MSN UK Picks Top 50 Japanese Cars: So another media outlet tackles the question of the top Japanese cars of all time. Since it was a British outlet, we’ll go with the 1965 Daihatsu Compagno, which was apparently the first Japanese car imported to the UK. There seem to be some, uh, glaring absences. No mention of the hakosuka Skyline, Mazda RX-3, AE86, and such. See for yourself.
Hat tip to cappo.
Datsun 240Z at Chicago Auto Show: A slot-magged classic Datsun 240Z sits between a 40th Anniversary Nissan 370Z and the Nissan GTR at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. Which one would you drive home? We know which Mr. K would choose. More images at Jalopnik.
This baby was made for scaling the Alps, breezing down the Autobahn, and evoking grand helicopter tracking shots! You probably can’t even remember the last time you saw one of these on the streets, but the Japanese the rear-wheel-drive coupe the 1979 Mazda Capella, Brits refer to it as the Mazda Montrose, and we Yanks know it as the very first Mazda 626.
Finally, an ad where Toyota honors its heritage instead of asking people to crush it. And all it took was a global recall of 8 million cars, the worst in the company’s history, and non-stop cries for the rolling heads of Toyota CEOs. Clicky click the image above to see the commercial. Continue reading
Remember that hunka hunka road burnin’ Mazda we posted? Well apparently the cost to set the streets of your neighborhood afire is $11,000. Holy racing stripes, Batman! The 1977 Mazda RX-3 SP was and appearance package for the American incarnation of the Savanna.
To be perfectly honest, this one is missing some key SP pieces like the rear window louvers and super-sized chin spoiler (kind of makes one wonder if it’s a real SP). It’s also rather far from stock, with a half-bridgeported 12A, aftermarket clutch sandwich and Enkei 92 meshies painted to match. But it is rust free an apparently an exact match for the original color (though this is also the first time we’ve seen a white SP). Hey, an cancer-free 3 is hard enough to find in any condition. So is it worth 11 large? Apparently, yes! More pics after the jump or see the auction on ebay.
You asked for it so, like the title says, our JNC Vintage Barrels Shirt is now available in size S. It’s the perfect size for your girlfriend, grandma, bull mastiff or even you (if the M happens to be too big). This was a special run. We only made a very limited number of the smalls, so if you asked for it in the blog comments or on the forum, make sure to get your order in before they run out! Order here!
Import Bible Ultimate Rim Shirt: We swear, great minds think alike! Even though we’ve collab’ed with Import Bible in the past, this whole rims on a shirt idea was conceived by each of us independently. The main difference is that IB has a mix of old and new rims while the JNC Vintage Barrels tee is strictly old school. Pick your poison, or take both!
The JNC Vintage Barrels Shirt that we introduced on Monday is now open for international orders. They’re selling fast so if you haven’t yet, make sure you order yours today!
Tired of that seemingly-impenentrable cross-species communication barrier between you and your dog? Well those days are over, with the Bowlingual Voice translator from Takara Tomy. Of course, it will only translate what your dog says in Japanese. Hmm….maybe if your dog barks in English, then the machine will translate in English? So many unanswered questions.
Vid of it in action after the jump.
If I remember correctly, I learned to drive in a second-generation Chevy Cavalier. If only my driving school taught spin turns in an S60 Toyota Crown. We don’t know what this clip is from, in which an exasperated driving instructor rides shotgun with a parade of bad students. The important thing is that there’s plenty of driving shots of said kujira and a cameo by a Fairlady Roadster to boot. Clicky click the image to watch the vid.
Hat tip to cesariojpn.
Mazda Cosmo Company Car: Hemming’s has a blog entry about an employee of Distributors Illings Mazda Pty., an importer of Mazdas in South Africa. Basil McLaren snapped this photo of the Mazda Cosmo Sport in 1970, just as it came off the boat and made it his company car. Lucky bloke!
Okay, okay. We can’t keep the rabid Nissan nutters at bay any more. Luckily, as with most nostalgic car shows in Japan, the New Year Meeting has heavy emphasis on Skylines with a hearty helping of Fairladies and Sunnies on the side. But we’ve got some Other Marque love in here as well. Hino and Suzuki, anyone? Click through to see JNC operative Derek Y’s final transmission. Continue reading
If you know of or would like to publicize an event, send us a tip at feedback(at)japanesenostalgiccar(dot)com
This week:
Future events: Continue reading
Welcome to Part 2 of our 2010 New Year Meeting coverage. JNC operative Derek Y. has sent us photos of Toyotas, Mazdas and Mitsubishis and a solitary Honda. We know you’re eager to get to the eye candy so let’s jump right in. Continue reading
The First Japanese Racers in the US: H. Sakamoto and W.T. Watanabe, known only by their first initials, were the first recorded Japanese race car drivers in the US. They piloted a Mercer and a Case and Stutz respectively. Writer Dan Strohl is asked us to ask you JNC readers if you have any information about these two. Read the whole story at Hemmings.
So as we’re sure you all know, the biggest Japanese kyuusha show of the year took place last weekend. The 2010 New Year Meeting has come and gone, and we just received an incoming transmission beamed across the Pacific from our operative Derek Y! Continue reading
Are you’re a J-tin fan having trouble justifying a set of fat rollers that cost more than your whole car? Soothe your guilty conscience and your wallet with the new JNC Vintage Barrels T-shirt! Fifteen of the most iconic old school wheels adorn the front of this stylin’, 100 percent cotton, pre-shrunk tee, while a Japanese Nostalgic Car logo graces the sleeve. See if your friends can name them all by ordering here today!
The icing on Mazda’s 90th birthday cake must be the SpeedSource Mazda RX-8‘s victory a few hours ago at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona enduro. Drivers Jonathan Bomarito, Nick Ham, David Haskell, and Sylvain Tremblay repeated their 2008 win amidst a field of Porsche GT3s and Camaros.
Of course, Mazda has some experience at this venue, having conquered all at the 1979 Daytona 24 Hours during the inaugural run of the IMSA SA22C Mazda RX-7. See JNC #3 for the full story. Who says rotaries aren’t reliable?
[RX-8 image courtesy of The Epoch Times.]
A little weekend browsing for you guys: Mazda just launched its 90th Anniversary mini-site. Timeline photos abound, including some rarely-seen commercial vehicles.
Don your headbands, hang your friends out your side windows and get ready for Shakotan Boogie. In 1987 Japan apparently made a movie out of the manga that celebrates the bosozoku lyfe. Plot points include cross-cultural drag racing that ends in some hard-to-watch hakosuka and F-body carnage, but the parade of boso’ed cars is worth the suffering. There are more Japanese lowriders than you can shake a takeyari exhaust at — Soarers, Cedrics, Glorias, Crowns, Skylines, and even some other not-so-boso cars like an AW11 MR2 and Honda CR-X.
Anyone who can name all the cars in this clip will win either an Apple iPad or our eternal admiration (prize to be determined).
