INTERVIEW: Bob Hall talks Japanese nostalgics, the Miata, and how the Lotus Elan fits in

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Ben Hsu

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In light of the 25th anniversary of the Mazda Miata and the fact that the fourth-gen is just hours away from unveiling, here is an interview with Bob Hall.

It was probably appropriate that we met with Bob Hall at the Fair Oaks Pharmacy in Pasadena, California. A sign in the window of the 1950s soda fountain-turned-cafe advertises “Nostalgic Toys,” and we were sitting down with a man who conceived the most nostalgic toy in the automotive kingdom, the Mazda Miata. Not only that, he may have very well been the first American to do the whole JDM thing. Here’s what he had to say about the Miata, why the Lotus Elan is not as influential as everyone thinks, and his favorite JNCs. Continue reading →

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QotW: What’s the coolest “chick’s car”?

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Mazda MX5 Miata NYAutoShow01

Fairly or not, many JNCs are labeled “chick’s cars” because they are compact, sport inoffensive designs, and embody performance in ways more civilized than spewing a boatload of HP. Besides, what’s so bad about being a “chick’s car” anyway?

What’s the coolest “chick’s car”?

We are just a couple days from the unveiling of the fourth-generation Miata, a car that by all indications seems to be a throwback to the original MX-5. Mazda’s little roadster has become the best-selling sports car of all time, but perhaps more importantly, in recent years it has reclaimed its image as a serious sports car and shed its early reputation as a chick-mobile. If the Miata is a chick’s car, then chicks have great taste.

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of the last QotW, “What Japanese car did we get the better version of?” Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 20 Comments

Happy Labor Day from JNC

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Ben Hsu

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It’s not work if you love it, right? Happy Labor Day from JNC.

Posted in jnc | 8 Comments

MEDIA: JNC on the Petersen Museum’s CarStories Podcast

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Ricky Silverio

Petersen Museum Toyota 2000GT

Last week our intrepid editor Ben Hsu was invited to the Petersen Museum‘s CarStories podcast. The topic was classic Japanese cars in general. The producers thought it would be a good followup to the landmark auctions at the Monterey Historics.

Recent guests have included Wayne Carini, Bruce Canepa, Adam Carolla, the founder of Singer Porsches, Indy driver Ed Carpenter and Sir Jackie effing Stewart, but please listen to his episode anyway despite a significant downturn in guest quality. You can subscribe to CarStories on iTunes as well.  Continue reading →

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 1980 Plymouth Arrow Sport Truck with less than 19k miles

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Ben Hsu

1980 Plymouth Arrow Sport Truck 02

It’s a miracle! A 1980 Plymouth Arrow Sport Truck has appeared on Craiglist in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This rare captive import version of a Mitsubishi Forte pickup has color-matched wheels, the most 1970s stripe package you can imagine, and just 18,854 miles on the clock.  Continue reading →

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MINICARS: Japan Post celebrates the Mazda MX-5’s 25th anniversary with commemorative stamps

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Ricky Silverio

Mazda MX-5 Miata 25th Anniversary Stamps

On Monday, the Japan Post released a series of commemorative stamps and a 1:64 diecast car to honor the 25th anniversary of the Mazda Miata and the upcoming debut of the fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 on September 3. We’ll be on hand at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the unveil so watch this space, but until then, stamps! Continue reading →

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EVENTS: Land Cruiser Motor Show in Tokyo celebrates Japanese re-release of 70-Series

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Brandon Kelley

Toyota Land Cruiser 70 30th Anniversary 01

On Monday, Japan Time, Toyota held a Land Cruiser Motor Show at their MegaWeb car mall in Odaiba, Tokyo. The occasion was the 30th anniversary of the 70-Series Land Cruiser, a truck that has just been re-released for sale in Japan.  Continue reading →

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QotW: What Japanese car did we get the better version of?

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Ben Hsu

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Type Rs, GT-Rs, S20s, SR20s, and so on. So often we hear about how Japan kept the best stuff for themselves, while we cackling execs foisted detuned sissy versions on our shores. But that’s wasn’t always the case, and we’d like to know:

What Japanese car did we get the better version of?

Right from the start, our based versions of the S30 Z had no fewer than 2.4 liters, while Japan got 2.0. The second-gen Acura Legend was never sold with a 6-speed Japan. Our 2002 Infiniti M45 had a V8, while its equivalent Cedric in Japan had just a six. The list goes on and on. Perhaps the earliest example, however, came in the form of the Datsun 411 SSS. In America we got the “sleeper” version that wasn’t labled as such, but had the Datsun 1600 roadster’s 1.6L motor stuffed in a base model 411 without the chrome.

