RIP Kenichi Yamamoto, Father of the Mazda Rotary Engine, 1922-2017

Posted on December 26, 2017 by Dave Yuan

Kenichi Yamamoto, who famously led Mazda’s “47 Ronin” team that brought the rotary engine into reality, passed away on December 20, 2017. His family made public his passing to the Japanese press on Christmas Day. Yamamoto was 95.

A bona fide legend in the automotive world and a national hero in his home country of Japan, Yamamoto has become synonymous with the rotary engine, having literally written the books on it. His life journey was one of profound inspiration, beginning with his birth in 1922.  Continue reading →

Posted in Legends | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Happy Boxing Day from JNC

Posted on December 26, 2017 by Ben Hsu

In honor of the GC Subaru Impreza officially turning 25 years old in 2017, enjoy a Impreza WRX STI Version III on this Boxing Day.

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NEWS: Honda’s 1970 Z360-inspired CR-Z

Posted on December 26, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Images of Honda’s show cars have surfaced weeks ahead of the Tokyo Auto Salon in January. The custom car exhibition showcases the latest trends in Japan’s car scene, and wild modifications are no exception. One of the oddest, though, is a Honda CR-Z factory customized with the nose of a 1970 Honda Z.  Continue reading →

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QotW: What did you ask JDM Santa Claus for this year?

Posted on December 25, 2017 by Brandon Kelley

It’s a well known fact that JDM Santa Claus takes off from his home in northern Hokkaido each winter in his shakotan sleigh pulled by eight flying Nara deer, playing not just Jingle Bells on his throttle, but “Carol of the Bells” in its entirety, as he brings rare parts and collectibles to all the good JNCers.

What did you ask JDM Santa Claus for this year?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How do you ‘baby’ your JNC?” Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 6 Comments

Happy Holidays from all of us at JNC!

Posted on December 24, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Wishing all JNC readers a safe and happy holiday season. May you have many meaningful moments with your loved ones, whether they be human or automobile.

Posted in Holidays | 3 Comments

How the Corona convinced Florida’s first Toyota dealer to sell these weird Japanese cars

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Today there’s a second “first Toyota dealer” story on the interwebs, but this one comes from Florida rather than France. The story of how Dave Zinn in 1965 opened the Sunshine State’s first showroom for a then-obscure brand called Toyota is an interesting one, and the barikan Toyota Corona played a pivotal role.  Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Let the gift of a Toyota 2000GT get you in the holiday spirit

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Ricky Silverio

The Degeneve family has been dealing in classic cars for four generations. In 1971 the grandfather, Jean-Pierre, began selling Toyotas in France, making Degeneve dealership the oldest Toyota franchise in the country. Before cars, the family ran a successful bicycle business, but Jean-Pierre was always into classic sports machines. However, despite having owned and experienced the creme de la creme of cars in period, most notably a Ferrari Daytona, his most beloved was the 1967 Toyota 2000GT.  Continue reading →

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MINICARS: Hot Wheels X JNC Japan Historics 2

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Ricky Silverio

2018 isn’t even here yet, but we are very excited to show what we know already be the hottest series of the year. The five-car Japan Historics 2 features two new castings, retooled versions of popular existing castings, and some seriously epic card art. It was also created to celebrate Hot Wheels’s debut in 1968, making the beloved toy cars 50 years old next year. Here’s a closeup of each car in the series.  Continue reading →

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MOTORSPORT: TS Cup Sunnys and Bluebirds race at the NISMO Festival

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Ben Hsu

We’ve written a lot here at JNC about TS Cup Nissan Sunnys over the years. They always have a habit of showing up, no matter which classic car event in Japan you’re at. That makes sense, as it’s one of the most active vintage racing series in Japan. Until know, though, we’ve never been able to show you what one of these races was like. Luckily, at the recent NISMO Festival there was an exhibition race held.  Continue reading →

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25 YEAR CLUB: GC Subaru Impreza

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Ryan Senensky

In 1991 Subaru had a pretty decent reputation, sort of like a Japanese Volvo. Agricultural, reliable and honest, Subaru wasn’t known for filling their cars to the brim with tech or WRC domination. It wasn’t that they didn’t try; at one point the Leone came dressed up with a turbo, digital dashboard, alarm clock, and even air suspension. The problem was, it just didn’t click. The fact of the matter was that by 1991, as great a car as the Leone was, it felt old hat. For 1992, however, Subaru created what was then the crowning achievement of their 63-year company history. Twenty-five years ago Subaru debuted the first Impreza.  Continue reading →

Posted in 25 Year Club | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

KIDNEY, ANYONE? A flatty Mitsubishi Starion to relive your Cannonball Run fantasies

