The short film Goodnight, Tokyo is a love letter to Japan’s capital city. The 1992 video captured perfectly a slice of daily life in the metropolis — people going to work, children going to school, and trains, cars and boats going wherever it is they go. What’s unusual about this video is that it was filmed in high-definition, a rarity at the time. You can tell it’s 1992 by the skyline, the women’s hairstyles, and, of course, the cars. Continue reading
VIDEO: Tokyo life in 1992 was filled with boxy cars
Posted in Video
Tagged cedric, corolla, crown, fj40, land cruiser, nissan, TownAce, toyota
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SHOWA SNAP: Yurakucho Crossing, 1971
For this edition of Showa Snap, we take a look at the same area as the one Dave posted, kicking off the series. That area is Yurakucho Crossing, just south of Tokyo Station. where an elevated Shinkanesen embarks from the capital to points south and west. In this photo, taken in 1971, there’s no bullet train on the bridge, but a few cool cars are on the streets. A Nissan Cedric taxi and van in the foreground dart across the intersection, while making a left is a Hakosuka Skyline van. You can almost smell the hydrocarbons in the air!
Image: eBay.
QotW: Drive, Sell, or Garage? JNC Unobtainium Edition
Welcome to our version of Bang, Marry, Kill — Drive, Sell, Garage. You have three cars, and you must assign one action to each of the three cars. Which do you daily drive, knowing that it will require some mods and experience the most wear and tear; which do you sell, because you like it the least; and which do you garage and pass down to your grandchildren or donate to a museum? For the first installment, we give you three examples of JNC unobtainium, you decide their fates, and be sure to tell us why.
Drive, Sell, or Garage: Toyota 2000GT, Hakosuka Skyline GT-R, and Mazda Cosmo Sport.
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the most fitting match of car and place?” Continue reading
PROJECT DUSTBUS: 800 miles in an untested $50 Toyota van
Imagine that you’ve just purchased a 30-year-old barn find for $50. What’s your next move? You could do a slow, methodical refresh of all the important mechanical and safety bits, taking only short drives while you make certain that everything is in perfect nick before attempting any long-distance treks. Or, you could do what I did: immediately take it on an 800-mile road trip, because really, what could go wrong? Continue reading
EVENTS: Petersen Museum Cruise-in, Part 01
Last weekend the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles hosted their annual cruise-in for Japanese cars. J-tin of all eras and styles flocked to the museum’s parking structure at the corner of Fairfax and Wilshire Boulevards on a sweltering LA summer day. Here’s a gallery of the highlights. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 240sx, 240z, 3000GT, 70, a60, A80, accord, Accord 1G, acura, ae86, aw11, b310, c10, celica, civic, Civic 1G, Civic EF, Civic EG, Civic EK, civic wagon, corolla, corolla fx, cressida, datsun, e80, f10, fc3s, fd3s, fit, Hakosuka, honda, integra, Integra DA, Lexus GS, Lexus LS, mazda, mr2, Mtisubishi, N360/N600, nissan, nsx, pathfinder, Petersen Museum, r32, r33, r34, Rogue, rx-7, s13, s14, S160, s30 z, S500/S600/S800, scion, Scion FRS, silvia, skyline, sti, subaru, sunny, supra, sw20, T200, wrx, x30, x80, Z360/Z600
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MINICARS: Subaru SVX and Sambar, Honda S2000, Nissan trucks join Matchbox lineup in 2019
The annual Matchbox convention took place last weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is where the diecast brand has traditionally revealed the new cars to appear in next year’s lineup. As it turns out, in 2019 there will be several Japanese cars added. Continue reading
VINTAGE RACING JOURNAL: Five forgotten heroes of Datsun racing
As we prepare for Datsun race cars to flood Raceway Laguna Seca for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion in August, let’s take a moment to remember the forgotten heroes of Datsun racing. You’re probably already familiar with names like Brock Racing Enterprises and Bob Sharp Racing, officially sponsored by Datsun.
