Five months of brief encounters is a lot in this town, but I think I should be able to make it all fit in three roughly equal 100-plus-pic posts. Why three? Because the Japanese contingent, taken globally, only accounted for a third. But they get to go first – home game advantage and all that. Let’s alphabetize this and kick things off with Autozam.
I’ve been running into a few AZ-1s of late. Which is a good thing. I may have to write one up again in the future, but it’s not on top of the pile.
No Daihatsu and no Mazda made it to this post, sadly. But this quirky JDM Ford might be a good stand-in for the latter. And it definitely is a “JDM Ford,” as it was made in Japan for the Japanese market. They just badge-engineered the 1987-97 Mazda Capella GV wagon by calling it a Ford Telstar, this particular one being a late model Subaru-esque AWD variant.
Onwards to the Hondas, then, with this 1983-86 City Cabriolet in a rather arresting shade of aqua blue.
The 2nd generation City (1986-94) is not quite as iconic, and not as often seen. This one is obviously very well cared for, though.
The SiR was the most powerful (160hp) of the 2nd gen (1987-91) CR-Xs. Not sure about that huge rear spoiler, but to each their own.
Foiled again! Why is it that every time I catch a glimpse of one of these utterly gorgeous little S800s, it’s zooming past? Stand still, why don’t you!
In the realm of the larger Hondas, we find this fine 3rd gen (1985-89) Accord Coupé – with a rare-in-Japan leather interior, too.
And a lovely red 3rd gen (1987-91) Integra Prelude to see us out. Over to the Isuzus…
Let’s be clear: there are 117 Coupés and there are 117 Coupés. We’ve had a bunch here, but this is the first time I’ve seen a 1st gen (1968-73) “handmade” one in the wild. Prettiest of the breed by a mile, and very rare.
Isuzu number two for this edition will be a pristine late model (1988-90) Piazza Nero.
Mitsubishi-wise, there was yet another one of these scrumptious four-door J36/J37 Jeep wagons – in incredible nick.
If you want to see American-influenced styling done right, folks of ‘70s Nissan, look no further than the 1970-77 Mitsubishi Colt Galant GTO MR. Oops, too late.
Actually, even in the ‘60s, Mitsubishi were knocking it out of the park with the US-flavoured designs. This is the first gen 1 Derbonair (1964-86) I’ve managed to catch on camera. Oddly customized though it may be, you can still tell it was a real fine mini-Lincoln.
Just a couple Mitsuokas for a laugh. These Sunny-based 2nd gen (2001-04) Ryogas are one of the most interesting of the breed, in my opinion.
I guess the Ryugi is the Ryoga’s present-day equivalent, now using a Corolla hybrid base. And a pretty funky yellow colour.
Enough with the amuses-bouche, we’re now entering the serious zone of Datsun-Nissan. Need we introduce anyone at CC with the Fairlady Z?
I’m warming to these ZXs. There are still a few about; when I find a nice one standing still, a post may ensue. You have been warned…
Unmolested S13 Silvias are always worth a quick snap. This one is sporting the Q’s trim, i.e. the deluxe model with extra toys.
The final Silvia, the S15, is just over 20 years old and not overly rare. But that’s the Varietta retractable top – Autech only made 1143 of these back in the day. First one I’ve seen in the flesh – and a great colour, to boot.
Which is more than I can say about the paint inflicted on this poor C130 Laurel SGX (1972-77). Not to mention those wheels. Ugh. That engine bay (and the engine itself), though, were well worth an eyeful of bright metallic green.
It wouldn’t take much to return this car to its former glory. Maybe someday…
In contrast, here’s a very well-preserved 1989-93 C33 Laurel hardtop, only slightly photobombed by a Bentley drop-top looming over it.
For once, there is certainty as to this C10 Skyline’s exact vintage: the owner saw me admiring it and informed me it was a ‘72 – the final year. It also happens to be a GL with the 1.8 litre 4-cyl. when most of the ones still on the road are 2000GTs and GT-Rs, genuine or not.
These N13 Langleys always throw me. I’m just not accustomed to seeing them (they aren’t common) and I keep mistaking that “L” on the grille for the Mitsubishi or the Isuzu logo.
