Author Archives: Ben Hsu
2019 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 04 — For Nissan, it’s the fans that make the marque
For Nissan, it was supposed to be a huge year. 2019 marked the 50th birthday of not only two nameplates iconic for Nissan, but for the automotive kingdom as a whole, the GT-R and the Z. However, Nissan is also … Continue reading
Posted in events
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QotW: What’s your best advice for a JNC road trip?
Driving an old car for any distance can be a challenge. It’s not like hopping into a late model Camry with a cup of coffee and a bag of beef jerky and pointing that Toyota logo where you want to … Continue reading
Toyota has sold its 10 millionth Land Cruiser, celebrates in Japan and Europe but not US
Toyota is celebrating the sale of its 10 millionth worldwide sale of the venerable Land Cruiser. The longest serving nameplate not only in the Toyota lineup, but among all Japanese marques, it has taken 68 years for the go-anywhere truck … Continue reading
Watch some classic Acura sports cars get abused for a mediocre ad
For its last several generation cycles, Acura has been trying to find a brand identity. The cancellation of the Integra/RSX, the long hiatus of the NSX, and the adoption of various corporate grilles haven’t done it any favors. More recently, … Continue reading
Suzuki’s retro concept revives the dream of the Pulsar EXA
Suzuki has released images of its upcoming concepts for the Tokyo Motor Show, and they are pretty much bonkers. The most interesting one to JNCers will no doubt be the WakuSpo Concept, a small retro car that picks up where … Continue reading
Nissan opens permanent heritage gallery at Yokohama headquarters
Those who have been to Nissan’s headquarters building in Yokohama have no doubt experienced the gleaming showroom on the ground floor. The area displayed new, classic, and race cars, but whether visitors were welcomed by a fleet of vintage Skylines … Continue reading
Posted in Galleries
Tagged csp311, datsun, Datsun Type 14, masahiro hasemi, nissan, nissan gallery yokohama, prince, silvia, skyline sport
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How to eat a GT-R for lunch: The R32 sandwich grill
Even if you absolutely love Nissan Skyline GT-Rs, and I think most of us do, it can still be difficult to incorporate them into every single aspect of your life. For example, it’s not really possible to enjoy GT-R life … Continue reading
BIKES: Honda is selling a retro CB1100 RS cafe racer
To mark the 50th anniversary of the game-changing CB750, also known as the world’s first superbike, Honda UK is selling a limited run of retro motorcycles based off the CB750’s successor, the CB1100 RS. Only 54 of the cafe racer-inspired … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Almost brand new “New Silvia”
The S10 Nissan Silvia is an already rare car. Sold in the US as the Datsun 200SX, American-spec safety bumpers marred its clean lines, giving it an undeserved reputation as one of the ugliest cars Nissan ever made. Few in … Continue reading
QotW: Which influential person in the JNC world, living or dead, would you like to meet?
History is full of influential men and women whose training, decisions, and determination conceived of and built the things we love today. Engineers, designers, CEOs, race car drivers, tuners, and so on. If someone had a magic machine through which … Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week
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Here’s the new Emperor’s Toyota Century convertible
The 30-year Heisei Era came to an end and the Reiwa Era began with the official transition of royal rule on May 1 of this year. However, the new emperor’s actual coronation ceremony, which expects foreign dignitaries and envoys from … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Tokyo Imperial Plaza, 1967
With Tokyo Tower looming in the background, the streets in front of the Imperial Palace were absolutely teeming in 1967. Four lanes of traffic in each direction couldn’t keep the stream of Crowns, Cedrics, Glorias, Bluebirds, Publicas, and Minicas flowing. … Continue reading
Posted in Showa Snap
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QotW: What’s your ultimate JCCS build?
The 15th annual sapanese Classic Car Show is this Saturday, September 21. For many, it has been the one place in America where you can see the vast range of Japanese cars all in one spot. There is always something … Continue reading
NEWS: Calsonic is no more, say hello to Marelli
As of September 9, Calsonic Kansei is no more. The company whose bright blue livery graced many a Bubble Era race car is now known as Marelli. That’s Marelli, as in Magneti Marelli SpA., the Italian supplier of electronics, fuel … Continue reading
VIDEO: A Mazda Miata now holds the world record for most hairpin turns in 12 hours
While most automakers are chasing speed records on the Nürburgring, Mazda has been quietly unlocking an achievement of a different sort. Mazda Germany revealed last month that back on July 18, it had broken the world record for most hairpin … Continue reading
VIDEO: How Honda was making some of the world’s most precise machines in 1967
Though Honda was still in its infancy in 1967, it was already conducting some of the world’s most precise engineering. A video tour of the company’s Wako R&D facility and various plants is a fascinating glimpse into Honda’s operations at … Continue reading
MARKETWATCH: MF12 Toyota 2000GT prototype sells for $820,000
At a high end sports car auction in Tokyo last weekend, a 1969 Toyota 2000GT sold for a record ¥88 million ($820,000 USD). Though other 2000GTs have sold for over $1.1 million, this is a new auction record for the … Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Chiyoda, Tokyo, 1972
Tokyo’s subway system is a confounding wonder, but as late as 1972 the metropolis still had streetcars that drove alongside traffic. Here in the Chiyoda district, 510 Bluebirds, Cedrics, Sunnys, Corona Mark IIs, and kujira Crowns teem among the rails. … Continue reading
What cars were parked at Toyota USA headquarters in the 1980s?
Toyota is long gone from southern California, but back when they were still in Torrance, their massive campus was a showcase of its then-current models. This was especially true in the 1980s, when their star was on the rise. These … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged a40, celica, corolla, cressida, supra, Tercel Wagon, toyota, x30
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