QotW: Which 25-year-old cars are you most excited about?

Posted on January 7, 2019 by Ben Hsu

It’s 2019, and a new crop of cars will officially become classics this year, part of the 25 Year Club eligible for a smog check-free existence and historic car plates and insurance in most states. And then there’s the JDM cars released a quarter-century ago in 1994 that will become legal to import by year’s end, offerings conceived at the height of Bubble Era madness.

Which 25-year-old cars are you most excited about?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your JNC New Year’s resolution?” Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? The oldest known Japanese car officially imported to America needs a new home – UPDATE

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Ben Hsu

About ten and a half years ago, we told you about the oldest known Japanese car officially imported to the US. That car was a 1958 Toyopet Crown, which was then auctioned on eBay and purchased in part by the Tupelo Automobile Museum in Tupelo, Mississippi. Unfortunately, that museum is closing and all its cars, including the now-restored Crown, are to be auctioned off. Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Restored 1967 Toyota Corolla KE10

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Ben Hsu

One of our favorite episodes of Grassroots Garage was recently posted, and features a restored 1967 KE10 Toyota Corolla. It’s a beautiful example, one that hails from the first year Corollas were imported into Australia. The owner, Nat, achieved the difficult feat of restoring what needed to be restored while keeping what needed to remain original original. Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? Could this be the $100,000 Supra? UPDATE: Yes, it is.

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Ryan Senensky

This might be it, the example that takes the A80 Supra over the $100,000 mark. Just about everyone and their mother speculated that 2018 would be the year of the six-figure Supra, but the right one never came up until the last few days of 2018. It has just 7,111 miles on the odometer. Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Jay Leno Drives a Datsun 1200 Sedan

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Ryan Senensky

In the latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, the collector and host visits the stateside Nissan Heritage Collection in Franklin, Tennessee. In the first half of the video, he tours the collection but when it comes time to pick a car to drive, he skips right past the 240Z, 510, and Patrol and jumps into a Datsun 1200 Sedan. Continue reading →

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Happy New Year from JNC!

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Brandon Kelley

さようなら, 2018。あけましておめでとうございます!

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2018: A Year in Review

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Ryan Senensky

2018 has been an absolute watershed year. More than anything, 2018 will go down as the year that Japanese nostalgic cars have moved from being a niche corner of the classic car biosphere to being a respected mainstream category for collector cars. Let’s take a step back and look at all of the major events that have happened this year while we welcome the coming of 2019. Continue reading →

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QotW: What’s your JNC New Year’s resolution?

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Brandon Kelley

As I write this, I’m packing to make the trek up to the northern reaches of Japan to see my trusty Pajero Mini Turbo, oh and also to see family… I also take time to reflect on 2018 and my JNC plans for the new year — to beef up said Pajero Mini. Plans include a bigger turbo, possible engine overhaul and overfenders. I’d also like to simply take it out on the road more often. What about you, dear readers? What plans are you already cooking up? Want to do something different with your JNC moving forward?

What’s your JNC New Year’s resolution?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What did you give your JNC this holiday season?” Continue reading →

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25 YEAR CLUB: JZA80 Toyota Supra

Posted on December 29, 2018 by Ryan Senensky

In the pantheon of Japanese cars, none is more synonymous with brute power than the Toyota Supra Twin Turbo. A legend in its own time, it is one of those rare cars whose status as classic was cemented long before it reached the quarter-century threshold. With the passing of this year, however, the JZA80 Supra is officially 25 years old, and we can finally welcome the hero as an official Japanese nostalgic car. Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 2,500-mile Subaru BRAT sold for $46k

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Ben Hsu

A 1978 Subaru BRAT has done the unthinkable and sold for $46,198. Of course, it’s no ordinary example. This one bears only 2,500 miles on the odometer, a bunch of period accessories, and is said to have been owned by a former Subaru of America exec until this year. Still, this is previously unheard of territory for a classic Subaru. Continue reading →

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NEWS: Suzuki reveals retro-styled Jimny Pickup

