Today, July 7, Sevens Day, but also World Heritage Day in Japan. On this day 21 years ago the sacred pilgrimage route in the Kii Mountain Range was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The trail traces a path from Kyoto to Nara, both once capital cities of Japan, passing Shinto shrines that date back to the 9th century. In Wakayama Prefecture, which the route passes through, there’s an ordinance that says it all: “This irreplaceable asset of humankind must be protected, utilized, and passed on to future generations.” There isn’t a UNESCO designation for cars, but if there were, what’s one historic Japanese car would fit that description?
Which Japanese car needs to be preserved for posterity?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s your craziest car parking story?“.
We were truly entertained by the comments this week, and commend everyone for their tales of parking. We’re dying to know what city screwed Kyuusha Corner with its tiny font parking warnings. We admire Negishi no Keibajo‘s decisiveness to make an immediate U-turn back to Germany upon realizing he’d forgotten his keys. We give Fred Langille a virtual thumbs up for beating the system with a Smart Car. And we can hardly believe that Taylor C. would give up his secret to parking in notoriously difficult-to-navigate Boston.
Several comments involved old Toyotas. We feel for Alan‘s tale of a stolen ’86 Camry. Those old Toyotas were common and so easy to get into. We can totally believe that Tygerleo‘s friend could drive the wrong Camry home. But this week’s winner was Ian N. a returning champion with a masterful tale of beating a devilish parking attendant at his own game.
Going back many moons, I sold books to the bookshops for my parents’ business in a Toyota Lite Ace van – small, but perky, solid and reliable (which coincidentally kinda also describes yours truly).
Late one afternoon, I was a tad late for my last delivery to a shop within a central arcade in Perth city and made it there with the minimum spare time to make the delivery. The car park was directly beneath the arcade and apart from a rather narrow and steep entrance ramp down into the dimly-lit cavern, its daytime custodian was a very officious looking chap in uniform, with associated attitude and a more-than-passing resemblance to a certain British actor from the 1950s who had a tendency towards playing the role of men with extended sharp teeth after dark. He told me in no uncertain terms that it was “close to closing time”, to which I pleaded with him that I’d only be five minutes and I’d be right out again. He nodded “ok” – and off I zipped, heavy box of books in arms.
True to my word, I was back to the van in FOUR minutes – but upon my return, I noticed the carpark looked even more spooky than when I entered, that being due to the fact that the accommodating fellow had bolted, turning the lights down to a minimum and locking the considerable steel roller door at what was now the very top of the exit ramp in the process (probably laughing his head off, to regale the hilarious episode to his mates at the pub he was possibly so desperate to get to that evening). I staved off my rage and started thinking….. I walked up the ramp and exited through the staff exit door next to the roller door and looked around outside.
Spotting a switchboard door, I was very glad to see that it wasn’t locked so perused the array of switchgear on the board. As a qualified electrician, I soon recognised the correct switch, but also noted that it was secured by a locking device to deter tampering. Not to be deterred, after returning from my van with tool kit in hand, I proceeded to remove the whole switch box from the board and from behind shorted the correct terminals – and Lo and Behold, the door rose to fully open. From there it was drive out, park, close the roller door again and return the switchboard to original state, thereby leaving one helluva mystery for this chap the following morning! Would just LOVE to have been a fly on the wall when he walked down that ramp!
Omedetou, your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop!
An airbrick Suzuki Cervo, just so that we as a species can remember we can, we’re not destined to flood the world with boring cars and oppressively minimalist furniture.
The original CVCC Civic. A car that showed everyone that a fun to drive, fuel efficient, and environmentally friendly car could be built at an affordable price if you turned your engineers loose on the project, instead of the Detroit way of doing it, by hiring more lawyers to save it’s malaise era land yachts.
