Slightly belatedly, due to a rather hectic travel schedule, here is the final part of the late 2024 T87 Singles Collection. We have a lot of British steel to get through, so let’s get started immediately with Aston Martins, because all good things come to those who wait. And we’ve waited long enough to enjoy a DB5.
Make that two DB5s. The first one was caught at a specialized dealer that has yielded a lot of very interesting photos, both in and around his shop. This dark blue example, however, was spotted at an Aston Martin dealership proper, not far from those boring SUVs the marque has added to its roster nowadays.
The plate on this one might be a hint that it’s a DB6. I caught one of these out in the open last year, it will have its day on CC as soon as normal service can resume.
Neat V8 Volante, isn’t it? That’s what I meant earlier by “in and around” that specialist AM shop. They have dominion over a sliver of curb on either side and a small parking area in the back – the fauna there is always very interesting, and not limited to Astons, either.
This Virage passed by twice, at what seemed like a very high speed. Could only manage one semi-usable shot.
Modern Astons are still (with the exception of the SUV) pretty outstanding, even if I’m having difficulty telling them apart. I guess that’s why I like the 2010-20 Rapide: it has a distinctive look and a pleasingly elongated shape.
I guess that’s better illustrated by a profile shot. Most elegant car of the 2010s? Arguably, yes.
And this DB2 convertible might be one of the best-looking drop-tops of the early ‘50s, too. They should have called the company Astound Martin.
So where do we go from there? The only way is to see what’s round the Corniche. This is a Series III, but the sun was against me that morning.
Not a problem, as this almost identical Corniche II was on hand on a more overcast Sunday. The “numero uno” license plate is almost de rigueur.
The bulk of the contingent, Rolls-wise, was of a more (Silver) Spirited nature.
Some wealthy Japanese anglophile was (Silver) Spurred to order his Roller in black with a light beige vinyl top – quite a daring choice.
There are a few that were imported at a later date from the other side of the Pacific, too.
A small gathering of some Japanese classic car club took place at the Prince Hotel parking lot – it yielded many future CCs. Some, like this XJ-S cabriolet, will remain in the Outtakes. The pickings were particularly rich, that day…
We visited this parking lot in the Part 4 of this edition, where a red Mustang and a black Charger were documented. When I returned (in the daytime) a few weeks later with Jim Klein, the Dodge was gone, replaced by an E-Type. Fair trade, I say.
Another E-Type, saluting with its triple wipers, was found close to the V8 Volante we just saw earlier.
I wrote up a Series II wearing a similar shade of yellow not too long ago. Only this is a roadster, and my write up featured the dreaded 2+2. Ugh. This one wins, no contest.
I’m not a fan of the XJ40, but there is no denying that they are classics. And this one was, even more improbably, cruising on the street where I live.
They’re even worse with rectangular headlights. I’m not sure why some have those and others do not – if you know, do please inform the rest of the class.
The Jag of the season award goes to this 3.8 litre Mark 2. It’s not your usual Mark – it was given the Vicarage treatment, which means it was thoroughly revised, modernized and restored by the UK’s top Jag specialists.
The car, the myth, the legend – yes, it’s a Jag without a leaping cat on its bonnet, but there’s the same gargantuan V12 underneath.
The thicker chrome grille and the “D” badge are not the Double Six’s main attraction. To me, what makes this version better than the XJ12 is the name – “Double Six” just sounds perfect.
There aren’t many Rovers around Tokyo, and the few that I’ve seen up to now have mostly been of the “Honda-with-wood” sort. This is the first 75 estate (or “Tourer,” in confusing Rover-speak) I’ve caught here. These were imported in Japan between 2003 and 2005 only.
Eclectic group, isn’t it? Another still from the Aston specialist’s little parking lot, always chock full of goodies. The marigold yellow Range Rover is the standout here (though the 356 is no shrinking violet)…
Speaking of interesting 4x4s, this Defender looks pretty serious at pretending to be an Army brat. Pretty sure said army would not be the Japanese one, though.
We’ve seen this Lagonda briefly before, at a local car show. It’s now officially 100 years old, and it has plenty of life left in it. A lesson for us all.
In Part 4 of this edition of the T87 Singles Collection, I showed a Tesla cab – a rare case of a foreign car in taxi service. The 2007-17 LTI/LTC TX4 was definitely built for that purpose, so it makes sense to see at least one working for a living here.
The popularity of Lotus in this country never ceases to amaze me. I hadn’t seen many FWD Elans up to now, but wouldn’t you know it…
…two of them came out of the (plastic) woodwork in late 2024.
