Category Archives: Galleries
Mazda is restoring an Autozam AZ-1 for their museum in Hiroshima
Mazda is in the process of restoring an Autozam AZ-1 for their museum in Hiroshima. This year marked the 30th anniversary of the AZ-1’s debut, and Mazda showed the partially revived car during an AZ-1 owners’ car show at the … Continue reading
Nissan’s Zama Heritage Collection offers another virtual tour
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced yesterday that Japan would remove caps on international travelers and visa restrictions on countries such as the US in three weeks’s time. That effectively means Japan will allow tourists back in starting October 11. … Continue reading
This 1960 Toyopet Crown Custom Sports is the only known survivor from Japan’s first coachbuilder
The Toyota Automobile Museum has shared some images of one of the rarest and most seldom seen cars from its collection, the 1960 Toyopet Crown Custom Sports. The hand-built car was the first attempt at a coach-built car from Japan. … Continue reading
Toyota Land Cruiser FJJ restoration gets under way
When we last saw the dilapidated but rare Toyota Land Cruiser FJJ fire engine, it was being hauled from an owner’s driveway to a restoration shop. Turns out, that shop is Shinmei, a company that has been responsible for some … Continue reading
Mitsubishi’s hidden collection of Fuso work trucks was restored 12 years ago, then left untouched
May marked the 90th anniversary of when Mitsubishi Fuso built its first vehicle, a 38-passenger bus, at its Kobe shipyard. While researching the B46 bus, we learned that Mitsubishi Fuso has a small collection of classic trucks dating back to … Continue reading
Toyota’s Megaweb showroom will close for good on Dec 31
One of our favorite places to visit in Tokyo has always been Toyota’s Megaweb showroom. Located in the Odaiba shopping district, it was perfect for getting a car fix while non-petrolhead traveling companions did some nearby souvenir collecting. Sadly, it … Continue reading
Mitsubishi’s Dakar-conquering Pajero and the mods it took to win
Like most carmaker headquarters buildings in Japan, Mitsubishi Motors’ in Tokyo has a small display area, gift shop, and coffee stand in the lobby. Typically, they display whatever new cars the company has on offer (or nothing at all if … Continue reading
The Toyopet SA was Toyota’s first post-war passenger car
Introduced in 1947, the Toyopet SA was Toyota’s first all-new post-war passenger car design. It was advanced for a Japanese car of its time, but due to limitations on automobile production and Japan’s market conditions at the time, only 215 … Continue reading
The Toyota Automobile Museum has opened a “Motorsport Biography” exhibit
“A harsh environment of competition toughens our people and cars,” said Toyota Motor founder Kiichiro Toyoda once said. It’s a quote framing the Toyota Automobile Museum in Aichi, Japan’s newly opened an exhibit highlighting some of the company’s historic race … Continue reading
Posted in Galleries
Tagged 2000gt, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 89C, celica, crown, imsa, mobilgas trial, s30, T165, TF109, toyota, toyota 7, Toyota Automobile Muesum, TS020
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All seven generations of the Nissan Z gathered for a family portrait
With any car possessing as much heritage as the Nissan Z, you can’t just trot it out with paying respects to its elders. So it was only natural that Nissan would bring out its classic Z-cars from its own collection … Continue reading
Isuzu Plaza museum hosts special Hillman Minx exhibit
Earlier this month Isuzu opened a new, temporary exhibit at its wonderful Isuzu Plaza museum. The exhibit features Isuzu’s earliest passenger car, the Hillman Minx. There are precious few examples of these cars left, and in fact one of them … Continue reading
VIDEO: More of the Daihatsu museum in a virtual tour
Daihatsu has uploaded more videos continuing the virtual tour of curiously named Humobility World, the company’s museum in Osaka. In part one, we saw the earliest Daihatsu products, a 5,842-pound diesel engine that’s likely the heaviest thing in Humobility World, … Continue reading
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Tagged charade, copen, daihatsu, Daihatsu Humobility World, Fellow, kei, midget, mira, Taft. Rocky
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Daihatsu, Japan’s maker of small cars, also made this giant diesel engine
Like Nissan and Isuzu, Daihatsu is now also offering virtual tours of its museum. Though known mainly for kei cars nowadays, Daihatsu is 113 years old and started life making gigantic engines for steamships and industrial diesels. Though shorter than … Continue reading
See some rare Showa Era trucks at Mega Web right now
If you’ve been to Tokyo you’ve likely visited MegaWeb, Toyota’s showroom in the Odaiba shopping district. The History Garage section has a rotating collection of classics, and typically you’ll be able to see a Toyota Sports 800, Mazda Cosmo Sport, … Continue reading
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Tagged 3-wheeled truck, corona, daihatsu, datsun, datsun 220, honda, Honda T-Series, mazda, midget, nissan, Ohta, T20, toyoace, toyota, trucks
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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
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Tagged csp311, datsun, Datsun Type 14, masahiro hasemi, nissan, nissan gallery yokohama, prince, silvia, skyline sport
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GALLERIES: The Datsun Type 14 was Japan’s first mass-produced car
Nissan was founded on June 1, 1934. Most of its earliest cars have been lost to time, but at least three examples of the 1935 Datsun Type 14 have survived. That’s likely because it was the first mass-produced car from Japan.
GALLERIES: Nissan’s 60th Anniversary of the Skyline celebration continues in Yokohama
The 60th anniversary of one of Japan’s most influential models is not lost on Nissan. Last month Nissan held simultaneous events at three locations across Tokyo and Yokohama on same weekend the original ALSID Prince Skyline was launched in 1957. While that has … Continue reading
COLLECTIONS: Inside Mazda North America’s Basement
Talk to Mazda employees about their cars, past and present, and it immediately becomes clear that the company is comprised of people passionate about what they’ve built. This is no small feat, and we have peeked behind the walls of enough automakers to … Continue reading
Posted in Collections, Galleries
Tagged 24 Hours of Daytona, 787, 929, atenza, Bonneville Salt Flats, capella, demio, familia, fc3s, fd3s, glc, imsa, le mans, luce, Luce Rotary Coupe, mazda, Mazda Basement, Mazda2, Mazda6, miata, mx-5, mx-6, MX-R01, r130, repu, rx-2, rx-4, rx-7, rx-792p, rx-8, sa22, savanna
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