Japanese Nostalgic Car

I’ve been in Monterey since 10:30 Sunday morning preparing for Car Week festivities. So far this 1991 Honda Accord Coupe has been the coolest thing I’ve seen, and it’s unlikely to be surpassed. It’s got a 5-speed manual, Pebble Beach residential parking pass, and 30,771 miles on the odometer [Patrick sent this photo to me with the words, “Get ready to nut.” -Ed.]. What feels like not that long ago these Accords were everywhere, a feeling backed up by the fact that these were America’s best-selling car from 1990-91. Back then we rarely gave them a second glance; now we positively drool over a fine example.

What formerly unremarkable JNC now sparks joy?

The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What is the most ‘Japanese’ car?” Continue reading →

On this day 45 years ago, August 8, 1977, the fifth-generation Nissan Skyline debuted. We know the car today by its nickname, the Skyline Japan. It originated from the car’s ad campaign slogan, which claimed (by way of translation), “A famous car born from the Japanese climate.” Of course, back in 1977 the Skyline name was barely known outside of Japan and without the name, there wasn’t much about the mid-size sedan that signified it as uniquely Japanese. Hindsight offers us a different perspective but perhaps readers can identify a car that best represents Japan.

What is the most “Japanese” car?

The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What is the best engineered Toyota?” Continue reading →

In 1985 Japan’s Patent Office named the country’s 10 greatest inventors. As it turns out, a full six out of the ten came from Japan’s central region. The most famous among them, at least to automotive enthusiasts, was Sakichi Toyoda, founder of what the company we know today as Toyota. That is why Toyoda-san’s home prefecture established August 1 as Aichi Invention Day. It was 125 years ago today, on August 1, 1897, that Mr Toyoda received the patent on the automatic loom upon which the Toyota empire was built. In that spirit, our question for the week is:

What is the best engineered Toyota?

The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW,  “How do you encourage a kid who’s just discovering cars?” Continue reading →

On a recent visit with some friends that I haven’t seen in years, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the younger of their two kids, now eight years old, is really into cars. His parents aren’t, so he’s been going to the library and borrowing the latest car magazines, studying the cars he sees on the street, and correcting his dad (“Our neighbor has a Land Cruiser, not a 4Runner!”). He reminds me of myself at that age. Naturally he loves supercars and big trucks, but I this is how I know he’s a connoisseur: his favorite is a Subaru WRX.

I immediately gave him a stack of Hot Wheels, but it made me somewhat sad. “Is this a real car?” he asked of the Honda CRX. “I’ve never seen one before,” he said of the FD Mazda RX-7. “So many coupes!” he noted as he opened Nissans, Porsches, and Camaros. He’s grown up in a world of Teslas and crossovers. I want to introduce him to the classics.

How do you encourage a kid who’s just discovering cars?

The best comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the last year that had cars which interested you?“. Continue reading →