I was looking at this Esprit as Japanese couple passed by. I heard the man explaining that this was a De Lorean. I understand the confusion – to the casual observer, one grey wedge looks a lot like another.
I’ve been seeing a lot of Europas, lately. To me, the back end is still jarring, but I’m slowly building up an immunity.
Some colours tend to make things worse. That green is a case in point.
I’m not sure what happened to the bumpers on this one. But it’s an S2, which makes it even more alien-looking than the later cars. That rear kiddie pool area is really something to behold – almost as much as that gorgeous twin cam engine.
The S2 Elan gets my vote for prettiest Lotus ever made. Especially when driven by Diana Rigg in The Avengers.
I do wish I had had more time to document this Elite. This is the first true road car Lotus made, between 1957 and 1963. It has a 75hp 1.2 litre Coventry-Climax 4-cyl., independent suspension all round, disc brakes and its GRP body was made (except for the first 250 cars) by Bristol. Superb in every way.
Four-seater Morgans are definitely the exception rather than the rule. First one I think I’ve caught in Japan.
I believe the big 6 on the grille and the little one in the license plate are trying to tell us something, which is that this is the new Morgan Plus Six. This model came out in 2019 and features a turbocharged 3-litre BMW straight-6 – Morgan’s first car with this type of engine.
Ohohoooo! Deadly Sin alert! The Triumph Stag is the embodiment of everything that went wrong at British Leyland. Wrong car at the wrong time with the worst engine. Double-0 V8.
However failed it was (and it was a Michelin-star-worthy lemon-flavoured turkey), at least the Stag still managed to look really good. Which is more than can be said of the TR7, for instance.
Under the MG heading, we have a couple of Midgets (I’m sorry – “Little Roadsters” is the PC term, I guess).
From certain angles, aftermarket “wire-like” wheels sure look weird, don’t they?
There were two B roadsters to report, both being caught on the same day and in the same place.
This second one was about as perfect as these cars can get, in my opinion. When did these get triple wipers, btw? I’m not remembering seeing those on British market cars, but I’m out of my depth when it comes to MGs.
Very nice little TD there, good sir. Love the two-tone paintjob, but I (personally) would have avoided the whitewalls…
Austin-Healey Sprites have quite a following in this town. I’m not complaining – they’re lovely and very distinctive little roadsters. The more, the froggier, I say.
Mrs Moggie Minor here (which we’ve seen before) signals that we’re entering the “small saloon” part of the post.
For once, this is the Real McPrincess! There are so many Nissan Marches that have been mangled to look like these here that seeing the genuine article can be a little startling.
Quite a few of these were converted to automatics and shipped to Japan in the ‘90s, apparently. This one seems to be a more recent import from the same source, and it was pretty flawless, minus that driver’s seat.
Two very interesting Minis were found in this Mini-obsessed nation. First, a van. Not exactly novel, but any long-roof ADO15 is worth a quick snap.
This one is far more recherché. Made by racing outfit ERA, the Mini Turbo was the fastest Mini ever sold through official channels. It sports a 94hp 1.3 litre A-Series engine and was heavily modified throughout (not counting what the owner of this example added to the mix, of course). Less than 450 were made between 1989 and 1992 – 99 were for the domestic market and the rest went to Japan. Mini-obsessed, I tells ya!
I recently wrote up an Austin Seven, and in another case of self-induced CC-Effect, another one crossed my path. Just plain adorable.
Trojans mean different things depending on which side of the Atlantic you hail from. In the US, they can be ribbed “for her pleasure.” In the UK, that term typically refers to the British-made version of the Heinkel Kabine bubble car, made between 1960 and 1965, featuring a 198cc single-cylinder engine. This one is, alas, obviously no longer fit to pleasure anyone.
At the foot of Tokyo Tower, Jim Klein and I found this rather substantial slab of British beef, otherwise known as the AEC Routemaster. A few can be seen roaming around town as mobile billboards, but this one appears to be just taking a well-deserved retirement.
The last British vehicle for this edition will be this beautiful Norton motorcycle. I’m not even going to bother trying to identify it, but it would be greatly appreciated if our savvy CCommenters could do so instead.
We must move on to the short (but always sweet) Swedish chapter of this series, starting with the End of Saab. These later 9-3s are rare here and, objectively, can be found to be a bit bland. But the nostalgia factor in strong with this marque.
At least they kept on making their trademark drop-tops till the very end.
I remember the feeling of disappointment when these came out in the late ‘90s. Many felt that Saabs were becoming little more than expensive Opels with questionable styling.
The 900 was the last real Saab. This one has something weird going on with its wipers though. Looks like it took them off a Panhard 24.
