Today is Sports Day in Japan, a holiday that commemorates the opening of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The event was a watershed moment for Japan with the debut of technologies like the country’s first expressway, the bullet train, and a satellite broadcasting system to televise the games around the world. It was an era of optimism and economic growth, ushering in the age of Japanese cars that we cherish today. No other decade saw as much change. At the beginning of the 1960s new cars on the market included the Daihatsu Midget and stacked-headlight Nissan Cedric. By decade’s end Japan would have created icons like the Toyota 2000GT, Mazda Cosmo Sport, Honda S800, and Nissan Fairlady Z.
Which JNC is most emblematic of the 1960s?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “If James Bond was Japanese, what would he drive?“.
We think the most entertaining way to go through the answers is from earliest car to the latest, but some commenters listed a car for every decade so we’ll break those up. We start off with daniel putting Japanese Bond in a Datsun Fairlady Roadster to coincide with the 1962 debut of Dr. No, or Jeff Koch‘s choice of a Prince Skyline Sport, a fitting and stylish car that may have more room for gadgets. Moving into the late 60s, we get a clear winner in BlitzPig and Sammy B‘s pick of a Toyota 2000GT, or Jeff Koch‘s Mazda Cosmo Sport.
By the time we arrive at 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me era, whose most famous car was the Lotus Esprit submarine, the logical choice to replace that car is the Dome Zero, as nominated by ra21benj and Jeff Koch. The 80s offers a wealth of choices, but Sammy B and Jeff Koch narrow it down to a Mazda RX-7 and R31 Skyline GTS-R, respectively.
The 1990s has even more options for a Japanese super spy, with two nods for the triple-rotor Mazda Eunos Cosmo from Hachibrokeyou and Jeff Koch. Sammy B offers up a Toyota MR2 Turbo while Nigel gives him a Toyota Aristo and David goes all out with the Nissan R390.
Moving into the 21st century, Sammy B picks an NA2 Honda NSX, but Jeff Koch‘s R35 Nissan GT-R is a solid machine as well. Once we get into the 2010s, there’s only one real answer, and that’s the Lexus LFA as chosen by Tom Westmacott and Jeff Koch. In present day, there’s another clear winner in @ye and Speedie‘s pick of the Lexus LC500. And in the near future, BlitzPig opts for the Toyota GR GT.
However, if we wanted Sir Jin Bandoh to stay with the same model throughout his decades-spanning career, streetspirit says it must be with the Nissan Z. Unfortunately, there can be only one victor and this week’s winner is dankan, who came up with this brilliant answer that even includes a branch called 九 (pronounced “kyu” in Japanese):
The movie Bond drove Aston Martins, but the book Bond drove a series of custom Bentleys. Fleming loved Ford Thunderbirds.
I think that the Soarer is the right direction, but maybe the wrong brand. The Skyline seems like the right idea, but you need to remember Bond doesn’t want a sports car. He very much wants a high-speed luxury cruiser. ‘Grace, space, and pace’ without much space. A Japanese Bond would be driving a Gloria coupe until 九-Branch gives him a very trick Leopard coupe to replace it. That Leopard would be a two-tone Battleship grey over silver, with a blue leather interior.
Omedetou, your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop!
No doubt the early Toyota Corona. They were everywhere on the West Coast of the U.S., a few years before all the other Japanese makes and models showed up, in great numbers, in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
The Corona paved the way for all the others by being solid, dependable, and comfortable. Without the good manners of the Corona, the other JNCs that came after may not have been given a chance by the American car-buying public.
Speaking of good manners, the early Toyota Corona looked distinctive yet polite, in a low-key way. Fit and finish were top-notch, even as the paint color and interior fabric palette were full of pale pastel colors, and made of finely turned-out interior fabrics.
Toyota got there firstest and mostest with a really well done bread-and-butter car, that did everything that realistically should have ever been asked of it, and it did nothing that it shouldn’t have been doing.
Ok, gotta try to win a second week in a row!
In my heart, the Mazda Cosmo seems like the answer, just because its space ship looks are so special. But it is hardly a popular choice. The Subaru 360, barikan Corona, and original GT-R would all fit, but I think there’s a clearer choice. When Naoki Urasawa wrote his classic 20th Century Boys manga, which digs deep into the late-60s culture of Japan, there was only one car his characters had nostalgia for: the Toyota 2000GT. It was Japan’s statement car to the world, and to itself.
Also, big tip of the hat for finding a shot of a Leopard in 2-tone grey over silver. That’s truly impressive good sirs!
Third try to post…
Harumi To era Tokyo Motor Show with the Toyota 2000GT.
https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Toyota-2000GT-Tokyo-Motor-Show.jpg
Ahhh, the height of the Miracle Economy…Well you know, there’s somethin’ funny about economic miracles: They don’t build themselves out of thin air. There’s a lot of hard work, sweat, tears, blood…and pickup trucks.
Humbly thrumming along in industrial and agricultural areas across Japan, the Hino Briska was one of a cadre of pickups that propelled the Miracle. Haulin’ the small stuff is what makes building the big stuff possible, and that’s true anywhere you go. It may not have been the flashy star of the show like them fancy 2000GTs and Cosmos that came preening after most of the reeeal hard work was done; A Briska in ’64 wouldn’t have turned a head…But the 60’s were a decade of doin’ stuff, and partner…back then, you did that stuff with a Briska…
The most emblematic isn’t always the halo car on the poster. So I say let’s lavish some praise on one of the workin’ trucks that built the nation that built those halo cars: Hino Briska
I think i gotta say Prince r380, not because it’s super well known but it’s got a gr8 engine.
At first I thought what could be more emblematic then a car as exquisite as the Prince Royal, but there is something about cars that are so ubiquitous, but leave a big enough impression that they qualify as emblematic.
My vote goes to the Bluebirds used as taxis. An article referred to the taxi service during the Tokyo Olympics as “those four-wheeled hearses operated by frustrated Kamikaze pilots”. I like to envision an alternate reality where a bunch of kamikaze taxi drivers street racing and spiritedly driving passengers around in their Bluebirds lead Datsun to start their racing program… and not the other way around.
You know I’m going to say the Yotahachi, right?