Author Archives: Ben Hsu
TE27 Levin & Trueno: A Pair of Ripe Mangos
Here’s a good shot illustrating the differences between the TE27 Toyota Corolla Levin (back) and Sprinter Trueno. You never see the two parked side by side here in the US. The mechanically identical cars have only superficial visual differences, most … Continue reading
Classic CM: Honda Prelude's Tach Within a Speedometer
The Honda Prelude made its debut in 1978 to compete with sport coupes like the Toyota Celica and Nissan Silvia. Honda would use the flagship model as a test bed for experimental concepts and innovative firsts. Take, for example, the … Continue reading
Rumored 2011 Nissan Silvia Styled After Foria Concept
Nissan is not about to sit idly by and let the Toyota FT-86 and Honda CR-Z steal all the retro car resurrection glory. Rumor has it that Nissan will bring back the Nissan Silvia come 2011 or 2012. There’s been … Continue reading
Posted in nissan
Tagged 2011 nissan silvia, 2012 nissan silvia, 240sx, concept, csp311, datsun, foria, nissan, silvia, tokyo motor show, tokyo motor show 2005
21 Comments
1978 Mazda RX-3 Savanna of Undiluted Evil
We don’t really have much to say about this menace to all that is innocent and pure, except that it’s hewn from brimstone and the nightmares of children. Imagine this ’78 Mazda RX-3 appearing in your rear view on a … Continue reading
"Crazy Nobe" Wakatsuki, First Datsun Importer, Dies at 81
As we all know, Nissan officially came to the US in 1960. But you’ve probably seen a small number of Datsuns built before then lurking around in barns and collections. Where did they come from? The answer is a man … Continue reading
Posted in datsun, nissan
Tagged bluebird, datsun, mr k, nissan, nobe wakatsuki, nobushige wakatsuki, woolverton motors, yutaka katayama
11 Comments
Learning Japanese: "Tateguro" Nissan Gloria A30
Welcome to a new series on the JNC Blog. In Learning Japanese, we’ll introduce nicknames for Japanese cars and delve into their etymology. We started informally with the erimaki Mitsubishi Mirage, but now it’s official. Let’s kick off with the … Continue reading
Posted in Learning Japanese, nissan
Tagged gloria, gloria a30, learning japanese, nissan, tateguro, tateme
9 Comments
Last Monthly Torrance/South Bay Meet of 2009
The boys with the Datsun wagons held the final South Bay meet of 2009 last Friday and despite the chilly (for SoCal) temperatures we rolled in to join the festivities. We saw the Mazda R100 above at SevenStock earlier this … Continue reading
Posted in events, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota
Tagged datsun, honda, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, south bay meet, toyota
4 Comments
Classic Japanese Show & Shine, Brisbane, Australia
A couple of months ago our friends in the southern hemisphere held their own gathering of nostalgics. And because everything is topsy-turvy down there, they occupied an entirely different circle in the J-tin Venn diagram. Look at the photo above. … Continue reading
Posted in datsun, isuzu, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota
Tagged b110, bellet, cedric, cedric 1900, compagno spider, daihatsu, datsun, datsun 1200, isuzu, mazda, nissan, prince motors, prince skyline, rx-2, rx-3, skyline, sunny
3 Comments
Friday Video: A Toyota Celica's Mad Mission
I rented the Hong Kong action-comedy Mad Mission II from the local video store back in the 80s. This was when I lived in Texas and it was the first Hong Kong movie I’d ever seen, lured by the VHS … Continue reading
Posted in datsun, nissan, Video Games
Tagged b210, celica, datsun, mad mission, sunny, toyota
10 Comments
Long-Lost Toyoda AA Discovered in Russia?
We love a good mystery, and Russian JNC reader Nitzer may have stumbled onto the mother of them all. Perhaps you can help determine if this is the Bigfoot of Toyotas or a man in a hairy suit. A gentleman … Continue reading
Classic CM: 1977 Mazda Cosmo AP
Don’t you wish car commercials still had a unique jingle for each model? Not only did the 1977 Mazda Cosmo AP (aka Mazda RX-5) have its own signature tune, there was a whole line of fashion accessories, including a belt, … Continue reading
Abunai Deka Alternate Ending
Our favorite minicar chase maestro Luxe37 is at it again. This brief pursuit reveals an alternate ending for the Abunai Deka Nissan Leopard F31 (Infiniti M30).
JNC #4 Teaser: Lexus LFA Meets Toyota 2000GT
The hottest car on Earth right now is none other than the Lexus LFA. Let’s see: performance among the world’s best, a roaring engine by Yamaha, and a sharply styled body that belies a state-of-the-art chassis. Oh, and it’s also … Continue reading
Kidney, Anyone? Low Mileage AW11 Toyota MR2, Datsun 510, Toyota Corona Mark II and Mitsubishi Lancer
We just had a shortened work week, but there was no shortage of low mileage nostalgics suddenly up for grabs. The only problem is deciding between the wedge-shaped pocket rocket that is this 39,000-mile 1986 Toyota MR2, undiluted driving experience … Continue reading
Toyota MR2 Back from the Dead?
Good grief, Charlie Brown! There are many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, but Toyotaku may have just received the greatest gift of all. Japan’s Best Car magazine is reporting that an affordable, mid-engined sports car might be in … Continue reading
Happy Thanksgiving from JNC!
Well, for obvious reasons Japan doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving. So here’s a nice autumnal scene chock full of J-tin. And on this special day we’d like to quote the words of JNC reader Dachshund, who composed this beautiful piece of prose … Continue reading
Mooneyes Crown Picnic Celebrates 20 Years
It’s impossible for me to pick a favorite nostalgic, but if I had a tanto against my finger I’d probably yell out “Toyota Crown!” at the last minute. Show me photos of the annual Mooneyes Crown Picnic and you might … Continue reading