There’s no mistaking the adorable March-based 1987-88 BE-1, though. Small nitpick: those wheels should also be wearing that distinctive “pumpkin yellow.”
These long-lived (1971-97) B120 Sunny pickups are popular with the customizer crowd, but some later ones are still working for a living. And looking none the worse for it.
Plenty of Glorias and Cedrics were seen, as per usual. This 3-litre Gloria Y31 VIP hardtop, back in its prime (1987-91), was quite the range-topper. But there was an even swankier option.
The Y31 platform was used for the first Cima (1988-91), then known as the Cedric- or Gloria-Cima. It was nearly impossible to photograph this mint example, sadly.
The versatile Y31 platform was also used (up to 2014) for taxis based on the very traditional Cedric/Gloria saloon. Being a Gloria, this civilian one is necessarily a pre-2000 car – and it seems to have been sat there for a long while, harbouring a colony of moss and losing tyre pressure.
It just wouldn’t be a T87 Singles post without a 1983-99 Y30 wagon. This is a late model Gloria, as indicated by its third brake light and driver airbag.
Perhaps the most stunning of the Nissan encountered during the winter and spring of 2023 was this immaculate late model Cedric 130 (1965-71). The whitewalls are a bit over-the-top, but what a sight!
The Subaru chapter is upon us, it seems. This cute little 1968 360, according to its owner, puttered all the way from Vladivostok to London under its own (limited) power. He then went south, crossing the Mediterranean and the Sahara all the way to the port of Douala, Cameroon. Presumably, it was then shipped back to Japan… and extensively restored. Was the massive bulldog on the passenger seat part of this epic voyage? I forgot to ask.
In late 1995, Subaru joined in the retro craze in earnest with the Bistro, based on their 1992-98 Vivio kei car. Unlike Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Daihatsu, Subaru eschewed the fashionable 3-cyl. for their 660cc keis and developed a 4-cyl. instead.
Said 4-cyl. was also used in the gen 5 Subaru Sambar (1990-99), albeit mounted behind the rear wheels. The Sambar Dias was Subaru’s in-house retro-styled variant, with a huge dummy grille.
These were known as the XT (1985-91) in many markets, but on the JDM it was the Alcyone. This one was being tended to, so only one pic could be taken, but I have secured another one for a full CC sometime soon.
These were also known as the Alcyone SVX (1991-96) in Japan. And in black, they look pretty damn stunning, in my opinion.
Oh boy, it’s Suzuki time! As luck would have it, I just wrote up one of these 2002-08 Lapin-based faux Renaults a couple weeks back.
With their highly distinctive Giugiaro styling, the 1971-76 Suzuki Fronte coupé is one of the most sought-after ‘70s kei cars. Soon to be featured on CC in full, promised!
There’s a certain kinship between the Subaru SVX seen earlier and the 1990-96 Toyota Sera, isn’t there? Something in the windows…
Staying with the quirkier Toyos for a minute with a WiLL Vi – a very tidy one, too. It’s such a jarring design that seeing one is always a bit of a shock.
Same with the Toyota Classic. They’re not often seen, but stick out like a sore thumb.
In theory, the 2000-01 Origin should also be quite rare…
But for whatever reason, they seem to pop up everywhere, from Tokyo Station…
… to an open garage a couple of blocks from my digs. One thing about those Origins though: they all seem to be very well cared for.
The Origins seem better cared for than some Century saloons, that’s for sure. The G50s (1997-2018) are now entering full-blown banger-dom – I’m seeing an increasing number of them being pressed into taxi service. Who fancies a ride in a V12-powered cab?
The previous generation – the O.G. of the breed – are, in contrast, becoming true classics.
I never noticed it before, but the glasshouse in the 1st generation (1981-85) Soarer looks so incredibly airy. That C-pillar would be unimaginable today.
A 1st gen (1971-77) Celica GT Liftback hiding in the shadows… Such cool cars, even a glimpse is worth a quick pic.
This mint condition Celica XX (1981-85, a.k.a. Supra in foreign markets) is casually out and about, like four decades never happened.