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Ben Hsu

When you say “Starion” most people remember the aggressively flared, turbo-charged sports coupe that pretty much defined 80s styling. The earliest incarnations of Starions, however, were not so in-your-face with its styling. Flat-siders are pretty much extinct these days, but one recently popped up on Craigslist New York, and it appears to have been pretty well cared for.  Continue reading →

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VIDEO: Datsuns filmed, appropriately, on Kodak 16mm

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Here’s a video series JNCers might dig. In Future Classics, the cars aren’t fancy, but the owners are passionate about them. Self-described as the “brainchild of director Elias Ressegatti and cinematographer Daryl Hefti” and “shot in a bare-bones approach to honor the independent spirit of filmmaking as well as let the beauty of the cars, their people and the surroundings speak for themselves.” That bare-bones approach is 16mm Kodak film and the result is beautiful, saturated and grainy. Continue reading →

Posted in Video | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

QotW: How do you “baby” your JNC?

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Brandon Kelley

I once knew a guy who would wash his car every Sunday, rain or shine, whether the car actually crawled out of the garage or not. Another refused to bring “outside” shoes into his car and would swap shoes ala Mister Rogers when getting in his car. These may be on the extreme side.. or may be not? I want to know:

How do you “baby” your JNC?

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

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 14 Comments

EVENTS: The 2017 NISMO Festival was a moving tribute to the Skyline

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Ben Hsu

This year’s NISMO Festival was a special one, as it marked the event’s 20th anniversary. The inaugural NISMO Festival in 1997 was a small gathering put together by NISMO employees as a customer appreciation day. Nissan factory drivers showed up to interact with fans, and the big draw was Nissan’s then-new R390 GT1 Le Mans racer. Two decades later, the event has grown to a massive proportions. Despite wintry temperatures, 28,000 fans made the journey to Fuji Speedway this year. Continue reading →

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VIDEO: This is how Honda has made 100 million Super Cubs

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Ben Hsu

We at JNC love the Honda Super Cub. Honda recently passed the incredibly impressive milestone of having sold 100 million units since the Super Cub’s debut in 1958. That’s the same sales figures as the Volkswagen Beetle, Toyota Corolla, and Ford F-series pickup, combined. To celebrate the occasion, as well as the upcoming 60th anniversary of the Super Cub next year, Honda has released two videos that are basically love letters to the iconic bike.  Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

NEWS: Mazda starts Miata Roadster restoration program

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Ben Hsu

On December 13 Mazda began accepting applications for its Roadster Restore program. Announced back in August, the program will revive first-generation NA Eunos Roadsters at classic centers throughout Japan, and reproduce about 150 select parts for sale.  Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

NEWS: Hayashi Racing is making A-Series valve covers

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Kevin San

Hayashi Racing is now making some lovely cast aluminum rocker covers for the Nissan A-series. Available in black or red (the blue one above is a custom job for a Hayashi Formula J race car). We expect most of these to be sold in Japan, where modifying Sunnys and Sunny Trucks — not to mention the TS Cup vintage racers —are a big deal. Continue reading →

Posted in Product Guide | 9 Comments

VIDEO: Dance through the decades with the Honda Accord

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Ben Hsu

Hey, what better way to declare the pedigree of your products than to show decades’ worth of history? Honda’s latest spot, called “With Every Era,” takes you through Accord generations along with era appropriate song and dance. We’re always happy to see automakers be proud of their heritage, but hmm, where have we seen this concept before?  Continue reading →

Posted in cm | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

QotW: How will you purchase your next JNC?

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Brandon Kelley

We’ve been seeing a massive amount of minty JNCs lately. Many of these perfect specimens come attached with “out-the-barn, no low-ball, I-know-what-I-have” prices. On the other hand, there are still times when you can find a JNC in condition ranging from quasi-decent to “help meeeee” for a much lower price. I’m interested in your take with the current market for JNC.

For your next purchase, do you buy the complete model with a higher price tag; or go low-ball and perform your own servicing to get it back in tip-top shape?

How will you purchase your next JNC?

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 color on a JNC?” Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments

EVENTS: Classic Japan 2017

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Kevin San

As the JNC crew in SoCal was getting their 80s and 90s car show fill at Radwood, we here in Australia were going further back in time. Classic Japan in Melbourne is probably one of the best gatherings of Nihon steel in the world, thanks to Australia’s long history with Japanese cars. We had officially sold ADM Princes, locally built Skyline R31s, and a long history of sleeper rotaries. Americans, however, may find it odd to see me geek out over a Corolla FX-16. In any case, here’s the result of our 2,000-km road trip in the JNC Project Hakosuka. Enjoy! Continue reading →

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