Kawaramachi-Sanjo, a shopping and nightlife district just northeast of the historic Gion section of Kyoto, was a lively spot after the sun went down. Sharp cars would cruise down Kawaramachi street, past a Fujiya Grill. On this particular 1972 evening, a Datsun Sunny Coupé, Isuzu Bellett, and Toyota Corona Coupé await fare alighting from a Nissan taxi. The same street looked a lot more sober in the harsh light of morning, though. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite automotive museum experience?
Today is International Museum Day, and even though must museums are still temporarily closed due to the coronavirus, they are destinations of wonder, learning, and preservation. Needless to say, we are particularly fond of car museums, whether they are official showcases of the automakers themselves, private collections, general interest institutions, simply a place for an automaker to store their treasures, or a car show at a museum. There are countless memories and experiences that you simply can’t get anywhere else.
What’s your favorite automotive museum experience?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your favorite tire?” Continue reading
Behold, Japan’s suddenly famous Drift Dog
Earlier this month, a video of a Japanese dog went viral when the owner filmed it running down the side of an irrigation canal. Its cuteness, plus the fact that it had kind of an angled gait, quickly garnered it a crap-ton of views. Of course, it wasn’t long before the Initial D comparisons emerged. Continue reading
VIDEO: The Infiniti G20 was trapped by its luxury badge
Long before there were bros revving their G37s, there was the Infiniti G20, the first of Nissan’s entry-level cars for their luxury marque. Though it was largely forgotten as a rebadged P10 Nissan Primera, mostly because of its un-luxury-like front-wheel-drive layout, this was no Lexus ES. This was an actual performance car with advanced technology under the skin. Continue reading
ART CORNER: Yamaha is here to help you crochet a bike out of actual yarn
Of all the coronavirus activities that companies have encouraged us to partake in over the last few months, Yamaha’s might just be the most bizarre. The motorcycle maker has an entire series of downloadable templates that allow you to crochet their vehicles. Yes, crochet, as in with actual yarn. Or, if you prefer, you can make them by needle felting, an art form I did not know existed until now. Continue reading
NEWS: Nissan will axe the Datsun brand… again
Reports are circulating that Nissan will soon undergo a massive restructuring plan and on the chopping block is the Datsun, revived in 2013 as a low-cost brand in developing countries. It was one of former CEO Carlos Ghosn’s crowning achievements during his tenure at Nissan, but it hasn’t panned out exactly as he had hoped. Continue reading
ART CORNER: Learn how to color like concept car artists, courtesy of Nissan
Have you ever wanted to draw cars like professional designers? Specifically, using color to light the car so it jumps off two-dimensional paper like a proper three-dimensional object? To help kids (and adults) deal with more coronavirus quarantine time, Nissan has released a series of coloring tutorials to help you achieve that pro look in your automotive illustrations. Continue reading
Check out how a 1978 Subaru wagon stacks up to a new Outback off road
Subaru is synonymous with all-wheel-drive nowadays, but that wasn’t always the case. The first-generation Leone, as it was called in Japan established a Legacy (ha!) when it was offered straight from the factory with four-wheel-drive as a production model. In the US, it was simply called the DL/GL depending on equipment, and holds a special place in history as the first station wagon equipped with 4WD. For decades, Subaru has capitalized on this basic format. But how does a modern Outback wagon compare to a Leone off-road? Continue reading
The iconic Mitsubishi Fuso K201 fire engine is all but extinct
I have recently become obsessed with an iconic Japanese fire engine that is seemingly all but extinct. The Mitsubishi Fuso K201 was one of those big, ridiculous looking machines that makes kids go wide-eyed. It looked at once futuristic and prehistoric, like an otherworldly proportioned craft from Tatooine, or something the Terminator would use in a chase. Sadly, it’s almost impossible to find any information on them nowadays. Continue reading
Posted in Emergency Vehicles
Tagged emergency vehicles, fire engine, K201, K252, mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Fuso
8 Comments
SHOWA SNAP: Peko-chan looms large over Ginza, circa 1964
Four hundred years ago, Sukiyabashi was a bridge crossing the outermost moat of Edo Castle, which separating nobles and samurai from ordinary townsfolk. Post-war, it became one of the two main intersections in Tokyo’s ritzy Ginza shopping district. In 1964, it was a dazzling hub of neon lights and advertising. On the left, Pekochan, the mascot of the Fujiya confectionery and restaurant chain appears imposingly over Harumi Street as a Nissan Cedric taxi await to cross. Wait, but what’s that over Pekochan’s right shoulder? Continue reading
QotW: What’s your favorite tire?
On May 11, 1947, the patent for the tubeless tire was issued to BF Goodrich, ushering in a new age of wheeling. Nowadays, it can be hard finding the right sized rubber doughnut for many classics here in the US. Japan fares a bit better. We’ve seen a number of throwback tires enter the Japanese market in recent years, which is great for the classic car enthusiast. And, of course, if you look hard enough there are always actual vintage tires that you can buy (though we don’t recommend running your car on them). No matter what you shod your wheels with, it’s one of the most important components on your car. Therefore, on this historic day, we ask:
What’s your favorite tire?
