We might be knee-deep in a pandemic right now, but let’s remember what humanity can achieve if we work together. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox, a painful and deadly disease that was killing 2 million people a year. And yet, even during the height of the Cold War, all the world’s nations embarked on an unprecedented program to wipe the disease off the face of the planet. To do that, the World Health Organization needed a fleet that could reach the most remote parts of the seven continents. Naturally, they went with the Toyota Land Cruiser. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite radio controlled JNC?
There seems to be a large number of JNCers who are into radio controlled cars. Whether they’re as small as a grain of rice or 1:10 scale, built for drifting or off-roading, are simple off-the shelf affairs or highly detailed kits, there is no shortage of variety. We’re partial to the old Tamiya kits like Bruiser Toyota HiLux that famously towed a real HiLux, but there’s countless other classics.
What’s your favorite radio controlled JNC?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Which JNC would you choose for surviving the zombie apocalypse?” Continue reading
Happy Halloween from JNC
Is there anything scarier than a long-neglected project car lurking in its cramped parking spot? It’s as if this Isuzu Hillman Minx found in Kanto is beckoning, “Fix me… Fix me.” Happy Halloween from JNC!
VIDEO: For the 30th anniversary of the Acura NSX, chief engineer Shigeru Uehara has a message for fans
Building on the NSX’s 30th anniversary, Honda has released a message from the original car’s chief engineer, Shigeru Uehara. It’s all in Japanese, naturally, but with the help of our pal and Hot Wheels’ resident Honda-head Ryu Asada, we’ve been able to bring you a translation. Continue reading
VIDEO: The third-gen Accord was when Honda began to eat Detroit’s lunch
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of the third-generation Accord here, but how was it received when new? Motorweek said that it was making Detroit, which at the time still dominated the family sedan market, nervous. There’s good reason, too. Put this thing next to a Chrysler K-Car, a hugely popular model at the time, and it might as well be a UFO. Continue reading
VIDEO: Why the Isuzu museum in Japan has a Chevy in it
Despite its prowess in building large industrial trucks for any type of terrain, Isuzu was never truly able to succeed in the domestic truck and SUV market. They never were able to challenge the like of the Land Cruisers, Patrols and Mitsubishis, and even their small pickups lagged behind the competition from Toyota and Nissan. As a result, the Isuzu Faster set its sights on the US market, where its rebadged version, the Chevy LUV, was arguably more successful than the original. Continue reading
A treasure trove of rare FD Mazda RX-7 parts has been found, but what does it mean?
Over the weekend, a Mazda RX-7 hoarder’s treasure trove was unearthed and shown to the world. Owned by an FD3S enthusiast from Kansas who’d recently passed away, the collection was purchased by an Oklahoma man named Lucas Fletcher who began posting photos of the stash on Facebook and blowing the minds of many a Mazdafarian. Continue reading
50 years ago today, the first Mitsubishi cars set sail for North America
Here is a photo of Mitsubishi cars being loaded onto the Tagaharu Maru, a vessel operated by Yamashita Shin Nippon Kisen capable of holding 400 cars. The Galant wagons are being loaded at Kinjo Pier, Nagoya Port and bound for North America.
The Mazda MX-5 Miata’s reproduction parts are now available in Europe
One of Mazda’s biggest gifts to motoring enthusiasts was when it announced a Roadster Restore program in Japan, bringing NA Eunos Roadsters back to factory fresh and offering a slate of official reproduction parts. Then Mazda brought the parts to the US. Now, Mazda is expanding the parts availability to Europe, according to the official Mazda UK Blog. Continue reading
VIDEO: This Datsun Z’s first wash in 44 years is extremely satisfying to watch
Barn finds are great, especially if the car in question has only 350 miles on it. Not so great is the cleaning process required to wash a car that has been sitting for 44 years. The original owner of a Datsun 280Z ran into financial troubles while making some small fixes to his then-new Z, hadn’t even reached its 500-mile initial oil change yet. The car sat, disassembled, for four and a half decades until a new owner acquired it. The first task, though, was to clean it. Continue reading
QotW: Which JNC would you choose for surviving the zombie apocalypse?
It’s almost Halloween, a time for celebrating the spooky and ghoulish, and this year feels particularly endtimey. What if there was a different sort of pandemic, one where anyone who caught the virus turned into a brain-gobbling savage? There’d likely be a breakdown of civilization, and humans would be forced to survive on their own by any means necessary. You’d probably need a vehicle of some kind. Now’s probably a good time to decide what you’d drive, what features you’d find most helpful, and what scenarios you might encounter.
