Apparently, building JNCs out of Legos is a thing. After stumbling upon a Toyota Celica built by -Kyusha-, we fell down the rabbit hole and discovered an entire subculture of nostalgics made of plastic blocks. Here are some of our favorites. Continue reading
Nissan Motor Corporation was founded 80 years ago today, on December 26, 1933. Starting with just one 12-horsepower model, the company set forth into the world. Through eight decades of triumphs and hardships, it has given the world some of the most hallowed names in automotive history — Skyline, Z, 510, Silvia, GT-R, Maxima, countless trucks. And that’s just the cars we’re familiar with in the States. Add in all the Figaros, Laurels and and we’re talking about a dynasty.
For their 80th birthday, Nissan has published a video loaded with footage of their greatest hits. Particularly noteworthy are rarely seen clips of 1930s carriages and vintage race cars. Whether you live and breathe Nissans or simply have three minutes to spare, the video below is a must-see. Happy birthday, Nissan! Continue reading
May Japanese Santa Claus bring you all the car parts your hearts desire. メリークリスマス!
We know, we know. It was hard just to find the orange one. But we absolutely love Mattel’s casting of the Datsun 620 so we are happy to report that not only is there a second version on its way, but it’s sporting the JNC inkan as well. Continue reading
Today marks the end of a Tokyo institution. Toyota‘s Amlux showroom is closing after 23 years of operation. Most residents of Japan’s constantly morphing metropolis probably didn’t even notice, but for die-hard Toyotaku it’s the end of an era. Continue reading
Your chances of coming across an unmolested AE86 lie somewhere between winning the $600 million Powerball jackpot and spotting Sasquatch riding a unicorn. Being the O.G. drift machine and star of Initial D has its downsides. Namely, legions of aspiring Formula D entrants have hunted them to near extinction and placed it on the endangered species list. This 1987 Corolla GT-S Coupe currently on eBay in Fountain Valley, California, however, has somehow survived the genocide. Continue reading
Step into Mooneyes‘ Yokohama Hot Rod and Custom Show and you might think you’ve stepped through a wormhole to 1960s America. Every style you can imagine, from high-boys to lowriders, is represented, including ones actual Americans no longer care about. Raked street machines, muraled vans, pinstriped lead sleds, all lit up like a GM Autorama. Then you come across drool-worthy Toyota Crown you’ve ever laid eyes upon and that’s when you realize you’re in Japan. Continue reading
We suspect that while most readers will be buying the new book Inside Shelby American to learn about Carroll Shelby, JNCers will be buying it for its author, legendary race car driver John Morton. Continue reading
Our Kaido shirt that we did for this year’s JCCS was hugely popular and sold out at the show. It’s been a while but we finally made more so people who missed it at the event can get one, just in time for the holidays. Click here for a translation. Just go to the JNC Shop and scroll down till you see it. Santa hat not included.
Massive loads of snow have been falling on our planet, even in regions like Texas (though still sunny in LA, in case you’re wondering). And while it’d be stark raving insanity to drive a classic car through the slush and salt, what if reasons of circumstance, finances, or general good taste prevented you from driving a new car?
What’s the best winter JNC?
One of the best snow cars we’ve ever owned was an FF 5-speed Honda. It whisked us through the blizzard of 2003, past armies of suburbanites unintentionally drifting their SUVs with no problem whatsoever, with nothing but a set of all-season Yokohamas. We put up this tracked Civic Wagon simply because it’s totally rad bitchin’ awesome, but AWD isn’t a necessity.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “Which completely inconspicuous car will be a JNC of the future?” Continue reading
Driving through Japan in a red-on-black DR30 Skyline festooned with emergency lights is akin to prowling rural Georgia in an orange ’69 Dodge Charger. Or Miami in a white Testarossa. Or Los Angeles in a black ’82 Firebird with a pulsating red light in the grille. Seibu Keisatsu was the premiere Japanese cop drama of its time and, having been sponsored by Nissan, featured a whole lotta Skylines. Continue reading
We’ve been to Mattel’s design studio in El Segundo, California a few times but have never been granted permission to take photos. Instead, we signed a mountain of NDAs. Clearly what we needed to be was CBS News. Continue reading
Electric Federal has done some great videos of the Toyota Celica and Honda CB350, but in the latest video they turn their attention to the quintessential sports car that defined a generation: The Datsun 240Z. And the owner is none other than our friend John Williams, who does an superb job of eloquently explaining why the Z is such an icon. Continue reading
Among the items on our Japan bucket list was checking out a real swap meet. Turns out, automotive-themed ones are not terribly common there, but we were fortunate enough to have Osaka’s Naniwa Swap Meet coincide with our stay. Continue reading
There was a time when a ’57 Chevy Bel Air was just a plain ol’ car that wasn’t even as spectacular as a Buick. Now it’s a emblematic of its era and a bona-fide classic.
Which completely inconspicuous car will be a JNC of the future?
One could make a compelling argument that the CB7 Honda Accord was the pinnacle of the model. It looked good, handled well, and had an interior that far surpassed its competition. It was also everywhere, one of the best selling cars in America. Now, if you take away the beaters with one Pep Boys Altezza light and sagging suspension, how many examples are left? One day people will be nostalgic for these bread and butter specimens from Honda’s heyday, and they’ll be gone.
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “What’s the cutest JNC you ever did see?” Continue reading
We saw plenty of nostalgics on our recent trip to Japan, and we’ll have more coverage of those as soon as we go through the photos. In the meantime, please enjoy these omiyage, or souvenirs. You’ll be glad to know that nostalgics are still being driven on the streets every day, so even though we were too slow to snap the Fairlady roadster before it flung around a turn and disappeared, and traffic was blocked our camera from the Mark II wagon we glimpsed, we still found an interesting machine or two around every corner. Continue reading
While in Tokyo for the big Motor Show, we took Skorj’s Honda S800 coupe out for a mini-grand tour around the city. At night, of course. Continue reading
Japan obsession with cuteness even trickles down to their cars. Look, for example, at the Suzuki Twin we spotted the other day in Yokohama, leading us to wonder:
What’s the cutest JNC you ever did see?
The Twin got its name from the fact that it was a two-seater and that, as the first hybrid kei, it had two propulsion methods. Though it looks like it could hail from the early 90s it’s not nostalgic at all, with production starting in 2003. It was so bad that Suzuki killed it after two years and moving a little over 10,000 units. But it sure is cute!
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a toy. Click through to see the winner of the last QotW, “What’s one thing a JNCer must do in Japan?” Continue reading
This is now the fourth Toyota 2000GT to sell for around one million dollars. Sotheby’s and RM Auctions recently collaborated together to throw a live auction extravaganza in Manhattan called “The Art of the Automobile”, bringing together 34 historic cars which are predicted to sell for over $50,000,000. Continue reading
On Day One of the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show we saw one of the most significant concepts to come out of Japan since the FT-86. With that excitement out of the way, we spent Day Two seeing what Nissan’s major rivals had to offer. Continue reading
