Two years ago, we published a round-up of the various JNCs offered for sale during the annual orgy of automotive spending known as the Scottsdale auctions, and based on both the quantity and quality of the cars that crossed the dais that week we concluded that JNCs had at last entered the mainstream of the car collecting community. The Scottsdale auctions (along with Monterey Car Week) are the leading barometer of classic car prices and trends in the US, so now in 2018 we felt it was time to revisit the Arizona desert to see whether the big spenders of the car world are still showing JNCs any love. Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Bob Sharp inducted into SCCA Hall of Fame
Nissan racing pioneer and legend Bob Sharp has been inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame. Sharp was one of eight inductees announced for the Sports Car Club of America’s 2018 honors, recognizing a lifetime’s worth of racing achievements, three-and-a-half decades’ worth of which were accomplished with Datsun and Nissan cars. Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 510, 610, bob sharp, datsun, fairlady roadster, nissan, paul newman
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Tokyo Auto Salon: Alaska-to-Chile Land Cruiser restored
On March 29, 1960 a Toyota Land Cruiser embarked on a record-breaking north-to-south journey from Fairbanks, Alaska to Puerto Montt, Chile. The Land Cruiser covered 20,015 miles, took 117 days, and recorded the first time the trip had been completed without accidents. Also, it was bright pink. Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 10k-mile Toyota MR2 for $30,000
The gods of mid-engine runabouts must be receiving their share of sacrifices, because here’s the second ridiculously low-milage MR2 we’ve seen for sale in less than a week. Though this 1986 model in Indianapolis has traveled more than double the distance of the 1993 Turbo from last week, that still means it has only racked up about 10,000 ticks. Continue reading
Tokyo Auto Salon: Endless brakes make this Hino Contessa a show stopper
One of the benefits of the growing interest in Japanese classics is that aftermarket companies are producing an increasing number of parts for the cars we know and love. One of the leaders of this movement is Endless Advance, the Japanese maker of performance brakes. At the Tokyo Auto Salon earlier this month, they showed off their ever-expanding catalog of brake system bits with a raised Hino Contessa in one of the most eye-catching displays of the show. Continue reading
Posted in events, Tokyo Auto Salon
Tagged contessa, Endless brakes, hino, tokyo auto salon
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NEWS: Nissan still “working on” keeping the Z alive
The current Nissan Z is nearly a decade old and the automaker has given not even the slightest suggestion of a successor. However, the company’s most memorable model is perhaps not completely dead, according to a Nissan executive’s recent statements. Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC introduced in 1993 is your favorite classic of 2018?
It’s hard to believe, but the year that gave us President Bill Clinton, Jurassic Park, and Beanie Babies is now 25 years in the rear view mirror. 1993 was a seminal year, quite possibly the peak of the Bubble Era cars, as technology developed during boom times reached market. As such, a new round of Nihon steel is now eligible for historic plates, classic car insurance, and import from Japan.
Which JNC introduced in 1993 is your favorite classic of 2018?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Has your JNC ever gotten you in trouble with the law?” Continue reading
KIDNEY, ANYONE? 4,400-mile Toyota MR2 Turbo
If you wanted a brand new second-generation Toyota MR2 Turbo back in the day but foolishly did not buy one, this could be your one shot at redemption. Offered for sale in Canal Winchester, Ohio, is quite possibly the country’s lowest-mile all-original SW20 MR2 in private hands. Continue reading
KEI HERO: Suzuki Alto Works
Poor America. We don’t even know how bad we have it. In the States, we think of hatchbacks as puny, minimally equipped tin cans that people buy because they can’t afford something better. Elsewhere in the world and especially in Japan, not only are the smallest of the small kei cars acceptable, they are desirable, deliver superior performance, and are packed with technology that would make actual sports cars of the era look like an oxcart. There was perhaps no better example of this phenomenon than the Suzuki Alto Works, the tiniest hot hatch. Continue reading
VIDEO: Leno Drives an S30 Z
Jay Leno built a career on comedy, then built arguably the best private car collection in the world with the proceeds, and today uses that car collection to educate the world about interesting about cars. He doesn’t limit himself to just one type of car, nor does he own the world’s supply of Porsches or every Paul Newman race car. If it’s interesting mechanically, he’s into it. Continue reading