Which JNC would you choose for surviving the zombie apocalypse?
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 greatest ‘normal’ JNC?” Continue reading
VIDEO: Mazda tells its 100-year history with its most significant classics
As part of its continuing celebration of its 100th anniversary, Mazda has produced a short film covering its most significant classic models. Beautifully shot with a 15-minute runtime, it covers the company’s early history before delving into several milestone cars and what makes them special. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 3-wheel truck, Automobile Council, cosmo sport, familia, Familia BD, Ikuo Maeda, luce, mazda, miata, Miata NA, mx-5, r360, rx-7
5 Comments
VIDEO: The Isuzu Bellel was far from great, but good enough
In the early 1960s, as Japan’s automotive market was heating up, Isuzu decided to forge its own path with a full-size, six-seater sedan. Notably, the Isuzu Bellel was Japan’s first sedan with a 2.0-liter engine and Japan’s first diesel passenger car. It was supposed to be the ace up its sleeve when entering a heated arena with the likes of Toyota, Nissan, and Prince, but soon that proved to be a double-edged sword. Though it had its flaws, the Bellel was the preferred ride of one of Japan’s most successful men. Continue reading
Posted in Video
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JNC THEATER: Here’s the car chase from the new Lupin III movie
The first computer-animated Lupin III movie arrives in US theaters this week. The film looks beautifully rendered, and promises all the madcap shenanigans that generations of viewers have grown up loving. Cars have always been a big part of the Lupin universe, and as such no Lupin story would be complete without some automotive hijinks. So, here’s the full car chase from Lupin III: The First. Continue reading
VIDEO: Behold, a loop of Tokyo’s Shuto Expressway in 1986
While most people are downing large quantities of Netflix right now, here’s something a bit more relevant to our interests: Home videos of driving through Tokyo in the Showa Era. It’s a clockwise loop of Tokyo’s Shuto, and speaking of normal JNCs, the roads are teeming with Bluebirds, Galants, Crowns, Coronas, Citys, Sunnys, Skylines, and Glorias. It’s old Japanese car heaven. Continue reading
MARKETWATCH: A Subaru 360 has sold for $50,000
A 1969 Subaru 360 has sold for an insane $50,000. For that price, you could afford a number of significant Japanese classics. A Datsun 510 or Fairlady Roadster, Toyota Celica or AE86, early Mazda rotary, and so on. Or, you can get into a bidding war for a kei car with a 356cc, 2-stroke, 2-cylinder engine. Continue reading
VIDEO: If you love Toyota Celicas, look away from this Pro/Celebrity race
For three decades, Toyota sponsored an annual automotive carnage-fest known as the Pro/Celebrity Race. It gathered a bunch of drivers, some who were actual professional racers and some who were movie and television… well, stars, might be too strong a word here, but you get the idea. All these people of wildly different skill sets were put behind the wheels of a fleet of brand new Toyotas and let loose on the Long Beach Grand Prix circuit. Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged celica, long beach grand prix, Motorweek, T180, toyota, Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
6 Comments
QotW: What’s the greatest “normal” JNC?
The cars that yank hardest at our heartstrings are typically specialty machines — thrilling sports cars, rugged ladder-frame trucks, adorable kei jidosha, and such. However, there are legions of once-common grocery getters that are now rare and sought-after. And, possibly offering a purer driving experience than a modern by-wire box. What’s the ’57 Bel Air of the J-tin generation? For the purposes of this question we’ll exclude performance variants, so Corollas are fine but AE86s are not allowed.
What’s the greatest “normal” JNC?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What cars bookended your favorite era of Japanese cars?” Continue reading
2020 Japanese Classic Car Show: Editors’ Picks
In a historically unusual year, the Japanese Classic Car Show managed to pull off an event that managed to capture the same sense of community that the physical provides in spades. Not only that, but they’ve even welcomed more enthusiasts into the mix by hosting a virtual show open to anyone around the world with an old Japanese car. You’ve already seen the videos, but here’s the JNC staff picks and the reasons why we love these cars. Continue reading
Nissan takes over Cars & Coffee Tokyo with Z Proto
Cars & Coffee in Tokyo is a relatively small event but given its location, it’s a place where Japan’s carmakers will sometimes sneak a priceless concept out to mingle with enthusiasts. Sometimes, even a CEO will pop up and pose with a lucky owner’s car. Last Sunday, Nissan brought out their Z Proto, attracting an army of Z owners and fans that took over the event. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 240Z/260Z/280Z, 400Z, Alfonso Albaisa, datsun, fairlady z, Hiroshi Tamura, nissan, s30 z, Z Proto, Z35
6 Comments