Unlike many of the possible entries in this preservation example, the concepts of limited production and exclusivity appear to be just as important as impact. For that, I give you the entire Nissan Pike Factory line, in no specific order: The Pao, The BE-1, The Figaro and, of course, The S-Cargo, These four cars, ranging from a convertible to a delivery van were all boutique vehicles, designed by a Japanese-American tattoo artist, and produced in Nissan’s “skunk works: factory, The Pike Factory. They weren’t available in showrooms, you had to be put on a waiting list which, in the S-Cargo’s case was about 8,000 cars, All four hit an automotive example; city car, beach/country car, nostalgic roll-top convertible (like the newer Fiat 500) and van. The latter being homage to the Citroen 2CV truckette with its snail like profile and design details. For the most part, these cars shared some parts out of the bin, save for Figaro’s engine which was turbocharged. Their exclusivity has carried on with their availability here in the USA after they pass the 25-year mark (which in the case of my ’89 S-Cargo was 2014). This means that, even in Japan, and the rest of the world, all of these cars are rare birds which, at the time filled a void of exclusivity one doesn’t image today.
I think the nomination of the Honda Civic is a very good one. It provides a simple, clear statement of the essence of the Japanese car industry. But the Civic was more of a Japan-North America thing than a global thing, I feel. When I think of the definitive Japanese vehicle for the whole planet, the machine that comes to mind is the J70 Land Cruiser. Any continent, any weather, the Land Cruiser is there and providing the world a way to get around that always works, and isn’t priced for the 1%, it’s for everyone.
My vote for a singular vehicle would be a Toyota Sports 800.
Though I admire Honda and its long standing candidates of quality and style, if for some reason only one manufacturer was to be prevalent in 100 years, Toyota would be it.
With that said, the Sports 800 was the introduction to sports cars as we know it. It is even more relevant to the question as it was a roadster, that has become a much dying breed.
Constantly overshadowed by the 2000GT (For several reasons) it would be great to give the 800 the acknowledgement it deserves.
That 1960 Prince Skyline that JNC covered, found in a junkyard in British Columbia, Canada during the pandemic. Rare Left-hand drive model too.
The Datsun 510 had a big impact on America not only as Japanese newcomer & sales but motorsports as well. In related sad news, it looks like Nissan is in the process of selling the Oppama Plant. I went on a tour there in the 60’s where they touted the 510’s success in the East African Safari Rally in a movie presentation.
Japanese cars take care of that all by themselves.
My vote goes to the first-generation Mazda Cosmo. If there’s a company that represents effort, overcoming adversity, and doing “the impossible,” it belongs to the people of Hiroshima. A company that still maintains the idea of being led more by “engineering” than by “accountants.” And achieving success where others failed with engineering, and challenging the rest with its own technology (the 84 Hours of the Nurburgring) and conquering the unthinkable at the 24 Hours of Le Mans… It all starts with the Cosmo, an optimistic model in its advanced “spatial” design and engineering, and looking to the future in everything. Even today, that shadow, that “halo,” remains over the company. They even stay alive in a world that seems more like household appliances that lull the driver. And whenever they’re given up for dead, they’re reborn, true to themselves. I also remember them mentioning that they’re keeping the first-series models, those manufactured to demonstrate the product to Japanese salespeople so they could understand firsthand what they were trying to do. Even that single model can explain a lineage that spans decades and will surely continue in the future in its philosophy and way of doing “the impossible.”
I’d nominate the Subaru XT and/or the Subaru SVX.
They’re rare and sporty, AWD coupes that are distinctive in their styling.
Both are quizzically advanced looking and playfully futuristic.
Or…if you really wanna shine ‘em on: the Autozam AZ-1.
Hasta la vista, baby!
We live in a changing time toward automatic everything CVT, fatter cars, electrification. I sometimes wonder if cars will be a subscription plan to a personalized transportation, something like always having a taxi ready almost instantly to everywhere and it being the car of your choosing for a flat monthly fee, and only some of us will keep some nostalgic cars because it will be our way to yell at clouds…
So what is this irreplaceable asset of humankind must be protected, utilized, and passed on to future generations? I’d say a Lexus LFA, at least one to be used and maintained, and an other one in a museum with a high quality soundtrack!