SEARCH & RESCUE: Mazda Millenia S
Dear JNC readers, we need your help. We trust that if you are reading you 1.) believe in our mission to preserve cars for posterity, and 2.) are experienced in tracking down an elusive but prime vehicular specimens for purchase. We are introducing a new series, Search & Rescue, in which we ask our readership to help us find cars for those who will save them. For the first installment, we are seeking a Mazda Millenia S. Whichever lucky example is chosen will live the rest of its life in a very important collection of historically significant Mazdas and be well taken care of. Continue reading
COLLECTIONS: Nissan completes restoration of 24 Hours of Spa R31 Skyline
On Saturday Nissan celebrated the completion of its restoration of the Group A HR31 Skyline GTS-R that ran at the 1988 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. With only 800 homologation models made, the R31 Skyline GTS-R is a rare and technologically advanced model, even if often overshadowed by its GT-R brethren. This particular car has even more historical significance, however, as it marked the first time an official Nissan sanctioned Skyline competed in Europe. Continue reading
NEWS: Heavy snow hits Tokyo, disrupts road, train and air travel
A heavy snow storm struck Tokyo Monday, dumping 9 inches of powder on the capital city. According to NHK about 50 cars were stranded on Tokyo’s iconic Rainbow Bridge. The weather interfered with Tokyo’s train schedules as well, and according to Reuters 250 flights at Haneda Airport were grounded. Continue reading
QotW: Has your JNC ever gotten you in trouble with the law?
One of the worst feelings in the world is that sinking feeling you get upon seeing the rollers of a police cruiser in your rear view mirror. I saw a set of lights on my 86 a minute after entering a local town’s city limits. The offense? No front license plate on my zenki bumper. The bolt holes for a US plate differ from those of a Japanese number plate so I simply left it off. Luckily, I always roll with a trunk full of tools, so I zip-tied the plate on and got off with a warning.
Has your JNC ever gotten you in trouble with the law?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Do you wave at other JNC drivers?” Continue reading
NEWS: The return of Mazda’s rotary engine
It’s official, Mazda’s rotary engine is making a comeback, but perhaps not in the way sports car enthusiasts hope. Rather than powerful, turbocharged powerplants in a new RX car, the new rotary will serve as range extenders on a fleet of self-driving electric vehicles that Mazda and Toyota are co-developing together. Continue reading
MINICARS: Hot Wheels Hakosuka Nissan Skyline Wagon
JNC stopped by Mattel’s design center yesterday and saw what promises to be one of the most coveted Hot Wheels for 2018 — the Nissan C10 Skyline Van. Designer Jun Imai was kind enough to share the final version with us, card art and all, and it is gorgeous. Continue reading
Consider the Following: Infiniti M30
When asked about a good JNC for someone on a budget, I usually find myself turning to Nissan’s back catalogue, particularly the models from the mid- to late-1980s. It’s not that they were inherently better than Toyotas or Hondas, but rather, they were prolific in making sporty cars (much the opposite, sadly, of today). I rattle off the usual suspects — Z31, S12, or, if feeling a bit flippant, a ringer like the Stanza Wagon to see if they’re still listening. However, there’s one car that I always completely forget about until I’m perusing the darkest reaches of Craigslist: the Infiniti M30. Continue reading
Happy 117 Day to all the Isuzu faithful
Today is January 17, or World Isuzu 117 Day. That’s probably not a real holiday, but it should be. Celebrate with a tour across Japan in a 117, or a visit to a 117 specialist shop. There aren’t enough holidays celebrating Isuzus on the calendar!
JNC THEATER: A drama about a nameless racer, a car designer, and the “Nagoya” 2000GT
Promotion has begun for a new TV drama in Japan that crosses Speed Racer and a A Night at the Museum. Called Midnight Supercar, the star car is a 2000GT and the museum is the Toyota Automobile Museum itself. Continue reading
VIDEO: Nostalgic Race Day at Autopolis
The video we’re featuring today is of a Nostalgic Race Day at Autopolis, an international racing circuit in Oita Prefecture. Autopolis, currently owned by Kawasaki, hosts a number of races for Super GT, Super Formula, Super Taikyu and MFJ Superbike, but here it’s invaded by classic domestic steel. Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged autopolis, c110, kenmeri, mazda, nissan, rx-3, skyline, wasabi cars
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