Japanese Nostalgic Car

Today, February 8, is the birthday of Jules Verne, one of the first science fiction authors, born in 1828. One of his most famous works is Around the World in Eighty Days, in which a Londoner takes a bet of £20,000 that he can circumnavigate the world in under 11 and a half weeks. Keep in mind, the book was published in 1872, so air travel was not yet possible.

So, let’s say for the purposes of this exercise, that as was the case with Phineas Fogg, air travel is also off  limits. You have to start and end with the same vehicle, and you will have to traverse every continent except Antarctica and over varied terrain. A truck with plenty of parts support in remote regions might be the obvious choice, but Fogg was quite well off. That wager would be worth $3.2 million today, so you might want to travel in luxury and stay in nice hotels, or with speed accompanied by an army of support vehicles.

What JNC would you take for a race around the world?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What should Toyota do with the Celica name?” Continue reading →

Even though true off-road vehicles are seeing a massive surge in popularity right now, Toyota has opted to axe the Land Cruiser, its oldest continuous nameplate, in the US after this year. It almost defies logic, and while it can be argued that the current LC is too luxurious and expensive, four-wheeling and overlanding — and now COVID-inspired getaways — are among the hottest automotive trends right now. American automakers Ford, Jeep, and Chevy have all revived once-canceled models like the Bronco, Gladiator, and Blazer. The Big T has an opportunity here.

What should Toyota do with the Land Cruiser?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What makes a good car company heritage collection?” Continue reading →

On January 18, 2009 General Motors, auctioned off about 200 cars from its heritage collection, desperate for cash during the throes of the global financial crisis. Enthusiasts expressed dismay, but many of the cars were SEMA builds or movie cars that didn’t seem to add much to the collection. Others, however, were more valuable, like a 1969 COPO Camaro ZL-1 (a top-spec performance model and one of 69 built). Realistically, it’d be close to impossible for a company to store everything, so what should it keep? One of every model made? Just the important ones? Pivotal concept cars? If you were in charge, how would you call the shots?

What makes a good car company heritage collection?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the best Japanese car not made in Japan?” Continue reading →