Tag Archives: bluebird

EVENTS: Final New Year Meeting, Part 03 — Swap Meet

With the final New Year Meeting having come and gone, one of the things we’ll miss most is the swap meet that takes place during the show. For many, it was where you could find rare parts, collectible items, or … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Final New Year Meeting, Part 02 — The End of an Era

After 42 years, the New Year Meeting, once the biggest classic car show in Japan, is no more. The Odaiba venue where the event is held will soon be bulldozed, making way for the future. We’ve covered New Year Meetings … Continue reading

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Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, here’s a collection of red cars for your viewing pleasure. The theme is the early days of Japan’s post-war auto industry. Can you name them all? Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC!

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MINICARS: M2 SEMA exclusive, Mooneyes X JNC Japanese cars

Every year at SEMA, our friends at M2 reveal some of their upcoming cars. We are very excited to confirm that we will be sharing some real estate on diecast Nihon metal with Mooneyes, in one of the very rare … Continue reading

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VIDEO: A complete snapshot of Nissan circa 1974

A short film made in the UK shows a complete snapshot of Nissan’s activities in what appears to be 1974. After a brief history of the carmaker’s early history, it delves into the company’s extensive manufacturing and R&D efforts. And … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 07 — Beaucoup Bluebirds

Of all the marques at JCCS, Nissan and Datsun were by far the most prevalent. Riding high off the momentum from prestigious events like The Mitty and Monterey Historics, where Nissan was the featured marque, the carmaker’s fans had a … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2018 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 01 — JDM

Japan-only cars have been making their way into JCCS for a while now, but this year the trickle seemed to turn into a tsunami. You couldn’t swing a fender mirror without coming into contact with a RHD ride from the … Continue reading

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Happy 910 Day from JNC

Crack open a can of Coca-Cola Light and have a great September 10 with a photo of Nissan’s Super Silhouette Bluebird 910 race car. The 570PS monster won the championship in 1982 with Haruhito Yanagida behind the wheel. Memories of … Continue reading

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MOTORSPORT: The most epic gathering of historic racing Datsuns we’ll see in our lifetimes

We cannot overstate the importance of this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. It the first time a Japanese carmaker was celebrated as the featured marque since the event’s inception in 1974, and Nissan’s brought a tremendous display of racing heritage, … Continue reading

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MOTORSPORT: The best display of Nissan race cars ever assembled in North America

Never before has a Japanese carmaker been the featured marque at the Monterey Historics. That is, until this year, when Nissan received the honor. As a result, collectors, racers, and Nissan themselves have brought together a truly epic assembly of … Continue reading

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SHOWA SNAP: The Shuto, circa 1969

The Shuto is the beltway system that circles downtown Tokyo, home to many a traffic jam during the day, and fleets of street racers at night. Construction began in 1962, and in this postcard from 1969 or 1970, you can … Continue reading

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EVENTS: Petersen Museum Cruise-in, Part 02

The Petersen Museum in Los Angeles puts on many events throughout the year, each with a theme ranging from hot rods to Porsches. Recently, they hosted their annual cruise-in for Japanese cars, inviting Nihon Steel both old and new to … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Even when skies are gray in 1970s Tokyo, the cars shine

Most of us probably try to avoid driving our 1970s JNCs in the rain. But decades ago, in 1970s Tokyo, streets teemed with yet-to-be-nostalgic cars, even during a downpour. Bluebirds, Celicas, Savannas, Crowns, Sambars, Skylines, and even a few examples … Continue reading

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SHOWA SNAP: Meiji Jingu, 1967

We’ve covered a few car shows at Meiji Jingu Park in Tokyo, but here is what it looked like as a normal, everyday street in 1967. Look at all the Showa Era cars (Toyota Crown, 411 Bluebird, Prince Gloria, Mazda Familia, etc.) and trucks … Continue reading

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JNC THEATER: Datsun 510 spotted in Bumblebee trailer

Paramount Pictures has just released the Bumblebee trailer, and we couldn’t help but notice a BRE-themed Datsun 510 lurking in the background. It’s not the first time a Datsun 510 has made an appearance in the Transformers film universe, and though we hope … Continue reading

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JNC THEATER: A Datsun 510 episode of Wheeler Dealers

It’s been a while since we mentioned Wheeler Dealers (is the show any good since Edd China left?) but tonight’s feature car is something that piqued our interest. It’s a Datsun 510, that seemingly had hopes of being a BRE tribute car … Continue reading

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Happy 50th Birthday to Hot Wheels from JNC

Today we mark 50 years of Hot Wheels, the brand that changed toy cars forever and stoked the flames of automotive passion in millions. Since 1968 was the debut year for Hot Wheels and the US-market Datsun 510, we wanted to commemorate … Continue reading

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50 YEAR CLUB: Hot Wheels celebrates half a century of toy cars

Fifty years ago today, the world was introduced to what just might be the most influential cars ever made. The automotive world was forever changed on May 18, 1968 when Mattel introduced the Hot Wheels brand of toy cars to … Continue reading

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VINTAGE RACING JOURNAL: The Mitty, Part 01 — Test Day

There’s nothing like the early morning start to a race weekend. Your mind becomes clear. Any lingering stress from your day job is replaced with the smell of a coffee and race gas mixture. Nothing else comes close. An early rise to … Continue reading

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MOTORSPORT: Historic racing Datsuns are headed to The Mitty

It is a landmark year for Nissan. Its classic models are growing in value, and its long history of racing achievements are finally being recognized. Not only is Nissan the first Japanese marque to be featured at the Rolex Motorsports Reunion during … Continue reading

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