In Part 01 of our New Year Meeting coverage we concentrated on sports cars and coupes from the 1960s. However, there were many fine four-doors from that era as well, and as the two-doors rise in price the once neglected sedans are gaining in popularity. Continue reading
EVENTS: 2018 New Year Meeting, Part 01 — Sixties Specials
The New Year Meeting is the oldest classic car event in Japan, held annually at the end of January, closer to the lunar new year than the Gregorian one. Having started in 1977, this year marked the 42nd time it was held. This year’s show was smaller than years past, perhaps having to do with the frigid temperatures and cloudy skies, but there was still no shortage of stunning J-tin. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 117, 2000gt, 510, bellett, bluebird, contessa, cosmo sport, datsun, fairlady roadster, hino, honda, Honda S-Series, isuzu, mazda, monkey, new year meeting, nissan, publica, r360, toyota
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MOTORSPORT: Nissan will be the featured marque at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion
Nissan has confirmed that it will be the featured marque at the 2018 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The event celebrating vintage racing machines takes place at Laguna Seca during the Monterey Historics car week, and remains one of the most prestigious automotive events in the world. This will be the first time a Japanese marque has been honored there. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your best junkyard score of 2017?
Now that we have all gotten used to writing “2018” like a pro, let’s take a gander back to 2017 and relive your junkyard highlights of the past year. Being in the heart of Tokyo, I don’t get many chances to hit junkyards but sometimes you can find cool stuff on the side of the road. One of my best junkyard scores was making friends with a yard owner and staff. They were a fountain of knowledge and, if you played your cards right, they would give you a heads up when a 1985 Supra rolls in the yard with mint 14×7 rims. But enough about that! I want to know what the scene is like in 2017. Is it getting harder to find stuff, more cut throat?
What”s your best junkyard score of 2017?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What JNC trinkets do you collect?” Continue reading
Posted in Question of the Week, Uncategorized
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VIDEO: The introduction of Suzuki’s first car
Suzuki’s first car, the Suzulight, was launched in 1955. At a time when few in Japan owned private cars, and few roads existed, the first cars were sold to doctors so they could make house visits. Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: RE Amemiya’s personal Cosmo Sport
For Mazda fans the name RE Amemiya need no introduction. Isami Amemiya founded his rotary tuning house in 1974, and has been responsible for the world’s most insane modified Mazdas since. Ama-san has been sending these mad creations, usually FC or FD RX-7s, to the Auto Salon since the days when it was still called the Tokyo Exciting Car Show, but this year he turned heads with a classic build. Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged cosmo, fd3s, mazda, re amemiya, rx-7, tokyo auto salon
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Tokyo Auto Salon: Subaru Rally Legends
Subaru’s headline at the Auto Salon was the Viziv STI Concept, a potential preview of its next Impreza WRX STI. To support it, they also brought out a pair of rally legends that spawned a generation of fans who bleed blue and yellow, including the car that kicked it all off before the Impreza even set tire on a WRC stage. Continue reading
QotW: What JNC trinkets do you collect?
My office desk has everything from the latest JNC Hot Wheels, to an Auto Salon media badge with a sticker from Top Secret on it, to canned coffee promotional Super GT replica race cars. I kind of gravitate to any and all things car-related, especially JNC (remember that Blade Runner record with the FC RX-7 on it?). How about you? Is there anything specific you collect, or are you like me and just got for whatever floats your boat?
What JNC trinkets do you collect?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What makes you cringe about the current JNC culture?” Continue reading
Happy President’s Day from JNC
What better way to leave it all behind than with the memory of your last ride, a black Nissan President hearse? Get carried away by its grace, class, and dignity, and forget your troubles back on Earth. ‘Cause at the end of the day, it’s all about exiting in style, and that big golden topper will leave ’em in tears.
Happy Year of the Dog from JNC
For all those that celebrate the lunar new year, we at JNC wish you a happy Year of the Dog. Look at those li’l P’ups coming down the ramp, so eager to see you!
