Author Archives: Ben Hsu

EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 11 — Bikes

Two-wheeled conveyances are an integral part of Japan’s motoring culture, much more so than they are in America. Go to any city in the land of the rising sun and you’ll see hundreds of motorcycles buzzing around — as transportation, … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 10 — Bubble Era

For 2018, the Japanese Classic Car Show expanded eligibility to cars up to 1995. That means for the first time, a flood of Bubble Era greats were able to attend. Welcome to a JCCS full of pop-up headlights, T-tops, and … Continue reading

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? Rare T120 2-door Corona

The seventh generation Toyota Corona isn’t as exciting as a classic Skyline or Celica, but there’s at least one version that bears mention. That version is the very rare 2-door sedan, which is so uncommon that it doesn’t even appear … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 09 — Fairladies

There is perhaps no other model more beloved at JCCS than the Nissan Fairlady and Fairlady Z. The revolutionary sports car changed perceptions of what a proper driving machine could be, and earned legions of loyal fans for nearly five … Continue reading

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VIDEO: A complete snapshot of Nissan circa 1974

A short film made in the UK shows a complete snapshot of Nissan’s activities in what appears to be 1974. After a brief history of the carmaker’s early history, it delves into the company’s extensive manufacturing and R&D efforts. And … Continue reading

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NEWS: Akio Toyoda checks out a classic Crown in Finland

Akio Toyoda was recently overseeing his business empire in Finland, when he came upon a vintage Toyota Crown. According to Toyota, the CEO was astounded to come upon the S40 sedan in a rural Finnish village, still looking as if … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 08 – It’s a Sunny Day in Long Beach

Sure, Zs and 510s are great, and all, but they’re a bit, how do you say, common. When it comes to Nissans, these two model lines often make up the vast majority of the field. This year, however, the humble … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 07 — Beaucoup Bluebirds

Of all the marques at JCCS, Nissan and Datsun were by far the most prevalent. Riding high off the momentum from prestigious events like The Mitty and Monterey Historics, where Nissan was the featured marque, the carmaker’s fans had a … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Starlet, Sunny, and AE86 on Maou Touge

In a recent Hot Version video, the gang takes a pack of highly tuned cars to the Maou Touge. However, rather than the standard Honda S2000 and WRX STI models, this time they are modified versions of old school RWD … Continue reading

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 15k-mile Toyota Celica All-Trac

The Toyota Celica All-Trac is often overshadowed by its AE86, MR2 and Supra siblings. However, the all-wheel-drive, turbocharged, and rally-inspired sports coupe was just as important a pillar for Toyota’s lineup of “Fun to Drive” machines in the 1980s. Now, … Continue reading

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NEWS: Mazda announces the official return of the rotary engine

The rotary engine is officially back. Mazda issued a press release this morning laying out is plans for electric and hybrid vehicles for the coming decade, and the rotary engine is a integral part of those plans, serving as a … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 06 — Mazdas

Vintage rotaries took a prime position at this year’s JCCS, thanks to a classy display by Mazda. Imagine a hillside blooming with brightly colored pistonless wonders from Hiroshima, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what the Mazda section … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Jay Leno drives a Toyota Century with blood in the trunk

It’s the moment when Jay Leno is shown a blood stain in the trunk that he really warms up to the Toyota Century. Whether its really hemoglobin or not isn’t known, but Leno is clearly stoked to be driving what … Continue reading

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Happy 929 Day from JNC

It’s September 29, which means it’s time to honor the plushest Hiroshima sedan ever built. Even when it’s on the road it feels like it’s sailing along calm waterways. Happy 9/29 Day from JNC!

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MARKETWATCH: Integra Type R sold for $58,000

What if I told in you in 1997 that you could buy an Acura Integra Type R, store it in a garage for 21 years, and put only 1,191 miles on it during that time, and make about $34,000 in … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 05 — Trucks

Trucks are the unsung heroes of the JNC world. While many of us would love to have a Skyline or Supra, the truth is that these rigs did just as much to earn credibility and loyal customers for our favorite … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 04 — Subaru and Isuzu

One of the clues that JCCS 2018 was history’s biggest was the presence of Isuzus and Subarus. Not a lot, granted, but in past years we would have said there were a lot if even one car of either marque … Continue reading

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NEWS: Mazda completes first factory NA Roadster restoration

Mazda has completed its first factory restoration of a Eunos Roadster. The program was launched in August 2017 to help owners get their beloved NAs back to new condition, as well as to manufacture discontinued parts for the first-gen Roadster. … Continue reading

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JCCS Spotlight: This N600 was Honda’s first race car in America

At this year’s Japanese Classic Car Show, you may have been wondering why there was a rusty heap of an N600 given prime position in the middle of the Honda booth. Surrounding it were a new Civic Type R and … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 03 — Hondas

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Honda has  founding, we continue our JCCS coverage with the brand that Old Man Soichiro built. Thanks to a bigger venue this year at Marina Green Park, JCCS is now able to allow 90s … Continue reading

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