However, thanks to their sheer affordability and incredible performance, by the 1970s Datsuns campaigned by privateer teams — those who did not receive any backing from Nissan — were swarming America’s race tracks. Here’s five underdog Datsun racers that we should all remember and praise for their contributions to the brand. Continue reading
Posted in Vintage Racing Journal
Tagged 240z, 260z, 280z, 510, 610, 710, datsun, Dave Frellsen, Frank Leary, Logan Blackburn, motorsports, nissan, Rob McFarlin, s30 z, scca, Walt Maas
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VIDEO: Akio Toyoda travels through time to talk to his grandfather Kiichiro
Apparently, in addition to making cars, Toyota has taken its substantial profits to invent and build a time machine so that its current president, Akio Toyoda, could go back to the 1950s an interview his grandfather, Toyota Motor Corporation. founder Kiichiro Toyoda in a cringeworthy video that basically gets the one car in it completely wrong. Continue reading
Japan Post celebrates 40th anniversary of Mazda RX-7 with exclusive rotary goods
Japan’s post offices have unleashed a slew of Mazda RX-7 themed merch to mark the 40th anniversary of the iconic Hiroshima sports car. The goods celebrate all three generations of the RX-7, as well as the rotary engine. The only problem, other than the fact that they are available only in Japan, is that they’re shockingly expensive. Continue reading
NEWS: Toyota brings back vintage tricolor livery on 86 TRD Special Edition
Toyota has announced a new version of its 86 sport coupe and bringing back some retro colors to go with it. The 2019 Toyota 86 TRD Special Edition is the most performance-oriented 86 (née Scion FR-S) offered in the US yet, and Toyota is really trying to go retro with it. Not only does its name harken back to the legendary AE86, but it also wears Toyota’s old racing tricolor. Continue reading
QotW: What’s the most fitting match of car and place?
We all have our favorite cars. We all have our favorite places. But do your favorite car and place match? For example, I love my AE86, but I live in Los Angeles. But to be honest, the Hachiroku’s sharp handling and notoriously crackable interior is simply not suited to LA’s long, vast freeways and blazing heat. It would absolutely brilliant in Monterey or Napa, with its cool climates and endless ribbons of two-lane winding roads. What would be ideal for LA is something like an MA71 Supra or Z31 300ZX, a with a torquier motor that longs to stretch its legs but a cabin that’s comfortable if you find yourself stuck in a two-hour traffic jam — which is coincidentally where I came up with this QotW.
What’s the most fitting match of car and place?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What JNC would you import from Japan?”
EVENTS: Radwood NorCal 2018, the Greatest Hits
Among the many examples of 80s and 90s Japanese cars that populated Radwood NorCal this year, there were a few that really stood out to us. We hesitate to call them the best; except for the actual “Best Of” voted upon by the Radwood staff, these are merely our personal preferences. But much like 80s songs, there are ones that just bring a whole lot of joy, even if they aren’t technically The Best. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 240sx, 323 GTX, accord, Accord 1G, b13, camry, cressida, cultus, Dodge D50, Eagle Talon, eclipse, f31, fd3s, forte, geo, honda, infiniti, leopard, m30, mazda, metro, miata, Miata NA, Mighty Max, mitsubishi, mx-5, nissan, prelude, Prelude 3g, Radwood, rx-7, s13, sa22, sentra, silvia, suzuki, swift, tacoma, toyota, v10, x70
15 Comments
NEWS: Kiichiro Toyoda inducted into Automotive Hall of Fame
Toyota Motor Corporation founder Kiichiro Toyoda has been inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. When he was born in 1894, his father Sakichi was already on his way to becoming one of Japan’s most famous inventors, by devising an automatic loom that would revolutionize the textile industry. However, it was Kiichiro that convinced his father to enter the automobile business. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged crown, Kiichiro Toyoda, toyoda aa, Toyoda G1, toyopet, toyota