Some nice finds Mark II-wise included this 1984-88 X70 Grande hardtop saloon, unfortunately shod though it was.
The X70 wagon lasted a much longer spell, up to 1997. There are still plenty about, and they regularly feature in these outtakes series, but I just can’t get tired of them.
Speaking of which, here’s another one – bone stock, with fender mirrors. T87 approves.
The 1988-92 X80, as its predecessors and successors, bore the names Mark II, Cresta and Chaser in Japan, as well as Cressida abroad. Here’s the Chaser version – very nice indeed.
I did not run into many interesting Crowns, all things considered. This 2nd gen S40 (1962-67) was just out of reach, regrettably. I have yet to find one in the wild that I could document more fully, and this one looked very clean. Patience…
I also bagged two very fine S130 Crowns. The older one (1988-91) was this higher-trim 3-litre “hardtop.”
The other S130 Crown was this slightly sinister (but oh-so-cool) late model (1991-99) wagon.
These A80 Supras aren’t getting any younger and decent-looking ones are even borderline rare. Warrants a quick couple of snaps, surely.
One of my favourite finds of the season was this 1978-83 T130 Corona hardtop coupé being cleaned and pampered by (I assume) the original owner.
We’re now entering the “er, what else you got?” part of this post. This is still technically a Toyota though: Jim Brophy wrote about these same-same-but-different HumVees the Japanese “Defense Force” have here.
We’ve seen this CQ before (possibly the very same one), but never out and about. Certainly makes for a Kodak moment.
Not sure what car this is exactly (not that it matters), but whoever noticed that it would make for a good basis for a shoe is a genius.
This can’t be a comfortable ride. Maybe that explains why it’s being walked instead (actually, it’s going against traffic down a one-way street, so riding it would be very illegal)…
Don’t want to fork out a million yen for a Citroen H-van kit? Find a couple headlights, an artistic bent and some spare sheet metal and just DIY that thing.
That’s more like it, nose-wise. Just be careful going under low bridges.
And finally, whatever this is. Certainly took some doing, unlike the faux H-van. See you tomorrow for part one of the imported goods. And boy, there will be goods!
“Perhaps the most stunning of the Nissan encountered during the winter and spring of 2023 was this immaculate late model Cedric 130 (1965-71). The whitewalls are a bit over-the-top, but what a sight!”
No….the whitewalls are a nice touch for a vehicle of that vintage. It would be nice if today’s manufacturers put whitewalls on their over-priced electric trucks.
Whitewalls were often standard equipment on early Japanese sedans like this, so while maybe over-the-top to today’s eyes, they are quite appropriate.
This is FUN! We see only a few of the models that Japan produces. So, keep them coming! Thanks.
In NZ late model JDM cars are called traffic,
The whitewalls add to the sense of the 130 Cedric looking like an alternate universe Ford. (If you told someone it was a variant of the Taunus P7, they might believe it — it was better-looking than the P7, at any rate.
Ah, finally another delightful compendium of stellar finds so vast that I have to break out the notepad to keep track of comments to leave…
I also think the Cedric’s whitewalls work as era-appropriate in this case, similar year Mercedes and Audi models had them as well, at least in the States But not on anything after about 1979…
I do love me a BE-1, that one is in a heretofore unseen by me color.
The Celica XX steals the show for me though, a simply magnificent time capsule. How long ago did you spot it? Toyota just recently apparently sourced one for their own collection, it looks identical, I have to wonder if it’s the same car. https://japanesenostalgiccar.com/the-toyota-automobile-museum-has-acquired-a-celica-xx-a-car-with-a-debated-speed-record/#more-93984
One minor nit, the red Integra is actually a 1990+ Prelude.
Looking forward to tomorrow…
Cheers for catching that mislabelled Honda, Jim-san. Fixed it.
I caught that Celica XX in early February. Perhaps Toyota bought it, gave it some new tyres and enshrined it in their collection…
I think white was a relatively common color choice for the A60 Celica XX, but the fact that the one you shot is equally immaculate and has the same 24V 1G-GEU engine does raise the possibility. (The engine marks it as a 1983 or later model, as the 24V six wasn’t available until August 1982; Toyota identifies their car as an ’83.)
