john morton, Kazuyoshi Hoshino, le mans, Leaf NISMO RC, mobilgas trial, motorsports, nissan, Nissan 360, nissan heritage collection, prince, r35, r380, R390 GT1, s54, skyline, Yoshikazu Sunako, Zama, ZEOD RC
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QotW: Which JNC do you most want to see in person?
Here in SoCal, we take a lot of things for granted. One of them is the fact that we get to see some of the rarest Japanese cars ever built. Several times a year, we feast our eyes on sheetmetal … Continue reading
FUTURE NOSTALGIC: 2014 Toyota Sienna SE
Yes, we put a tsurikawa on a minivan. But not just any minivan. We’re talkin’ bout the baddest baby boomer bus on the block — the Toyota Sienna SE. Call us crazy, but we think this is one of the … Continue reading
VIDEO: KE10 and AE86 shill for 2014 Toyota Corolla
The latest commercial for the 2014 Toyota Corolla will either make you think Toyota is pretty rad or ruin your entire day. The spot titled “Step Up to Style” starts with cool 60s daddy-os groovin’ with a KE10. Flash forward … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? $1,600 Datsun steering wheel watch auctioned at Bonhams
We’d gladly give up our internal organs for ridiculously rare cars, but a wristwatch? Amidst all the excitement over million dollar Toyotas at the Monterey Historics we nearly overlooked the fact that a rare Datsun timepiece sold for $1,586 at … Continue reading
QotW: What’s the hardest work you’ve put into a JNC?
This long weekend was Labor Day here in America. In theory, you’re supposed to be free from work during its observance, but most car guys spent it wrenching. What’s the hardest work you’ve put into a JNC? This is not … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1968 Toyota 2000GT follow-up
Recently a second Toyota 2000GT went up for auction. When the bidding was over, the gavel fell on $935,000 for the 1968 Belatrix Yellow supercar. While it fell slightly short of the $1.2 million baby from Texas earlier this year, … Continue reading