NEWS: Subaru of America celebrates 50 years
February 15 marked the 50th anniversary of Subaru of America. Half a century ago, the company consisted of two guys hawking Fuji Rabbit scooters and trying to drum up interest in the Subaru 360 kei car. Now it sells nearly 650,000 cars a year and enjoys sales growth that’s the envy of every other automaker. Continue reading
You can now get Honda-branded fashion at Forever 21
Most of us at JNC are what the kids today call “old” and therefore our fashion tastes very rarely converge with those who consider Snapchat a news channel. However, fashion retailer Forever 21 has a new collaboration with Honda that we finally get. Continue reading
VIDEO: This stunning Mazda collection goes beyond rotaries
When you hear Mazda collector, typically that means a fleet of rotaries or Miatas. Danny Irvine has one of the most impressive Mazda collections around, precisely because it goes beyond RX-7s and Cosmos. In fact, his stable includes everything from K360 and T2000 3-wheeled trucks to Carols to Familias. Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged carol, cosmo sport, Eunos Cosmo, fc3s, fd3s, k360, mazda, r100, rx-7, rx-8, sa22, t2000
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Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC
Fall in love with the Nissan Skyline 1800 this Valentine’s Day. This series of commercials from the late 1960s can’t get any more romantic, with a walk along the beach, warming up in front of a fireplace, and attempts to push a cow out of the road — all made possible with the Nissan Skyline. Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC! Continue reading
KIDNEY ANYONE? First Mitsubishi Lancer Evo I legally imported to the US
Hot on the heels of the first Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution officially joining the 25 Year Club, a rally tribute 1993 Evo I, nicknamed Stickers, is now stateside and ready for a new home. It is likely the first LanEvo imported to America, having arrived just before the car turned 25, according to Brian Jannusch of Top Rank/International Vehicle Importers. Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: Daihatsu Charade De Tomaso
If you’re into tiny hatchbacks and Italian sports cars with Ford V8s, in 1980s Japan you could get a car combining both of these worlds. The Daihatsu Charade De Tomaso melded the work of Toyota’s compact car subsidiary and the Argentinian-Italian car builder into one machine. At the Tokyo Auto Salon this year, Daihatsu brought a fine example of this rare oddity, and put it front and center at its booth. Continue reading
NEWS: Toyota teases MkV Supra
Toyota tweeted a dark image today of what is almost certainly the fifth-generation Supra. After not showing up at the Tokyo, Los Angeles or Detroit motor shows like it was rumored to, it looks as if it will make its public debut next month. Continue reading
VIDEO: The origins of Suzuki in anime form
Suzuki has released a new animated video showing the origins The origins of Suzuki go back to the late 1800s, when founder Michio Suzuki was finishing up an carpentry apprenticeship at the age of fourteen. He devised an automatic loom, as he hailed from Japan’ Enshu region, known for its textiles. After building a loom of his own design for his mother, a weaver, he founded Suzuki Loom Works at the age of 21. Continue reading
QotW: What makes you cringe about the current JNC culture?
We’ve see many trends roll through JNC culture over the years. Some great (upgrades in body rigidity and period correct wheel re-pops), and some not so great (such as over-use of accessory add-ons). Personally, I wince every time I hear people waxing on about “JDM” this and that. It comes off as very boy-racer and an air of elitism. How about you?
What makes you cringe about the current JNC culture?
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 favorite JNC underdog story?” Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: Honda goes retro, announces plans for used car refurbishment
Continuing the tour of Auto Salon automaker booths, we arrive at Honda. The company has its fingers in almost as many types of auto racing as Toyota, but perhaps more overall thanks to its motorcycle division. It also debuted an unusual retro design to whet the appetite of vintage Honda owners. Continue reading
Posted in Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged acura, Civic Type R, cr-z, honda, honda z, Indy 500, nsx, super cub, Takuma Sato, tokyo auto salon
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