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Suzuki has revealed some of its concepts for the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon, and the most intriguing one is a new take on the just-released Jimny that came out earlier this year. Based on the flared-fender, 1.o-liter version, the retro-look Jimny Sierra Pick Up Style looks like a shrunken J75 Land Cruiser pickup. Continue reading →

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VIDEO: An R32 Skyline GT-R is worth waiting 22 years for

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Ben Hsu

“I wanted the car to look like it came out of the dealership back in the 90s and you would see it on the streets of Tokyo,” says Slide Squad’s Mark Hutchinson of his 1992 Nissan Skyline GT-R. Like many of us, Mark’s friend had shown him a Japanese car magazine, and it opened his eyes to a new world of automotive goodness. This was in 1995, and Mark had to wait 22 years to import his dream car. Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Watch these Bubble Era coupes duke it out at Ebisu

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Holidays are typically a time for feasting. In your post-Christmas food coma, gorge yourself on this video reminder that in Japan, excess is not always best. There, engine displacement has a not insignificant effect on how much tax you pay for your car. That’s why there are insanely engineered cars that max out at 2.0 liters.

At the introduction of the R32 Skyline the 2.6-liter, twin-turbo GT-R may have been the one we all drooled about, but the GTS-t Type M was a more affordable, less complex option. But that didn’t mean Nissan skimped on the suspension, brakes, or overall competitiveness of the car. Continue reading →

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Happy Holidays from all of us at JNC

Posted on December 24, 2018 by Ben Hsu

A few years ago the Toyota Automobile Museum put on a spectacular holiday display with a 2000GT outlined in lights. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Alban Arthan, or Festivus we at JNC hope you have a warm and wonderful holiday season with your loved ones (and that includes those made of steel).

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QotW: What did you give your JNC this holiday season?

Posted on December 24, 2018 by Brandon Kelley

Happy holidays to all! No matter what you celebrate this season, don’t forget to include your JNC in the festivities. What’s under the glowing lights or garage Christmas tree for your JNC?

What did you give your JNC this holdiay season?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Will there ever be another sports car renaissance?” Continue reading →

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A bunch of Japanese Santas gave kids rides in Mazda Roadsters

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Ben Hsu

What’s better than getting a gift from Santa Claus? Getting a ride in Santa’s personal gift-hauler, of course. And if you’re a kid in Yokohama, Japan, Santa’s ride is a 150-horse (generation dependent) open Mazda. With the help of a crew of Roadster owners, Mazda Japan organized a drive through the city in a fleet of MX-5s, giving the kids an unforgettable experience of Jinba Ittai motoring. Continue reading →

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JNC RADIO: Let the smooth sounds of a Mazda Cosmo AP carry you into the evening

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Matt De Mangos

It was no mere coincidence that Hatsumi Shibata’s 1978 album cover for Night Dramatic featured a then-new Mazda Cosmo AP. Though the car set the proper mood for the Japanese bossa nova record, Shibata did plenty of commercial work, including the jingle on the ad for the Cosmo AP. Continue reading →

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NEWS: Only 200 of these Daihatsu Copen Coupes will be sold

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Ben Hsu

The Daihatsu Copen has been a gem among kei cars since it debuted in 2002. Its cheery face and folding hardtop convertible roof (still novel in those days) livened up any street it occupied, and created yet another branch on the kei car evolutionary tree. Sure, it was oriented more towards style and fun than hard core roadster-ing like the Suzuki Cappuccino or Mazda Miata, but now Daihatsu is making something very cool, something that Honda S2000 fans will be insanely jealous of — a very limited fixed-head coupe. Continue reading →

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Forget tofu, Arby’s gets the drift

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Ben Hsu

Takumi has gotten a new job, delivering roast beef sandwiches for Arby’s. Continue reading →

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NEWS: Honda reveals Neo Classic Racer, Trip Van ahead of Tokyo Auto Salon

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Ben Hsu

The Tokyo Auto Salon isn’t until next January, but Honda has already revealed a few of the cars it plans to display at the aftermarket extravaganza. Both capitalize on nostalgia, and are both are based on kei cars exclusive to the Japanese market. Continue reading →

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