Nice array as usual, some of these cars are now old enough to be imported again, we now have a sliding used import restriction that keeps only later model JDM cars coming in, the older cars you keep finding in the wild are getting rare here now, seen only at cars n coffee events.
I still like those early 70s GTOs they were a class act when I was young but failed to find one foe sale when I needed another car, I’d import one but they hit collector status in Japan as well so the price has gone up, some of your finds Tatra sell here for telephone numbers, a lightly used kidney wont buy an older Sylvia or Skyline any more and the supply of Laurels has evaporated though I see all makes of old cars for sale with a Nissan diesel L28 installed so its obvious where they went.
I have a ’92 Subaru SVX (Alcyone) identical to the one pictured, except it’s an American edition with the stock wheels. A wonderful cruiser. It’s for sale, if I’m allowed to hawk product herein. Forgive me.
Donate $10 to the CC coffers and the powers-that-be might even let you write up your own ad with your own pictures and feature it as its own CC For Sale post…
You get to enjoy everyone discussing the pluses and minuses of your car and who knows, someone might actually buy it! It’s certainly interesting and CC-worthy enough.
So many great finds here. The one that really sticks out to me is the T130 Corona hardtop coupe – I’ve never seen that bodystyle before. I long thought that the 5-dr. Corona liftback that we got in North America was one of the best Japanese designs of its era, but this coupe is right up there too. The rear window treatment looks like the 1980-85 Subaru (Leone) hardtop coupe, also one of my favorites, design-wise.
The red Autozam has an interesting license plate. That’s the optional promotional plate from the Ehime Prefecture. The character on the plate is “Mican,” which is the prefecture’s official mascot (or, according the tourism material, the “Deputy Governor for Promoting Smiles”). Apparently, Ehime is a leading citrus producer, hence the oranges on the plate, and the orange-themed mascot. I haven’t quite figured out if these Japanese specialty plates are only available in the prefecture they’re promoting, or if any of them are available throughout Japan, but I don’t see many examples in your posts, so I assume they’re not too common.
The Isuzu 117 Coupe is. To. Die. For.
Great post. Thanks, Tatra!
Lots of goodies here… the Cima is in my favorite color, and the X80 Chaser is also in my favorite two-tone (and a manual! But that means it has the base 2-liter six).
The leather Honda Accord was actually built in the US and exported to Japan when it was new, hence the “Import Edition” badge under the right rear tail light.
That “sneaker shoe” appears to be a current model Nissan Kicks. Certainly the right base-model for such decoration …
Wow! I have so missed these posts.
As always I am blown away by the sheer variety of interesting cars that were never exported. I’m really looking forward to some of the features you’ve hinted at.
But which one to show? Here’s that Handmade Isuzu 117, even in yellow. 🙂 Several Japanese manufacturers kit all three versions of the 117.
Excellent choice. Thanks for the pic, and the tip. Best wishes!
Thanks. Mine is the Fujimi kit from 2004, but the Hasegawa one is a newer tool from two years ago. I haven’t seen one, but their latest kits are top notch. This link shows the four versions.
https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION%5B%5D=All&q=1%3A24+hasegawa+isuzu+117**
Always love to see another Celica XX! You’re wrong about the C130 Laurel though, that thing is pretty much perfect! Some other excellent finds too, the Megacruiser especially!
The Tokyo Time Machine never fails to impress in so many ways. Thank you for another trip to the land of ageless autos.
Here’s a pic of legendary Dizzy Gillespies cheeks doing a great impersonation of that yellow Mitsuoka Ryugi front-end. Spot on if you ask me.
CC Effect: I was at a local classic car exhibition this morning and there was an early ’80s Supra there, identical to the one above.
Couple of nice Laurels for me, thank you T87! That C130 is fabulous, and pretty sure it’s a factory colour. Rare factory a/c too, albeit the compressor and condenser have been removed.
Scrolling through the pics reminded me how long it is since I’ve seen some of those models on the road here. It never ceases to amaze me how something can be everywhere one day but seemingly gone the next. The Honda Prelude is a good example, and I miss seeing them around.