Tag Archives: Ryu Asada

Acura NSX Suzuka Circuit safety car is a tribute to beloved Hot Wheels designer Ryu Asada

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Ben Hsu

It’s been a couple of years since Hot Wheels designer Ryu Asada passed away from cancer. His former colleagues at Mattel are honoring him with what is the most detailed 1/64 scale cars the company has ever offered. Fittingly, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in minicars | Tagged acura, honda, hot wheels, nsx, Ryu Asada | 2 Comments

Japanese Classic Car Show 2021, Part 01

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Ben Hsu

To close out 2021, a year where things were finally opening up again, we’re going back to the Japanese Classic Car Show. After a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, JCCS was back in full form. Perhaps trying to … Continue reading →

Posted in events, jccs | Tagged 240Z/260Z/280Z, 3000GT, 411, 4runner, 510, 521, 610, 620, 720, a10, a20, a60, a70, accord, Accord 2G, Accord CA, Accord Wagon, acty, acura, ae86, Alto Works, aw11, az-1, b110, b120, beat, Bighorn/Trooper, bluebird, c10, c110, CA77 Dream 305, camry, cappuccino, cb1100, CB700SC, CB92 Benly, celica, celsior, civic, Civic EA, Civic EF, Civic EG, civic wagon, corolla, cressida, crown, Crown Majesta, crx, CRX EA, CRX EF, CT90, Daniel Wu, dc2, del Sol, DT250, e100, e20, e70, e80, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, fc3s, fj60, Fugu Z, galant, Galant VR-4, glc, greddy, GT750B, Hakosuka, hilux, Hilux Surf, honda, Honda N-Series, honda z, HT1, impreza, impulse, infiniti, Infiniti J30, Infiniti M30, integra, Integra 1G, Integra 2G, Integra Type R, isuzu, J200, J80, japanese classic car show, kei, kp61, L10, L25, land cruiser, legacy, Legacy Wagon, legend, Legend 1G, Legend 2g, lexus, Lexus LS, lexus sc, mazda, miata, Miata NA, mitsubishi, monkey, mr2, MX-3, n10, N30, N60, nissan, nsx, NSX NA1, pao, prelude, Prelude 2g, Prelude 3g, Prelude BB6, pulsar, QA50, r100, r30, r31, r32, r33, r34, rx-2, rx-3, rx-7, Ryu Asada, RZ350, s12, s120, s13, s130, s14, s30 z, s50, S500/S600/S800, s800, sa22c, sambar, Sera, silvia, skyline, soarer, sports 800, st185, st205, starlet, subaru, Subaru 260, Sung Kang, sunny, sunny truck, Super 90, SuperCub, supra, suzuki, sw20, T160, T180, te27, te37, tercel, toyota, TT500, U11, v10, wagons, x30, x60, x80, XS650, yamaha, z31, z32, Z34B | 7 Comments

EVENTS: Ryu Asada Memorial Drive and Fundraiser

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Ben Hsu

Ryu Asada was loved. By his family, by his friends, by his colleagues, and by the 200 people that showed up with a week’s notice to celebrate his life. The venerated Hot Wheels and Matchbox designer was taken from all … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged acura, Cadillac, Corvette, datsun, DeLorean, Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, GMC Typhoon, honda, infiniti, jun imai, mazda, Meyers Manx, mitsubishi, nissan, Pontiac Firebird, Pontiac GTO, porsche, porsche 911, Ryu Asada, subaru, tacoma, toyota | 19 Comments

Ryu Asada Memorial Drive + Fundraiser announcement

Posted on April 10, 2021 by Ben Hsu

Please come out and help us honor a great man and support a great charity. Click here for details. ?

Posted in Legends | Tagged hot wheels, matchbox, Ryu Asada | 6 Comments

QotW: What’s the story behind your first car?

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Patrick Strong

Remember your first car? No, not that one, your first car. It was probably three inches long, made of diecast metal, and ran on childhood dreams. Think of the way it felt in your hand, how fast it rolled, how … Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged minicars, QotW, Ryu Asada | 19 Comments

RIP Ryu Asada, Hot Wheels designer, 1978—2021

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Ben Hsu

Ryu Asada, beloved designer of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars, has passed away after a hard-fought battle with cancer. He was 42 years old. Ryu was immensely talented and instrumental in bringing a multitude of well-loved cars to the Hot … Continue reading →

Posted in Legends, minicars | Tagged honda, hot wheels, matchbox, Ryu Asada | 23 Comments

MINICARS: The second color of the Hot Wheels Prelude is a tribute to Electron Blue Pearl

Posted on March 13, 2020 by Ricky Silverio

One of the most anticipated Hot Wheels castings of this year has been the fifth-generation Honda Prelude. We showed you the prototype last October, and Hot Wheels’ design team has revealed the first color, silver. Now, they’ve given us some … Continue reading →

Posted in minicars | Tagged BB6, honda, hot wheels, prelude, Ryu Asada | 6 Comments

NEWS: Honda releases retro StepVan-inspired N-WGN

Posted on August 14, 2019 by Ben Hsu

At a glance the all-new Honda N-WGN might look like any number of kei vans zipping along the streets of Japan, but the design is actually much more clever. It’s never explicitly mentioned in Honda’s 1800-word press release, but Hondaheads … Continue reading →

Posted in Next Version | Tagged honda, kei, N-WGN, Ryu Asada, stepvan | 6 Comments

