Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Mitsubishi UK’s auction breaks world record for Lancer Evolution sale
We were saddened last month to learn that Mitsubishi UK was selling off its entire heritage fleet, a result of the company pulling out of the UK market altogether. Some of its cars had been part of the collection for … Continue reading
Posted in marketwatch
Tagged 3000GT, galant, gto, lancer, lancer evolution, mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Jeep, mitsubishi type a, pajero, starion, Tommi Mäkinen
4 Comments
QotW: What would you do if you were Akio Toyoda?
Today is Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda’s 65th birthday. So, first of all, happy birthday, Toyoda-san! It’s a notable age, because in the US it was once the traditional age at which one receives a gold watch and rides off into … Continue reading
Nissan is restoring the beloved Y31 Cima of actress Kazue Itoh
Last October Japanese actress Kazue Itoh caused a bit of a stir among her fans when she posted a photo of her car on Instagram. They were surprised to see the star driving a 30-year-old Nissan Cima that she’s owned … Continue reading
Posted in Restoration
Tagged autech, C33, Cima, Kazue Itoh, laurel, N12, nissan, pulsar exa, r32, skyline, y31
12 Comments
QotW: How do you feel about car investors and flippers?
Japanese cars have been rising sharply in price in recent years and that’s attracted all kinds of buyers. That includes those who make a hobby (or living) out of finding nice examples and selling them for profit. On the one … Continue reading
Isuzu once made a J-body with a ceramic diesel hybrid engine for the Tokyo Motor Show
Every Earth Day we highlight a hybrid or alternative fuel concept car from Japan’s past. Back in 1985, long before the Prius was a twinkle in Toyota’s eye, Isuzu revealed a hybrid compact sedan at the Tokyo Motor Show. The … Continue reading
Transformers to release an updated, more realistic Honda City robot
The character named Skids was not a very memorable one from the original Transformers lineup. We honestly can’t remember anything he did in the cartoon series. But, he was a Honda City hatchback in car mode, something we didn’t really … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite Honda design?
We just spent the weekend honoring one of the great designers of the automotive industry. Our question this week was inspired by Ryu Asada’s love for Hondas. Of course, Hondas are known for their excellent handling, but what if we … Continue reading
Mitsubishi’s Dakar-conquering Pajero and the mods it took to win
Like most carmaker headquarters buildings in Japan, Mitsubishi Motors’ in Tokyo has a small display area, gift shop, and coffee stand in the lobby. Typically, they display whatever new cars the company has on offer (or nothing at all if … Continue reading
The Mazda rotary is coming back to America as a range extender
It’s official. The long awaited Mazda rotary engine is making a return to the States in the MX-30. It’s not in a turbocharged sports car we have hoped for, but there’s still nothing else like the RERE — rotary engine … Continue reading
The Nissan van that was one of Japan’s oldest food trucks has closed after 45 years
From the looks of the dilapidated Nissan van that houses Hot Dog Yotsuba, you might assume that it had closed long ago. But, the patina’ed exterior was part of its charm, and the stand looked like an abandoned car even … Continue reading
Nissan Z generations converge in this surreal ad
We’re pretty happy whenever we see heritage acknowledged in a Nissan ad. It’s also pretty cool to to see the Z Proto driving along a track with an S30 Fairlady Z and a Z32. But with footage that looks like … Continue reading
The Honda S660 has completely sold out the rest of its production run
Honda announced on March 12 that production of its S660 roadster would come to an end, in March of 2022. That gave a year’s notice for anyone who wanted to buy one. Of course, this successor in name to the … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite non-Japanese car?
The world of JNCs is wide, but sometimes there are automotive desires that cannot be satisfied with Nihon steel. Among the JNC staff, cars such as a TJ Jeep Wrangler, C3 Corvette, Mini Cooper, W124 Mercedes, S550 Mustang GT, and … Continue reading
Ryu Asada Memorial Drive + Fundraiser announcement
Please come out and help us honor a great man and support a great charity. Click here for details. ?
A 510 Nissan Bluebird SSS Coupé has been restored… by Toyota
The 510 Nissan Bluebird is one of the most important cars in Japan’s motoring history. So it should come as no surprise that an automaker would want to restore this important automotive legacy and put it in a museum. Recently, … Continue reading
Posted in museums
Tagged 510, bluebird, datsun, Megaweb, nissan, toyota, Toyota Automobile Museum
16 Comments
Honda’s first F1 prototype appears in found footage
The photo of the boss man sitting on a Formula 1 prototype racer is one of the most famous images of Soichiro Honda. The car itself is long gone, and any media of the car, in motion or not, is … Continue reading
Hino’s radio program for long-haul truckers ends after 52 years
For over half a century, a Hino-sponosored a radio program has kept long-haul truckers company in Japan as they drove through the night. Imitators came and went, but Hino Midnight Graffiti Hashire! Kayōkyoku wasn’t just the longest-running radio program for … Continue reading
