Author Archives: Ben Hsu
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
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
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
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
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
Posted in Video
Tagged ae86, b310, corolla, corolla levin, hot version, keiichi tsuchiya, kp61, nissan, starlet, sunny, toyota
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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
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
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
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
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!
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
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
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
Posted in jccs
Tagged Baja 1000, honda, Honda N-Series, japanese classic car show, motorsport
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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
Posted in jccs
Tagged accord, Accord 1G, Accord 2G, acura, civic, Civic 1G, crx, dc2, ea, ef, honda, Honda N-Series, Honda Z-series, integra, Integra 1G, Integra 2G, jccs, legend, Legend 1G, Life StepVan, S500/S600/S800, vamos
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Happy 70th Anniversary to Honda Motor Co.
On this day 70 years ago, Honda Motor Corporation was officially established. The photo above is that of Honda’s first factory, in Hamamatsu, with 34 employees. The company’s first product was a small engine strapped to a bicycle, making it … Continue reading
WILDLIFE: A Land Cruiser and Skyline GT-R become buds
You know those animal videos where a dog and a tortoise become friends? That is what this in-the-wild spotting of an R34 Skyline GT-R and a Toyota Land Cruiser in Yokohama reminded us of. Each one has come to represent … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 02 — Toyotas
For the first time since the show’s beginning, Toyota didn’t have a booth or any of its museum cars at the Japanese Classic Car Show. Mazda, Nissan, and Honda all had an official presence, but not the Big T. That’s … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 — JDM
Japan-only cars have been making their way into JCCS for a while now, but this year the trickle seemed to turn into a tsunami. You couldn’t swing a fender mirror without coming into contact with a RHD ride from the … Continue reading
Posted in jccs
Tagged 510, 620, A170, Autozam AZ-1, b120, beat, bluebird, bosozoku, c10, C33, datsun, F30, fairlady z, figaro, Hakosuka, honda, jccs, jdm legends, kaido racer, kei, lancer, Lancer Evolution II, laurel, leopard, Life StepVan, mark II, n360, nissan, pao, r30, r32, r33, s30 z, skyline, sports 800, sunny truck, Tommykaira, Tommykaira ZZ, toyota, U620, vamos, wagons, Wild Cards, x70, x80
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