Japanese Nostalgic Car

QotW: Which JNC commands the most respect?

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Today is Respect for the Aged Day in Japan, so…

Which JNC commands the most respect?

With its racing provenance, menacing grille and the fact that its modern day successor eats supercars for breakfast, the Nissan KPGC10 GT-R seems like the obvious choice. Then again, few outside JNC enthusiast circles see it as more than an old Datsun.

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 last week’s winning comment regarding the news that JCCS is now screening entrants. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged jccs, QotW, Question of the Week | 28 Comments

MUSEUMS: Motoring Mysteries of the Far East

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Ben Hsu

If you’re on the East Coast and looking for a place to get your JNC fix this weekend, may we recommend the AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The museum has gathered a fantastic and diverse cross section of Japanese vehicles in an exhibit titled Motoring Mysteries of the Far East. If you can’t make it, our friend Brad DeSantis managed to snap some shots during his visit there. Continue reading →

Posted in museums | Tagged 240z, accord, cedric, civic, crown, datsun, honda, jimny, lj20, museums, nissan, pre-war, s30, sambar, sports 800, subaru, suzuki, toyota | 6 Comments

EVENTS: MX-5 Turns 25 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Dave Yuan

If you just woke up from a coma, we have two things to tell you. First, welcome back. Second, Mazda made a new Miata. Everyone else in the world was bombarded with that knowledge a week ago with an inescapable global unveiling. That, however, was just the pre-game show to the main event: almost 2,000 Miatas descending like locusts on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged Laguna Seca, mazda, miata, mx-5 | 13 Comments

VIDEO: Australia’s Nissan’s Motorsports History

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Ricky Silverio

Nissan’s racing exploits in Japan, the US and even Africa should be at least somewhat familiar to long-time JNC readers by now. However, the automaker was hugely influential in the motorsports history of Australia as well. R30 and R31 Skylines were manufactured locally, Nissan racing legend Masahiro Hasemi raced there, and it was the only country outside of Japan where the R32 GT-R was officially sold. Continue reading →

Posted in motorsport, Video | Tagged australia, Bathurst, bluebird, george fury, masahiro hasemi, nissan, skyline | 4 Comments

EVENTS: Monterey Historics, Part 03 — Motorsports Reunion

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Perhaps the only thing more heavenly than hearing a cacophony of uncorked engines at full tear is actually witnessing a fleet of irreplaceable metal come screaming over the hills. The Rolex Motorsports Reunion is one of the highlights — possibly the highlight — of the Monterey Historics. Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 240sx, 240z, adam carolla, Bob Sharp Racing, c10, celica, datsun, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, fc3s, honda, imsa, mazda, Mazda 787, monterey historics, nissan, paul newman, porsche, Rolex Motorsports Reunion, rx-7, s13, s30, silvia, skyline, sports 800, Steve Millen, Tetsu Ikuzawa, toyota, z31, z32 | 23 Comments

EDITORIAL: JCCS now screening entrants. This is a good thing.

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Ben Hsu

The 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show is less than three weeks away. It’ll be a milestone event as the JCCS reaches its 10th year in existence. We hope you can join us at the Queen Mary Park in Long Beach, California on September 27th. Doors open at 9am.

This landmark moment in the Japanese classic scene, however, does not come without controversy. This year, JCCS organizers have begun screening entrants, enforcing a long-standing rule that cars have to be up to a certain level of quality in order to be admitted into the show. Owners with cars that don’t meet that requirement are politely refunded the entrance fee and registration turned down. This has spawned some debate, but we at JNC say it’s a good thing. Continue reading →

Posted in Editorial | Tagged jccs | 93 Comments

Hachimaru Hero ranks the top 80s Japanese cars

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Ricky Silverio

Hachimaru Hero (80s Hero) is the Bubble Decade’s counterpart to Nostalgic Hero. Both come from the same publisher but nowadays interest in 80s Japanese cars is picking up speed. Recently the magazine put out a reader survey asking for the top twenty domestic cars from the 80s. Here’s what they found. Continue reading →

Posted in media | Tagged 430, 80s, a60, a70, ae86, aw11, cedric, city, f31, fairlady z, fc3s, gloria, Hachimaru Hero, honda, Infiniti M30, isuzu, leopard, mark II, mazda, miata, mitsubishi starion, mr2, mx-5, nissan, nsx, Piazza/Impulse, r30, r31, r32, rx-7, s130, skyline, soarer, supra, toyota, x70, z10, z20, z31 | 17 Comments

NEWS: This is the ND Mazda MX-5 Miata

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Ben Hsu

At 6:00pm Pacific Time, Mazda unveiled the fourth-gen Mazda MX-5 Miata globally and simultaneously in Tokyo, Monterey, and Barcelona. After arriving at Cannery Row in Monterey, we were shuffled into a black, tinted-windows bus headed to an undisclosed location. We thought the unveil may take place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, but the bus blew right past that. It was all rather ominous. Also, sadly, the bus was not a Mazda Parkway 26. Continue reading →

Posted in News, Next Version | Tagged mazda, miata, mx-5, Next Version | 33 Comments

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

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Ben Hsu

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 →

Posted in Legends | Tagged Bob Hall, mazda, miata, MX5 | 12 Comments

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

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Ben Hsu

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

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

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 →

Posted in media | Tagged Petersen Museum, podcasts | 10 Comments

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

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Ben Hsu

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 →

Posted in for sale | Tagged arrow, forte, kidney anyone, mitsubishi, plymouth, trucks | 13 Comments

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

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Ricky Silverio

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 →

Posted in minicars | Tagged Art Corner, japan post, mazda, miata, minicars, mx-5, stamps | 4 Comments

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

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Brandon Kelley

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 →

Posted in events | Tagged land cruiser, LC70, toyota | 11 Comments

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

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Ben Hsu

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 QotW | 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 →

Posted in Next Version | Tagged concepts, ft-1, monterey historics, toyota | 10 Comments

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 nissan, r32, skyline | 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 →

Posted in events | Tagged 2000gt, c10, cosmo sport, fj40, Hakosuka, imsa, land cruiser, mazda, monterey historics, nissan, skyline, toyota | 8 Comments

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 →

Posted in for sale | Tagged M2, mazda, miata, mx-5 | 2 Comments