Category Archives: concepts
The 1983 Honda XXX three-wheeled land jet was Honda’s first concept car
Last month we discussed the 1984 Honda HP-X concept car that had been restored. Honda called the HP-X its first concept car, but there had been others before it. Take the Honda XXX, for example, a bizarre three-wheeled vehicle that … Continue reading
Honda’s restored 1984 HP-X concept is coming to Pebble Beach
Forty years after its debut, the Honda HP-X concept has undergone an extensive restoration. It was originally shown at the 1984 Turin Auto Show and is billed as Honda’s first concept car (though that is debatable). Regardless, it’s a fascinating … Continue reading
The 1983 Nissan NX-21 concept was dead wrong about 21st century cars
At the 1983 Tokyo Motor Show the star of Nissan’s booth was a prediction of what an 21st century sedan might look like. Its hopes were right there in the experimental saloon’s name, the Nissan NX-21. As we know now … Continue reading
1993 Nissan AP-X concept by Marcello Gandini was rumored to be a Z32 successor
At the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show Nissan debuted the AP-X, a sports car concept meant to blend driving pleasure and environmental responsibility. The futuristic coupe was penned by Marcello Gandini, he of Lamborghini Miura, Countach, and Lancia Stratos fame. There … Continue reading
Posted in concepts
Tagged concepts, fairlady z, Marcello Gandini, nissan, Nissan AP-X concept, nissan gallery yokohama, tokyo motor show, z32
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Toyota 86 wagon revealed in never-before seen concept photos
Toyota has shared some photos of concepts that have, until now, never seen the light of day. Their public revelation comes as part of the 50th anniversary of Toyota’s pioneering CALTY design studio in Newport Beach, California, the first of … Continue reading
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Tagged calty, prius, toyota, toyota 86, Toyota 86/GT86/Scion FR-S, zn6
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The Toyota Retro Cruiser concept restored, 25 years later
The Toyota Retro Cruiser concept made a big splash when it debuted in 1999. It looked like an FJ40 from the outside, but the running gear underneath came from the most advanced Land Cruiser at the time, the J100. Not … Continue reading
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Never before seen Toyota concepts mark 50 years of first southern California design studio
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of CALTY Design Research, Toyota’s southern California design studio. Today, almost every non-US auto company has a studio in this mecca of car culture, but Toyota was the first. To mark … Continue reading
Japanese automakers jointly built five EV concepts for the Tokyo Motor Show 50 years ago
The conventional wisdom is that Japanese automakers are dragging their feet when it comes to EVs. It’s kind of a reductive statement that doesn’t take into account the fact that most are simultaneously exploring many zero-carbon propulsion systems, or that … Continue reading
Posted in concepts, Holidays
Tagged daihatsu, Earth Day, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota
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The 1991 Nissan FEV was an electric concept that should be built today
Every Earth Day we at JNC highlight a car engineered with conservation in mind. This year, we go back to the 1991 Tokyo Motor Show, when Nissan unveiled their first “modern” electric vehicle. Whereas previous EVs had been tiny city … Continue reading
Mazda restores a 40-year-old concept that was the first MX car
It appears that Mazda is continuing its streak of restoring works from its 100-plus years of history. The latest car to be restored is the Mazda MX-81, a 40-year-old concept car that also happens to be the first Mazda to … Continue reading
CONCEPT CARS: 1991 Honda EP-X
Here at JNC, we have an Earth Day tradition where we dig deep into the memory banks to highlight an environmentally themed, often bizarre concept. This time around, we’d like to draw your attention to the alien-looking 1991 Honda EP-X.
EARTH DAY: The Mazda EX-005 was a rotary hybrid built in 1970
In celebratin of Earth Day, here’s a rotary-powered Japanese nostalgic hybrid. The Mazda EX-005 debuted at the 1970 Tokyo Motor Show and was a bubble approximately the size of an office chair.
EARTH DAY: Nissan built a hybrid-electric pickup back in 1973
Long before the Leaf — back in 1973 to be precise — Nissan had already been messing around with electric cars for decades. However, while the prevailing idea of an electric car was an office chair-sized bubble on wheels, Nissan built a space-tastic … Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1976 Honda Civic Lady Coggiola Protoype
Possibly the rarest Civic we’ve ever seen has turned up for sale in, of all places, the Netherlands AutoTrader website. This was brought to our attention from a post in our own forums by autofocus. Built by Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Coggiola, … Continue reading
Posted in concepts, Design, for sale, History Lesson, honda, Lost Cars, Uncategorized
Tagged civic, Civic Lady, Coggiola, concept, geneva motor show, honda, kidney anyone
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EVENTS: Tokyo Motor Show, Day 02
On Day One of the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show we saw one of the most significant concepts to come out of Japan since the FT-86. With that excitement out of the way, we spent Day Two seeing what Nissan’s major … Continue reading
Posted in concepts, events, honda, mazda, minicars, Motorcycles, toyota
Tagged atenza wagon, concept, corolla fielder, crown, daihatsu, deca deca, fc deck, fit, formula 1, honda, Ken Okuyama, kopen, mazda, motorcycles, nsx, ra271, rc142, s360, s660, SuperCub, tokyo motor show, tomica, toyota, toyota 86
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Toyota Camatte concept debuts at Tokyo Toy Show
This charming, retro-looking contraption is the Toyota Camatte, a real car that ToMoCo unveiled today at the Tokyo Toy Show. The venue may seem odd, but the concept’s goal is to spark children’s interest in cars, a noble cause if … Continue reading
