“On the horizon, a sweet graceless creature appears, a Datsun 100A, propelled by a cloud of dust.” This is the description of the Finnish art film called Up and About Again, in which said Datsun meanders through some kind of 10-minute artistic statement too abstract for us to get. Those more trained in the ways of modern art can learn more here.
The 1966 Indian movie Love in Tokyo contains this toe-tappin’ Bollywood song and dance number that meanders through the streets of 1960s Tokyo. As a result, cameras inadvertently captured the very beginning of the era of Japanese prosperity in which average citizens started to own and drive cars. And thus we are treated to an insane number of nostalgics appearing in their natural habitat, in full technicolor scenes that could never be recreated today.
Keep in mind, this was pre-Celica, pre-Hakosuka, pre-510, and pre-Mazda RX cars. Instead, we find a bustling cityscape full of S40 Toyota Crowns, 30-series Nissan Cedrics, RT40 Toyota Coronas, Isuzu Hillman Minxes, and Toyoace trucks. Toyoaces! When was the last time you saw one of those in motion?
Whoever can identify all the cars in this clip, we will make you rich beyond your wildest dreams (or at least send you a Tomica or something).
Hat tip to banpei, where you can watch a clip with a brief Datsun Fairlady Roadster cameo.
There have been examples of J-tin used in non-Japanese advertising before. However, this is the first time we’ve seen a Norwegian anime chick drift an A40 Toyota Celica through a wet obstacle course. These commercials sing the praises of the Q-Milk cartons’ new screw-on cap and plastic window. We can’t stop envying the car’s skinny chrome bumpers. Another ad after the jump.
We really appreciate and enjoy all the JNC readers out there sharing their projects with us. Occasionally one goes above and beyond in bringing back a car otherwise be destined for the crusher, investing way more time and money than what the market deems worthwhile for the car. But that’s the sign of true J-tin love! So if you haven’t already seen Gypsy’s 1973 Mazda RX-3 project, take a look. We can all learn a thing or two from him about both dedication and metalworking. We can’t wait to see the finished product!
It may surprise you to know that two nostalgic cars currently reside in museums along Washington DC’s famed National Mall. And why not? Nostalgics have become part of American life and history, just like any other vehicle. Continue reading →
We know what you’re craving: more Mitsubishi ad campaigns from 1984! Stunned by our mind-reading abilities, aren’t you? Far from an Orwellian nightmare world, that year turned out to be a resounding success for the triple diamond mafia’s marketing department.
You might think that getting album cover artist Shusei Nagaoka to draw mind-blowing posters for the Starion and Cordia would be an epic publicity coup good enough for a single model year. But one ad agency had the genius to double down and compare the 1984 Mitsubishi Mirage with a frill-necked lizard. Continue reading →
For this week we have another Seibu Keisatsu clip pitting Daimon’s KGC210 Nissan Skyline Japan against a Blue Oval product. This chase is almost too painful to watch, as the ’71 Ford Torino barrels through a used car parking lot full of J-tin any JNCer would kill to get his hands on. Don’t say we didn’t warn ya.
We know you’re all craving the soothing flavor of carrot shochu, but alas, limited edition bottles of Kimi Kurasu Machi have either sold out or were unavailable in your prefecture to begin with. What now? Calm your nerves with the lovely artwork of Ota Takashi. Continue reading →
The SoCal Roasters Owners Club held their annual charity toy drive at the Datsun Heritage Museum last weekend. We’re always looking for an excuse to head down to the DHM, so Dan and I hopped into the Toyota and away we went (we really need a Datsun one of these days). Continue reading →
The beauty of Kimi Kurasu Machi carrot shochu is that it combines three Japanese crazes — that of regional delicacies, alcohol, and limited edition products — and wraps them all in a label illustrated with nostalgic cars. Continue reading →
Last week’s contest in honor of the Tokyo Motor Show was a tough one. We got a lot of submissions but only one person got it right. Unprecedented! Continue reading →
Behold what has been described as the holy grail for Datsun maniacs, the OS Giken TC24-B1! Imagine the sheer mad scientist insanity that must have flowed through Osamu Okazaki‘s brain for himĀ to conjure up an entire bolt-on twin-cam head, complete with valvetrain, for the Nissan L-series motor. Continue reading →
The floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center is much sparser than it has been in recent years, but SEMA 2009 is still several times the size of some Central American nations. We were heartened to see more and more OEM automakers getting in touch with their roots. Continue reading →
In just a few hours, we’ll be heading out to SEMA in Las Vegas to spread the nostalgic car gospel. We’ll also be reporting on all the wild, wacky and wonderful stuff from the show floor. Honk if you see us on the road!
With all the news of the Tokyo Motor Show last week, we thought we’d start a contest to see who can recognize this concept (Hint: It was never built). The winner will receive a Wonda Choro-Q Hakosuka Skyline GT-R (sans coffee) from our outing to Japan last spring. By the way, we still have the Import Bible T-shirt Contest going on until November 12.
UPDATE: New contest rules apply, so send your answers to the feedback address at the very bottom of the page (literally, the very bottom, below the comments) with the subject “JNC CONTEST” and we’ll pick a winner out of all the correct answers at random. Contest ends 11:59 Pacific Time Nov 5.