Author Archives: Ben Hsu
QotW: What’s the best car commercial from Japan?
Now that the star of one of the most famous Japanese car commercials has been rediscovered, it’s time we asked: What’s the best car commercial from Japan? The 1972 Nissan Skyline hit the market just as Japanese citizens getting hooked … Continue reading
EVENTS: The Bayline Gathering, Part 01
Ever since Motoring J Style faded in 2008 there’s been a void in the NorCal nostalgic scene. The Bay Area is rife with vintage Nihon steel, and it needs a bona fide show to bring the cars out from their garages.
Posted in events, nissan, toyota
Tagged 240k, 240z, 260z, 280z, 510, ae86, aw11, b110, bbs, bluebird, c10, c110, corolla, corona mark II, cressida, datsun, diane krey, fairlady z, fj cruiser, gc10, gt-r, Hakosuka, jdm legends, jzz30, kenmeri, kgc10, kgc110, kpgc10, kpgc110, levin, lexus, lexus sc, mini, MkI, mr2, mx72, nissan, panasport, rs watanabe, s30, skyline, sprinter, ssr, sunny, toyota, trueno, tsurikawa, watanabes, x70
27 Comments
Hungarian in JNC T-shirt makes world’s greatest neo-hachiroku video
Look out, Top Gear. A Hungarian in, at varying times, Initial-D and JNC T-shirts has created what is being hailed as the world’s greatest Toyota GT 86 review. It might even be one of the greatest car review videos, period, neo-hachiroku or … Continue reading
Kidney, Anyone? 1979 TE51 Toyota Corolla SR5 Sport Coupe
This 1979 Toyota Corolla SR5 Sport Coupe popped up on eBay over the weekend with a $4,250 asking price and several days left on the auction clock. Then, faster you can say “Kidney, Anyone?” it was gone.
QotW: What’s the best model name?
The Japanese are known for colorful uses of the English language when it comes to christening their cars. There’s seductive women’s names like Silvia and Gloria, word salads like the Isuzu Wizard Alive and Honda Life Dunk, and perfectly chosen appellations like … Continue reading
Posted in mazda, minicars, nissan, Question of the Week, toyota
Tagged 110s, 240z, 260z, 280z, choro-q, cosmo sport, datsun, fairlady z, kp61, mazda, nissan, Question of the Week, s30, toyota starlet
36 Comments
Friday Video: Against All Odds, the story of the BRE Datsun 510s
Today’s video is required viewing for any Datsun enthusiast. If you don’t yet know why every vintage Japanese car show in the US is packed with 510s sporting twin stripes down their fenders, this movie will answer all questions. Against All … Continue reading
Posted in Friday Video, motorsports, nissan
Tagged 510, against all odds, bluebird, bre, datsun, Friday Video, john morton, motorsports, nissan, osca, peter brock, scca, trans-am
12 Comments
QotW: What’s the most beautiful OEM color?
The world of nostalgics is filled with bold colors, perfectly paired two-tones and the whitest whites this side of heaven. Go to any gathering of vintage Japanese cars and it’s a feast for your retinas, a refreshing break from the … Continue reading
Posted in honda, minicars, Question of the Week, suzuki
Tagged alto, f1, honda, jimny, Question of the Week, ra272, sj140, suzuki
30 Comments
EVENTS: 2012 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, Part 04: Vans
All hail the one-box! Our final installment of the 2012 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals is going to be van-tastic! After all, the SCN is a festival of Amesha Kulture, and what’s more American than vannin’?
2012 Japanese Classic Car Show registration now open
The year’s most anticipated gathering of nostalgics will soon be upon us. The 2012 Japanese Classic Car Show falls on September 15 this year and will be held at the usual venue by the Queen Mary in sunny Long Beach, California. … Continue reading
Classic CM: “My Baby and Me” Mitsubishi Cordia ad by Randy Crawford
Mitsubishi had big plans for Tredia/Cordia twins when they debuted in 1982. The Triple Diamond Zaibatsu was ready to go mainstream with a front-wheel-drive compact, the wave of the future! Mitsu went as far as commissioning renowned album cover artist Shusei Nagaoka to … Continue reading
Posted in cm, Friday Video, mitsubishi
Tagged ad, Classic CM, cm, commercial, cordia, Friday Video, mitsubishi, randy crawford
4 Comments
The last rotary has been built by Mazda
Last year Mazda said that come next June it would end production of the RX-8 and, by extension, the rotary engine. Well that day has arrived. Mazda has announced that last Friday, June 22, the final Wankel rolled off the assembly … Continue reading
Toyota Land Cruiser Museum opens at Miller Motorsports Park
This week the Toyota Land Cruiser received its own dedicated museum in Tooele, Utah. The Land Cruiser Heritage Museum currently holds 40 of the stalwart Japanese SUVs, ranging from the monstrous Mega Cruiser built for the JSDF to a 1959 FJ25, one of … Continue reading
Posted in museums, toyota
Tagged fj40, fj55, fj60, fj65, land cruiser, land cruiser heritage museum, Miller Motorsports Park, toyota
11 Comments
Friday Video: Depth of Speed’s Wagon Heritage
This Friday Josh Clason‘s Depth of Speed series returns with a new video about Duane Schaffer‘s Datsun 510 Wagon and Toyota Hilux. As always, the cinematography is gorgeous and the story quite moving to the die-hard car nut. Schaffer’s garage … Continue reading
Posted in datsun, Friday Video, toyota, trucks, wagons
Tagged 510, bluebird, datsun, depth of speed, Friday Video, hilux, josh clason, nissan, pickup, toyota, truck, wagon
10 Comments
MINICARS: 2012 Hot Wheels ’87 Toyota Pickup
The latest nostalgic Hot Wheels to roll from the mad minds at Mattel is a 1987 Toyota Pickup. When it was first announced last December, we envisioned for reasons unknown a slammed minitruck, but instead it’s a lifted 4×4 that would … Continue reading
Friday Video: Depth of Speed’s Track Day & Taking the Plunge
What’s more stirring, the sight of a crimson hakosuka in motion or the heartfelt love of a car nut for his dream machine? Two new Depth of Speed videos follow the same red KGC10 Nissan Skyline, first as JDM Legends wrings it out … Continue reading
Posted in Friday Video, nissan
Tagged c10, depth of speed, Friday Video, Hakosuka, kgc10, kpgc10, Miller Motorsports Park, nissan, skyline
9 Comments
Toyota Camatte concept debuts at Tokyo Toy Show
This charming, retro-looking contraption is the Toyota Camatte, a real car that ToMoCo unveiled today at the Tokyo Toy Show. The venue may seem odd, but the concept’s goal is to spark children’s interest in cars, a noble cause if … Continue reading