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of the last QotW, “What’s the next Japanese collectible?”  Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 31 Comments

NEXT VERSION: A closer look at the Toyota FT-1 Graphite

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Ben Hsu

The Toyota FT-1 is just a stunning piece of design. And now, Toyota’s built a second one and painted it Graphite Gray, making it even more beautiful than the first. It was unveiled last week at McCall’s Motorworks Revival, an exclusive pre-party to kick off the Monterey Historics. We briefly mentioned FT-1 number two in Part 01 of our Monterey coverage, but the gorgeous concept deserves a closer look. Continue reading →

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25 YEAR CLUB: The R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R is officially a Japanese Nostalgic Car

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Ben Hsu

“No victory, unless GT-R.” That was the saying in Japan when Nissan’s Skyline GT-R became the most dominant racing machine of its era. No, this is not another story about the hakosuka’s 50-plus victories; the adage was coined for its successor. On August 21, 1989, the R32 GT-R went on sale in Japan. Godzilla is now officially a Japanese nostalgic car.  Continue reading →

Posted in 25 Year Club, nissan | Tagged , , | 30 Comments

EVENTS: Monterey Historics, Part 02 — The Auctions

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Ben Hsu

We’re going to do things out of chronological order because we felt it was important to report on the auctions of four significant Japanese cars as they happened. Now that we’ve recuperated from the madness, here’s how it went down, and how it felt to be in a room full of multi-millionaires as J-tin crossed the block.  Continue reading →

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Mazda M2 1002 briefly offered for sale

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Ricky Silverio

With all the hype surrounding blue chip JNCs in recent weeks, we almost overlooked the fact that a genuine M2 1002 was recently offered on eBay and then quickly taken down (supposedly sold in an off-site transaction).  Continue reading →

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QotW: What’s the next Japanese collectible?

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Over the weekend we saw what the KPGC10, Cosmo Sport and 2000GT can do at auction. However, those flagship models have been the obvious choices in terms of collectibility.

What’s the next Japanese collectible?

If we’ve learned anything from Monterey, it’s that collectors go for top-spec models that were special for their time, cars that had racing provenance, and “last of their kind” models. Manga and anime star really isn’t on the list, but add that to the mix and you’ve got a winner. AE86 prices have already been steadily climbing thanks to the popularity of drifting. Will it ever reach six figures?

What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of the last QotW, “JNC prices are on the rise. Good or bad? ”  Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged , | 25 Comments

NEWS: 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport sells for $264,000

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Minutes after the white Toyota 2000GT crossed the block at Gooding & Co., a short-wheel base 1967 Mazda Cosmo Sport did the same.Both were from the same collection, an unnamed collector that also sold a BMW 507 and 1969 Camaro Z/28. After some spirited bidding, the gavel dropped at $240,000, or $264,000 out the door after commission.  Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

NEWS: Toyota 2000GTs sell for $1 million each

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Ben Hsu

The Toyota 2000GT is a million dollar car. But you already knew that. In the auction world, the rule of thumb is that a car needs to sell for a particular price three time before it’s considered legit. Two 2000GTs sold for $1 million each this weekend at Monterey, confirming what we already have seen in three other sales of Japan’s first supercar.  Continue reading →

Posted in News | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

NEWS: KPGC10 Nissan Skyline GT-R sells for $242,000

Posted on August 16, 2014 by Ben Hsu

We will have more detailed coverage early next week, but we just wanted to tell you that the first KPGC10 Skyline GT-R to sell at auction broke expectations with a $220,000 sale in Monterey. RM Auctions expected it to go for $125,000-175,000, but it blew right through that ceiling. With the 10 percent commission, it was $242,000 out the door. This changes everything.  Continue reading →

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EVENTS: Monterey Historics, Part 01

Posted on August 15, 2014 by Ben Hsu

So after we dropped off the hakosuka GT-R at Nissan’s garage, we set out to see what the rest of the Monterey Historics had to offer. It is the most mind-detonatingly expensive automotive festival in this hemisphere, a world we plebes normally never get to experience. We’d heard there was J-tin in them thar hills, and we were off in search of it. Continue reading →

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EVENTS: KPGC10 Skyline GT-R at the Monterey Historics

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Ben Hsu

We just brought a genuine KPGC10 Skyline GT-R to the Monterey Historics. It was a bit surreal to say the least, watching it enter the paddocks of the legendary Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Though it never raced here, the circuit is the GT-R’s natural environment, and it dominated every one that it went to throughout the late 1960s and early 70s. From the banks of Fuji Speedway to perhaps the most famous track in the US, the GT-R had come home to roost. Continue reading →

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PROFILES: The lost Datsun 240Z Sport Wagon

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Ben Hsu

At this year’s Z Car Club of America’s annual convention, a unique 240Z was unveiled. The Datsun 240Z “Sport Wagon” was borne from the mind of Yoshihiko Matsuo, the original stylist of the Datsun 240Z. Though it was never put into production, this one-off custom has made his vision a reality nearly 50 years since he first put pen to paper. Continue reading →

Posted in profiles | 23 Comments

GALLERIES: Shinjuku Subaru Building closes for good

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Ben Hsu

One of the great things about Tokyo is that just about every Japanese automaker has a large office building there. Such buildings usually have a showroom on the ground floor, and you can spend an entire day gallery-hopping, picking up brochures, collecting whatever swag they have lying around, or dropping some serious yen on minicars, posters, and apparel.

Among the easiest to get to was the Subaru Building in Shinjuku, just across the street from the massive west exit of Shinjuku Station, Tokyo’s largest train depot. Sadly, it closed for good last week.  Continue reading →

Posted in Galleries | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments