Today, February 16, is Matching Color Day in Japan. It’s a play on the words ni au iro (similar colors), which sounds like ni (2) i (1) ro (6). The occasion asks us to consider what colors go well together in clothing and fashion, but we’re going to apply it to cars. Design studios have dedicated color rooms with reams of upholstery and paint samples and employees whose entire job is to select the best matches. These days so many cars seem to come with just a sea of black inside, which makes a well-chosen merge all the more alluring.
What’s your favorite factory exterior/interior color combo on a Japanese car?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What Japanese tool is a must-have in your arsenal?“.
We loved reading your responses about the best tools, and even have a few to add to our wish lists. Chief among them is Chad R.‘s suggestion of the expensive but incredibly high-quality Nepros neXT ratchet. We’ll also have to check out Kyuusha Corner‘s recommendation for Tsunoda pliers sometime.We, like streetspirit, love our Makita power tools, but the JDM ones are significantly better than the USDM ones.
Jokesters among you like @ye and Ian G. nominated the Hanzo Hattori katana and the contents of Toretto’s garage. While we’re at it let’s add Dr. Who’s sonic screwdriver to the mix.
Speaking of which, if there was one overwhelming answer it was Vessel’s JIS screwdrivers. There are many different kinds, Kanagawa Cappu prefers the Megadoras and TheJWT prefers the ball-grip type and Franxou prefers the type with swappable bits. All are great, but this week’s winner was Banzai, who wrote one of the best odes to a simple hand tool that we’ve ever read:
My relationship with tools goes back a long way. I still have a screwdriver I found on the ground one day while walking home from the fourth grade back about 1965. I’ve had a few favorite tools through the years but one of the best is my Vessel Phillips, JIS screwdriver I discovered from a JDM friend of mine. Highly recommended.
I think I’d rather loose my first born than this screwdriver and boasted many times to others visiting my garage, how this was my favorite tool. I like to see if they “get it” or just think I must be mad.
Omedetou, your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop!
British Racing Green over tan interior Miatas somehow improve upon perfection .
The combo of white paint, red interior with black dash hit me so hard when I first saw an Honda S600 that it was decided right there and then that I will do my nostalgic car this way!
But she needs to be reliable before I make her pretty so it is still a long way…
I believe a combination that has been used on several models and brands and has always been visually appealing is:
Ford Falcon Sprint 1980 (Argentine version)
Nissan Skyline RS Turbo 1984
Renault 11 Turbo 1986
Isuzu Kenzu 1999
The red and black combination (or dark gray as an alternative) has always been a winning choice for different versions.
Toyota used to sell the Crown with a blue (and I mean EVERYTHING is blue) interior. It was more common on the lower spec sedans, but I tried buying a top-level 1991 hardtop that was blue-on-blue. It sold before I could have somebody look at it for me; that’s likely one of the rarest combos out there for that car.
I ended up with a much more common pearl white/ silver 2-tone with a brown interior
A powdery blue on everything from the old Mazda T1500 Trike Trucks to the Scion Xb “Teal Mica”. It’s weird because I’m not generally a “blue guy”.
Second place, I absolutely love: Honda’s “San Marino Red” seen on Accords & Preludes. Unfortunately, they are hard to keep up from UV damage, but man, they are gorgeous.
Oops, Interior: BLACK in vinyl, not leather.
Thank you everyone, my Vessel screwdriver set arrived last night. I have yet to turn them in anger but I’m excited.
The first color combo that came to my mind was a Toyota Celsior UCF20 in Imperial Jade over dark gray two-tone with a gray wool interior. But, the more I think about it, the less I think you could get such a combination from the factory. I think it only came with tan interior.
So, with that in mind, I change my answer to the most obvious – the one year only option 2021 Miata in Soul Red with white seats and accents.
I drove a Miata for the first time in 2021, a Arctic White/black RF Grand Touring that I got as a rental. It was as close to a religious experience as I think I’ll ever have.
After that, I spent almost 2 years looking for the perfect one for me. I liked the idea of light colored seats to keep my bum from burning when I left it parked with the roof open in the summer. I could have settled for Machine Gray or Deep Crystal Blue – and heck, I couldn’t stop looking at a Jet Black one with white seats. But, come on now, is it even really a discussion? The Miata looks best in Soul Red – so when I found mine, I didn’t hesitate. It really was the color combination that sucked the money out of my wallet.
I just wish they’d have used Soul Red primer at the factory to hide the millions of tiny chips it’s gathered from being driven.
Long Beach Blue on blue NSX.
Anything with a dark blue interior, really!
For me if you enjoy JNCs, you have to at least appreciate the Honda Beat. In its iconic Carnival yellow over that graphite/black colored interior with zebra striped seats and floor mats, the car just screams “Let’s have fun!”.
This is too obscure or new to everyone but there is a late model Toyota MR2 Spyder that was Phantom Gray Pearl (dark gray) with the crimson red top and interior that I just loved. It was only on the ’04-’05 ones. Gorgeous, rare and iconic.
My 90s childhood craves an aquamarine/teal car with a tan interior.
For me, it’s gotta be an early ’90-’91 Camry or Accord with the burgundy interior. Preferably with a white exterior. It gives a kind of a cushy, yet homely feel. Comfortable. Like an easy chair in your living room.
This is a tough one, since you’re mainly asking for color combos and not so much the features and accommodations. For me, I’d have to pick the Eunos Roadster RS Limited: Montego Blue exterior with black interior AND Recaro RZ seats, showing enough yellow kevlar on the seatbacks just to spice up the interior without being overly loud.
My heat goes out to the introductory combination of the Rx-7 in 1978. Mach Green Metallic over the 2 tone, Tan/Yellow plaid.