Tag Archives: toyota

Chicago Auto Show: 1967 Toyota 2000GT

For those of you in the midwest dying to see an honest-to-god 1967 Toyota 2000GT in real life, get thee down to the Chicago Auto Show, going on until February 22. Toyota is taking three of its classics on tour, displaying … Continue reading

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 53k-mile 1981 Toyota Starlet

Often clad in faded paint, plenty of rust, and maybe an oil-caked zombie of an engine, those KP61 Toyota Starlets which that aren’t being abused by a teenager with dreams of being Daigo Saito are usually on Craigslist halfway through … Continue reading

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MINICARS: Happy Valentine’s Day from JNC

It’s become a tradition for Tomica to release a series of chocolate cars every year, just in time for Valentine’s Day. In years past we’ve seen chocolate classics like the Toyota 2000GT, S30 Nissan Fairlady Z, hakosuka GT-R, TE72 Corolla Levin, and … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2015 New Year Meeting, Part 04 — Shakotan Sleds

The previous installment of our New Year Meeting coverage focused on originality. In Part 04, we travel to the opposite end of the spectrum. But among all of Japan’s customization styles, shakotan is perhaps the most appealing to JNCers. Translated as simply “low,” shakotan cars are … Continue reading

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VIDEO: A look back at the Chicago Auto Show

The Chicago Auto Show kicks off today. The nation’s oldest car show, it has faded from prominence in recent years, but here’s a look back at what Japan was up to during its 80s heyday. Helpfully, the Chicago Auto Show has uploaded … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2015 New Year Meeting, Part 03 — Bone Stock Beauties

Japan has been the source of some truly extreme car cultures. Sadly, a “custom car” was the type of vehicle deemed most unseemly by Japanese women in a recent survey. No matter. Despite a western eye that cherry picks the only the most severe … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2015 New Year Meeting, Part 02: Sports Coupes and Sports Sedans

In Part 01 of our New Year Meeting coverage, we looked at the early days of Japan’s infatuation with sizzling Sixties sports cars. In Part 02, we look at the Disco Decade’s explosion of new sports coupes and sports sedans. 

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EVENTS: 2015 New Year Meeting, Part 01 – Sixties Sports

The Japanese Classic Car Association is one of the nation’s largest organizations for old car enthusiasts. Each year, the New Year Meeting show draws thousands. This year’s event took place on Sunday, January 26 from 9-4 in the Aomi Parking Area … Continue reading

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You can now ride a Toyota 2000GT train in Japan

How awesome is this? A Toyota 2000GT wrapped on the side of a train. Of course, it is in Japan and the train is the Linimo, a mag-lev train in Aichi Prefecture. Japanese rail companies often create limited-time decorations for their trains, … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Motorweek reviews the Toyota Cressida

The Motorweek archives continues to entertain with another star of the 1980s, the Toyota Cressida. Before it was rediscovered in recent years by those with drift sedan or zokusha aspirations, the X70 Cressy was nearly entirely forgotten by much of the automotive … Continue reading

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JNC THEATER: You’re Under Arrest

Forget Initial D or Wangan Midnight. Kousuke Fujishima’s You’re Under Arrest (Taiho Shichauzo), is among the best car-themed anime out there. Featuring a pair of Tokyo Traffic cops, Miyuki and Natsumi, who patrol the streets of Bokuto Precinct in a Honda … Continue reading

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VIDEO: Land Cruisers and an ancient trade

A generations-old way of life is about to go extinct. The Daghwah fishermen on the shores of the Persian Gulf haul tons of fish to shore by casting massive nets each morning. Dragging them to shore and carrying them to … Continue reading

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KIDNEYS, ANYONE? Arizona auction roundup

After the record prices for JNCs seen in Monterey last year, all eyes were on the gavel-pounding circus that is Arizona in early January. With no less than six auction houses competing for attention and incessant television coverage, it’s like Superbowl of car … Continue reading

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DESIGN: An interview with Nissan designer Ken Lee

It’s not often that you find yourself hurtling down narrow two-lane roads with the guy that designed the very car you’re sitting in. We recently had the rare opportunity to take a ride with Ken Lee, a senior creative manager at Nissan … Continue reading

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EVENTS: 2014 Meiji Jingu Classic Car Festival, Part 02

The annual Meiji Jingu Classic Car Festival offers something few other shows can claim: the chance to see its cars driving through public streets. It’s not simply witnessing them in motion, though It’s the fact that those public streets are in Tokyo, in some of the … Continue reading

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JNC‘s top stories of 2014

As we mentioned, 2014 was the Year of the JNC. As it draws to a close, let’s look back at the things that most interested JNCers over the last 365 days.

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GRAND TOURING: New use for a Toyota Hiace

The Honda S800 has been a great steed for Grand Touring, but it’s going off to get a tear down to look at some possible valve clearance issues. Who needs a flatbed?

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EVENTS: 2014 Meiji Jingu Classic Car Festival, Part 01

Unlike last year‘s clear blue skies and balmy weather, this year’s Meiji Jingu Classic Car Festival was held on a cool, wet Saturday. The annual event, put on by the Toyota Automobile museum, welcomes all marques and takes place in a … Continue reading

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KIDNEY, ANYONE? 29k-mile 1986 Toyota Cressida

Before Lexus, there was Cressida. The top-of-the-line Toyota from its 1980s glory days was a tech-laden luxo-barge with rear-wheel-drive and an M-series straight-six that will outlast the cockroaches. Obscure enough to have a cult following but cheap enough to be snapped up by … Continue reading

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MINICARS: 2015 Hot Wheels lineup announced

Mattel has announced the entire 2015 Hot Wheels lineup. Each year, there are a number of brand new castings and this year the one that jumps out to JNCers is surely the 1990 Acura NSX. Yes, by next year, Soichiro’s supercar will officially be a Japanese … Continue reading

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