Author Archives: Dan Hsu
The Datsun Fairlady Roadster was owned by automotive greats
Today, March 11, is Datsun Roadster Day. Many remember the Datsun 240Z or 510 as the first Japanese car to win over American customers, but the Datsun Fairlady Roadster actually paved their way. The SP(L)311 (1600cc) and SR(L)311 (2000cc) was … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays
Tagged AMT, bob sharp, datsun, fairlady roadster, Gene Winfield, Star Trek
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Takuma Sato drives the 1965 Honda RA272 Formula 1 racer
The Honda RA272 was at the Maniwa Speed Festival, but it didn’t actually participate in the hill climb. That doesn’t mean it’s just a museum queen, though. The cars from the Honda Collection Hall are operable, and the No.12 Honda … Continue reading
Here are some actual Tomica cars to go with your Tomica chocolates
For a number of years now Tomica has been offering car-shaped chocolates. The unfortunate thing with chocolate, though, is that once you eat it it’s gone. The alternative would be to get this newer form Tomica valentine, where you receive … Continue reading
Happy B210 Day from JNC!
You think your Skyline GT-R is so cool with your quad afterburners? Well the B210 Nissan Sunny Excellent came from the factory with six round taillights, and as a bonus you can call them sex (short for sextuple) afterburners. Whereas … Continue reading
Honda ATC250R 3-wheeler still new-in-box from 1986 sells for $200,000
An incredible collection of almost 100 vintage Honda ATVs has gone up for sale. Many are described as museum pieces but the biggest prize of the bunch, what the consignor calls the “holy grail” is a 1986 Honda ATC250R that … Continue reading
The Mitsuoka Orochi was named after a giant eight-headed snake and took parts from famous Japanese sports cars
In all the years we’ve existed JNC has rarely mentioned the Mitsuoka Orochi. Frankly, we think it’s pretty ugly, and back in the early days of JNC it seemed to get disproportionate attention in English-language media. We wanted JNC to … Continue reading
Happy 110 Day from JNC
Despite a tremendous effort the Nissan Automotive Technical College, an actual C110 looks better than a V35 dressed up to be one. There’s just something about the clean lines, the massive C-pillar, and the fact that it’s dumped on Yayois. … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays
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Happy New Year from JNC
Hello 2025! The Japanese tradition for ushering in a new year is to wake up early and see the hatsuhinode, the first sunrise of the year. It is said that it is an ideal time to wish for good fortune … Continue reading
Watch Lewis Hamilton drive Senna’s winning McLaren MP4/5 in the rain
Earlier this month fans at a rainy Brazilian Grand Prix were treated a rare event. The McLaren-Honda MP4/5 of hometown hero Ayrton Senna took to the track with V10 engine wailing. It was the very car in which Senna, arguably … Continue reading
Honda celebrates 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty with limited edition Super Cub
The Honda Super Cub and Hello Kitty have a lot in common. Both are Japanese icons, both were among the first in their respective markets to catch fire with non-Japanese audiences, and both have logged sales numbers that would stagger … Continue reading
Happy Halloween from JNC
If you are (un)lucky enough to have this Toyota Crown Comfort appear when you hail a cab in Japan, fear not. It’s not a death cab, but a promotional taxi by the Lucky Taxi company in Nagasaki Prefecture. Each year … Continue reading
Kawasaki W230 expands retro lineup with quarter-liter standard
We are in a golden age of retro bikes. However, most of the offerings have been at either the high end of the market, with models like the Kawasaki Z900 and W800, or the low end of the market like … Continue reading
The Honda Dax 125 is coming to America
Honda has announced that the revived Dax motorcycle is coming to America. The updated classic minibike was announced for the Japanese market in 2022, but now it’s officially crossing the Pacific. It joins Honda’s “mini moto” class of 125cc bikes … Continue reading
Honda Motocompo patent shows reveals foldable bike that doubles as a generator
Honda has long toyed with the idea of reviving the Motocompo, a foldable bike designed to reside in the trunk of the 1981 Honda City. A recently unearthed document shows that the dream is not only still alive, but serious … Continue reading
Yamaha XSR900 GP adds retro racing cool to already retro bike
In 2021 Yamaha released the XSR900, a sports heritage bike inspired by the company’s Grand Prix championship victories in 1984. Now, the XSR900 GP takes that foundation and adds retro race bike coolness to the equation. Yamaha says it hearkens … Continue reading
QotW: What’s your ultimate hashiriya build?
The announcement of the first Tokyo Xtreme Racer title in two decades dropped last week, just a few days before the anniversary of the Rainbow Bridge’s opening on August 26, 1993. Coincidence? Probably, but it does raise the question of … Continue reading
Matchbox X JNC Mazda RX-3, 2024 Collectors Series
We are proud to introduce our the latest Matchbox car to feature the JNC inkan, the Mazda RX-3. Introduced in 1971, the early rotary-powered coupe was a pivotal step in Mazda’s ascension to motorsports glory, and has long deserved to … Continue reading
Posted in minicars
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A rare look at the 1965 Honda RA272 Formula 1 racer as it makes landfall in America
A Mazda PR rep once told us that every car in their museum in replaceable, even the original Chicago Auto Show Miatas, except one: the Le Mans-winning 787B. For Honda, that equivalent must be the 1965 RA272, the first Honda … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged formula 1, Goodwood Festival of Speed, honda, monterey historics, ra272
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TOM’s celebrates 50th anniversary with Starlet KP47-inspired watch
Toyota tuning house TOM’s is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year by teaming up with Casio for a special edition watch. The design of the Edifice EFS-S641TMS-1A was inspired by the TOM’s Toyota Starlet KP47, which ruled Japan’s 1970s racing … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged A90, Casio, kp47, Ritomo Miyata, Sho Tsuboi, starlet, SuperGT, supra, tom's, toyota
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