3 Comments
JNC THEATER: JNCspotting in the Stranger Things Season 3 trailer
Halloween is arguably my favorite holiday, and not because I give out candy until all of the children of my neighborhood are in a diabetic coma, but because my favorite Netflix series debuts its new season. Netflix UK & Ireland just released their teaser video for the third season of Stranger Things, and, well, actually it looks like a commercial for Hawkins Indiana’s newest shopping center, Starcourt Mall. Continue reading
EVENTS: Radwood NorCal 2018
The Radwood phenomenon is spreading faster than hairspray-induced polyester fire. The celebration of 80s and 90s autodom is now on its fourth show in just two years, and the organizers tell us it was the biggest one yet. We attended the Radwood SoCal last year and had a totally gnarly time, so we decided to head north and get into the groove. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 2.5RS, 240sx, 3000GT, 300zx, A31, a40, a60, a70, A80, accord, acty, acura, ae86, ae92, aw11, az-1, b-series, cappuccino, Cefiro, celica, corolla, crx, delica, fc3s, fd3s, figaro, fj60, GC8, honda, impreza, integra, land cruiser, LC70, LC80, legend, leone, lexus, Lexus LS, lexus sc, Lotus Esprit, mazda, miata, Miata NA, Mighty Max, mitsubishi, montero, motocompo, mr2, mx-5, nissan, nsx, pajero, r32, r34, Radwood, rx-7, s13, skyline, subaru, sunchaser, supra, suzuki, sw20, toyota, Toyota Van, z31
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One of the few Toyota Sports 800s sold new on US soil
These days, it’s easy, but also not terribly difficult to see a Toyota Sports 800 in the US. Though Toyota never offered them in the US, they’ve been part of numerous car shows and museum exhibits. And with their build dates of 1965-69 landing squarely before even California’s strict emissions testing schedule, they are free to cross our borders as they please. This, however, is one of the few new Sports 800s sold officially on US soil (two others were sold in Hawaii). Continue reading
NEWS: Toyota is making a Celica, but they’re not calling it that
The more news about the Supra that comes to light, the more head scratching it elicits. First there was the revelation that it wouldn’t come in a manual, then that it would race in NASCAR, and lest we forget, the entire thing is actually a thinly disguised BMW. Now, it has been discovered that it will have a four-cylinder option. A four-cylinder Supra is not a Supra. That, my friends, is a Celica. Continue reading
SHOWA SNAP: Kyoto Station in 1967 was full of Bluebird taxis
In a previous Showa Snap we posted a photo of Kyoto Station full of Toyota taxis. A couple of decades earlier, in 1967, if you wanted to hail a cab from the station your choices were apparently limited to a 411 Bluebird, 411 Bluebird, or let’s see, 411 Bluebird. There was probably a barikan Toyota Corona or two sitting in the queue, but at least in this snapshot Nissans ruled the day.
Image: 昭和スポット巡り
Posted in Uncategorized
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VIDEO: Honda RA301 at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Fifty years ago, Honda introduced the RA301 race car at the 1968 Spanish Grand Prix. It hailed from the first generation of Honda’s Formula One efforts, and was powered by a 3.0-liter V12 in an aluminum body. The original car was piloted by John Surtees, but to mark the half century of the RA301 former Honda F1 driver Jensen Button had the honor of running it up the hill. Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged Formula One, Goodwood Festival of Speed, honda, Jensen Button, John Surtees, RA301
2 Comments
MINICARS: Hot Wheels second-gen Honda CRX teased
The designers at Hot Wheels recently revealed a teaser image of the next JNC to make it to their minicar lineup. It is the unmistakable silhouette of the second-generation Honda CRX. Unlike the first-gen CRX, this one appears to mostly stock. The proportions look great, and we can’t wait to see it in the diecast metal.