MINICARS: The new Matchbox Subaru SVX was a designer’s dream

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Ricky Silverio

Hot Wheels designer and Osaka native Ryu Asada is beloved around the world for infusing the popular toy car line with brilliant Honda castings. With his catch phrase “Honda for life!” Ryu has not only been responsible for the majority … Continue reading →

Posted in minicars | Tagged matchbox, Ryu Asada, subaru, svx | 9 Comments

MINICARS: Subaru SVX and Sambar, Honda S2000, Nissan trucks join Matchbox lineup in 2019

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Ben Hsu

The annual Matchbox convention took place last weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is where the diecast brand has traditionally revealed the new cars to appear in next year’s lineup. As it turns out, in 2019 there will be several … Continue reading →

Posted in minicars | Tagged honda, kei, matchbox, nissan, NV1500, Ryu Asada, s2000, sambar, subaru, svx, Titan, trucks, Xterra | 1 Comment

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

Posted on May 18, 2018 by Ben Hsu

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 →

Posted in 50 Year Club, Hot Wheels, minicars | Tagged 2000gt, 200sx, 240z, 260z, 300zx, 50 Year Club, 510, a60, acura, ae86, Alton Takeyasu, bluebird, corolla, Corvette Stingray, datsun, honda, hot wheels, mazda, nissan, nsx, Odyssey, rx-7, Ryu Asada, s110, s30 z, sa22, silvia, supra, toyota, z31 | 10 Comments

MINICARS: Hot Wheels designer Ryu Asada talks about his cars, career, and his love for Hondas

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Ben Hsu

“Honda for Life” is the motto of Ryu Asada, star designer at Hot Wheels. Born in Osaka, Japan and a lover of cars since infancy, he’s the man responsible for the Hot Wheels CRX, S2000, EF Civic, 1990 NSX, Integra and … Continue reading →

Posted in minicars | Tagged accord, acura, alcyone, corolla, crx, e20, honda, hot wheels, integra, mirage, mitsubishi, nsx, prelude, Ryu Asada, s2000, subaru, svx, toyota | 16 Comments

ART CORNER: The superdeformed model kits of Ryu Asada

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Ben Hsu

Most of you know the name Ryu Asada from his work at Mattel designing hit diecast cars. The talented and creative veteran of both the Matchbox and Hot Wheels brands as penned some truly memorable castings, including JNC favorites like the Honda CRX, EF Civic, ’90 Acura NSX, and ’72 … Continue reading →

Posted in Art Corner | Tagged 323, city, familia, Gunze, hilux, honda, hot wheels, mazda, model kits, motocompo, nissan, r30, Ryu Asada, skyline, superdeformed, toyota | 6 Comments

MINICARS: 2016 Hot Wheels Custom Acura Integra

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Ricky Silverio

At the recent annual Hot Wheels convention in Los Angeles, a new model was quietly revealed for 2016. It’s not quite nostalgic yet, but the Acura Integra was a long time coming.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged acura, dc2, honda, hot wheels, integra, Ryu Asada, type r | 7 Comments

EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 09 — Editors’ Picks

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Ben Hsu

Each year as part of our Japanese Classic Car Show coverage, we pick our favorites to highlight. We had six members of the JNC team at the show this year, plus one car that we voted on collectively to give the JNC Award. Here’s what we chose.

Posted in events | Tagged 510, bluebird, bosozoku, c110, datsun, Editor's Choice, galant gto, honda, hot wheels, japanese classic car show, jccs, jimny, jun imai, kenmeri, LJ80, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, prelude, rx-4, Ryu Asada, skyline, suzuki | 17 Comments

EVENTS: 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 02 — JDM

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Ben Hsu

As long-time readers know, the Japanese domestic market was stocked with stunning machinery that never made it to our shores. The Japanese Classic Car Show is likely the only place in the western hemisphere where you can see so many of … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 240z, 280zx, 510, b110, bluebird, c10, c110, c30, civic, civic wagon, corolla, corolla levin, datsun, ef, fairlady z, galant gto, honda, Kazuhiro Furukawa, laurel, mitsubishi, nissan, osaka jdm, p30, publica, r30, Ryu Asada, s130, s30, skyline, sports 800, sprinter trueno, starlet, sunny, te27, toyota | 18 Comments

PROFILES: Touring Osaka in a Seibu Keisatsu Skyline

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Ben Hsu

Driving through Japan in a red-on-black DR30 Skyline festooned with emergency lights is akin to prowling rural Georgia in an orange ’69 Dodge Charger. Or Miami in a white Testarossa. Or Los Angeles in a black ’82 Firebird with a … Continue reading →

Posted in nissan, profiles, Uncategorized, Video Games | Tagged 117, co10t, corona mark II, cosmo, crown, daihatsu, Hiroyuki Narazaki, isuzu, mazda, nissan, osaka, president, r30, r31, rx-5, Ryu Asada, seibu keisatsu, skyline, toyota, x20 | 19 Comments

MINICARS: 2014 Hot Wheels Honda Civic EF

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Ricky Silverio

We had mentioned before that 2014 was going to be a banner year for nostalgics in the Hot Wheels lineup, and here’s the latest proof. Hot on the heels of the new Hot Wheels X JNC Datsun 620 comes the … Continue reading →

Posted in honda, minicars | Tagged civic, ef, honda, hot wheels, Ryu Asada | 17 Comments