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 way to make progress on your project car?” Continue reading
Happy 510 Day and Mother’s Day from JNC
It’s not often that two special holidays fall on the same day. Today, May 10, is both Mother’s Day and 510 Day! And just because moms need to haul the whole brood around doesn’t mean she has to be saddled with a numbing crossover. As this circa 1971 Datsun 1400 brochure from the UK shows, she can drive dad plus three kids around in a practical, economical, yet sporty 510. Hey, I think we can all agree that moms deserve the best. Happy Mother’s Day and 510 Day from JNC.
VIDEO: An all-rotary episode of Option Video
The Japanese tuning series Option Video has just posted an all-rotary episode. In it, host Daijiro Inada assembles a group of cars that showcase the progression of rotary engine-equipped Mazdas, starting with a Cosmo Sport. Accompanying him in what seems like an extremely fun day of driving other people’s cars is Isami Amemiya, founder of the famed RE-Amemiya tuning house. Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged cosmo, Cosmo JC, cosmo sport, d1gp, Daijiro Inada, fd3s, Isami Amemiya, kaido racer, mazda, option, re amemiya, rotary engine, rx-3, rx-5, rx-7, sa22c, wagons
3 Comments
Mazda extends car care program for health care workers, whether they own Mazdas or not
In April, Mazda announced a generous program to help health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. They offered to change the oil and clean the cars of these essential workers free of charge, and it was open to all models, even non-Mazdas. The program was set to expire May 4, but Mazda has decided to extend it until June 1. Continue reading
The Lexus GS could have been so much more, but it was the right car for the time
Now that we know the Lexus GS is not long for this world, it’s time to reflect on what it meant. In the US it was seen mostly as a middle-tier luxury sedan, a competent but unassuming rebadged Japanese Toyota that returned in reliability what it gave up in performance compared to its German rivals. In reality, it was much, much more, and we are sad to see it go. Continue reading
VIDEO: Travel through time with these defining moments in Mazda’s 100-year history
As you may have heard, Mazda is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020, and they have created a little video showcasing the company’s “defining moments”. It’s short, but cleverly blends archival footage with modern, to give the impression that you are traveling through time to witness the events. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 787b, cosmo sport, cx-30, Green Panel, le mans, mazda, rotary engine
3 Comments
ART CORNER: Here’s your classic Toyota papercraft
If you’ve ever visited the Toyota Automobile Museum, you may be familiar with the exclusive papercraft they give away at the info desk. It changes every so often, so you’ll never get the same one twice. Well, the museum has now been closed for over two months and will remain closed until further notice, so they have decided to release some of those papercraft to the public. Continue reading
Posted in Art Corner
Tagged a20, buses, celica, corolla, e10, FB-series, papercraft, toyota
6 Comments
Next-gen Nissan “480Z” and design detail rumors
More dispatches about the next Nissan Z are coming through the grapevine. The latest is that the Z35 will spawn a high-performance version called the 480Z, and the number will refer not to the engine displacement, but its power output. We’ve also learned some more aspects about its styling. Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Watch these old Nissans dominate Fuji Speedway
If you’ve ever wondered why Nissan has such a strong following among Japanese enthusiasts, this video snapshot from 1970-71 explains it all. Nissans of all types dominate the field in two major races from those years. Though this was likely put together as a Nissan promotional video, their total command over Fuji Speedway can’t be denied. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 1300 coupe 9, 1600gt, 510, a30, b110, bluebird, c10, cedric, Colt F2000, corolla, datsun, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, familia rotary coupe, fuji speedway, gloria, Hakosuka, Hiroshi Kubota, honda, Jackie Stewart, JAF Grand Prix, japan grand prix, Kenji Tohira, kpgc10, kunimitsu takahashi, Kuniomi Nagamatsu, masahiro hasemi, mazda, mitsubishi, moto kitano, Motoharu Kurosawa, nissan, pgc10, publica, s30 z, Shogo Omori, skyline, sunny, Toshinori Takechi, toyota
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QotW: What’s the best way to make progress on your project car?
There are many hurdles to moving forward on a big project. In the past year, my wife and I bought a house, moved, and had a baby. I waited a long time to have my own garage space but now that I do, I’ve barely touched it. The space became a temporary storage facility as we were getting settled in the house, and then it just kind of stayed that way. However, this weekend I ordered something that will hopefully change all that: a shed. When it arrives, we will have a space to throw all the extra paint, tiles, garden tools, and other stuff that we never use but can’t seem to throw out. Whether it’s keeping a clean workspace, finding a babysitter, building a workbench, canceling your Netflix subscription, or something else:
What’s the best way to make progress on your project car?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Do you have any fond memories of the Lexus GS?” Continue reading
