Author Archives: Ben Hsu
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
QotW: What’s your best road map story?
Today, April 5, is National Read a Road Map Day. We know there’s plenty of JNC owners who began driving after GPS, and we’re not total Luddites that eschew navigation by smartphone. but there’s something romantic and fitting about using … Continue reading
The first NFT batch to include a Japanese classic has sold for $1.9 million
A batch of classic car NFTs has sold for $1.9 million. The fleet, which includes such icons as a 1967 Toyota 2000GT, Series 1 Jaguar E-Type, Shelby Cobra 427, and Lamborghini Miura P400S, was the first-ever sale of classic cars … Continue reading
The Toyota Celica Liftback that sold for $62,000 is a gift from a loving wife
A 1976 Toyota Celica Liftback has sold for $62,000. That’s a new high for this model, and of course it appears to be in exceptional condition. However, perhaps the better hook here is the back story of why the Celica … Continue reading
RIP Ryu Asada, Hot Wheels designer, 1978—2021
Ryu Asada, beloved designer of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, has passed away after a hard-fought battle with cancer. He was 42 years old. Ryu was immensely talented and instrumental in bringing a multitude of well-loved cars to the Hot … Continue reading
Toyota South Africa is officially restoring a 2000GT
Toyota of South Africa has officially started restoration of a 2000GT. Only 351 hand-made examples were built, inclusive of pre-production models, and of those just three were originally destined for South Africa. The subsidiary calls it a complete nut and … Continue reading
VIDEO: A virtual tour of Toyota’s Motorsports Biography exhibit
The Toyota Automobile Museum’s excellent “Toyota Motorsport Biography: Everlasting Challenge Spirit” exhibit is scheduled to end on April 11. Sadly, travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have prevented most overseas travelers from seeing it in person. However, the museum … Continue reading
Posted in museums
Tagged 2000gt, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 89C, celica, crown, imsa, mobilgas trial, s30, T165, TF109, toyota, toyota 7, Toyota Automobile Muesum, TS020
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QotW: What’s the rarest “normal” JNC you’ve spotted in the wild?
When we are out our radars are usually tuned to rare JNC sightings (much to the annoyance of our spouses). Of course it’s incredible when you see a 2000GT in morning rush hour traffic, but a once-common-now-rare car in good … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
Tagged fairlady, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, nissan, QotW, s130, s30 z
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Behind the scenes of Honda’s Civic World exhibit
The Civic World special exhibit is still going on at the Honda Collection Hall in Japan right now, and Honda has released a video showing some of the set up that went into the display. It looks like a fantastic … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged civic, Civic 1G, Civic 2G, Civic EF, Civic EG, honda, honda collection hall
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Nissan is remaking more R32 Skyline GT-R parts using state-of-the-art tech
Nissan has announced that its adding more body panels to its Skyline GT-R Heritage Parts program, including the rear panel for the R32. Of course, many of these parts have been out of production for decades, and it’s no easy … Continue reading
TUNE UP: FJ62 Land Cruiser stars in Aly & AJ’s “Pretty Places” music video
Have you ever noticed that in music videos and commercials, especially ones that feature cross-country road trips, the cars of choice are almost always some big American boat? It’s true there’s a certain romance associated with a classic droptop, but … Continue reading
QotW: What’s does the Fairlady mean to you?
Sixty-five years ago today, My Fair Lady opened on Broadway. The play would go on for a run of 2,715 performances, and as the legend goes, in one of those performances, sometime in 1959, in the audience sat then Nissan … Continue reading
The Honda S660 will end production with another homage to the Beat roadster
Honda has announced that production of the S660 is coming to a close. A spiritual successor to the Beat and tribute to the S-series roadsters, the mid-engined kei sports car will end its run in March 2022. Honda is sending … Continue reading
The “Miracle Corolla” was destroyed in the Tohoku tsunami, then restored by car enthusiasts across Japan
On March 11, 2011 a devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami struck eastern Japan. Nearly 16,000 people were killed and almost 2,600 went missing in what was the fourth strongest earthquake ever recorded. Masayuki Watanabe was one of the lucky ones, … Continue reading
VIDEO: There will probably never be a car like the SW20 MR2 again
The Toyota MR2 was one of those rare Japanese cars that evolved constantly throughout its life. There were five distinct revisions, called Type I through Type V, made to hone the small mid-engined runabout into a better driver’s car. We … Continue reading
Before Toyota sells you its next supercar, it wants to know if you’ve ever owned a 2000GT
This year the FIA plans to kick off new Le Mans Hypercar class and Toyota will be there, ready and waiting with its Gazoo Racing Super Sport. The class homologation rules require 20 road cars to be built, and Toyota’s … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Mami Ayukawa, singer and racing driver
Mami Ayukawa is probably best known as a singer, but she was also a well-known racing driver in her time. She holds an FIA A-class racing license and competed in numerous races in Japan throughout the late 80s and early … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite automotive game?
Coming this week is March 10 (aka Mar 10, aka Mario Day), and 2021 also happens to be the 40th anniversary year for Nintendo’s plumber mascot. In the decades since his debut in Donkey Kong games have had a huge … Continue reading