Volvo 240 wagons might as well apply for a Japanese passport, given how massive their cohort is here. This one had very strange aftermarket headlights that I don’t think I had ever encountered before.
Great corduroy beige interior – a symphony of ‘80s middle-class comfort. I could grow to like that sealed beam snout. It’s no worse than the square quads seen on US-market cars, certainly.
Bone-stock 240 saloon for the win! Same interior fabric, but fewer odd details added.
Simon Templar has landed in Tokyo, and he brought his ride along.
OK, it may seem like another case of CC-Effect, but in fact this is re-CyCling: I had two LWB Ladas in the bag. The best one was turned into a post, and the better photos of this slightly older one (actually photographed in 2023) was a perfect fit for the Singles Collection. Wasting it would have been a shame.
The final car of this marathon five-part series will be this unlikely Cold Warrior from Czechoslovakia, found curbside, and perhaps in distress, last November. I just couldn’t believe this Octavia (in RHD, no less) was parked in the middle of Central Tokyo, but mirages aren’t really a thing here.
I say it was likely in distress because as I did a U-turn to photograph it again, this flatbed pulled up in front of it, hazard lights ablaze. Comrade Škoda, you look like you could use some re-education…
Well, that’s it for the T87 Singles Collection 2024. Hope 2025 will bring us more. I think I will keep this a “seasonal” tri-monthly thing for the time being, so see you in early April for the next episode in the series.
“Bone-stock 240 saloon for the win! Same interior fabric, but fewer odd details added.”
To my regret, I have to strongly disagree with you here. Not “bone stock” at all. It’s a GLE. The top-of-the-line all-in 240.
The seat covers are not just “corduroy”, but rather “fine velours” (as Volvo called it back then). For those specifications that didn’t have this upholstery as standard, the additional charge was almost as high as the charge leather upholstery.
Very nice car. Would take it in a heartbeat if the steering was on the “right” (speak: left) side.
Bone-stock = it came off the production line that way. It’s not modded or customized, unlike the Volvo wagon.
Ah, I see. Apparently a misunderstanding, as I’m not a native English speaker.
Thought “bone-stock” was just another term for “Plane Jane”.
I apologize for my hasty statement.
That black with beige Silver Spirit looks like the epitome of Anglicized brougham. And, seriously, I think it fits the car very well; in a single lighter color they just look too big, and in all-black too funereal. A very nice selection – of these cars I have been lucky to see an early 356 with the rounded front fenders (356A?) and a “real” Mini drive by my house in the past week. Most of the rest except maybe the Saabs and Volvos, perhaps a Jag or two, will remind seen only the screen at Curbside Classic.
There are very few places in polite society that I can mention I went to Japan on vacation and visited underground parking garages with another man without entering into lengthy explanations and enduring dubious glances…
I don’t know, that single round eyed Volvo looks all sort of wrong. Needs at least two on each side to work for me. It’s a lot like the Subarus of the early 80s where there were single rounds, single rectangles as well as smaller rectangle quads all on the same front end which left the single rounds looking odd (even though that’s the same configuration I’m using to look at them, innit?. I guess Volvo did all four configurations for the win, if that’s really a win…
You know I like the nuevo-Elan, in yellow it’s perfect, and likely the most reliable one to date with Isuzu power until some newer ones got Toyota engines. Kia bought the tooling which sounded all kinds of wrong at the time but nowadays wouldn’t seem too bad, actually. But that later Esprit S1 really does things for me as well, I don’t think I could fit though, I like my bangers and mash too much.
That aqua RR Silver Spirit with the alloys and exposed lug nuts has a very different flavor, it really makes we want to see one with wide silver colored steelies and a one-inch drop to take the brand in an entirely different direction.
Another good show, old chap, and lots of these are like seeing old friends again (literally), Cheerio!
In the US, 1986+ 240s had composite headlights that were pretty awful when new and aged quickly. Some smart person noted that the WIA(?) series of Volvo heavy-duty trucks used the same headlights as the 240. I think Volvo cars and Volvo Trucks were owned by the same company at that time.
Low-buck models of the WIA eschewed the composite headlights for a 7″ sealed beam with a pretty awful surround/adapter, but that was acceptable on fleet trucks.
It is my belief that the headlights on the pictured 245 aren’t actual WIA parts, but probably based on the design of the Genuine Volvo Truck parts.
I’m ok with the single headlight per side Volvo. It’s kind of fitting for such a basic utilitarian vehicle.
Basically I agree. The idea is understandable and acceptable. But the implementation is a bad one.
This way, the face has something slightly cross-eyed. The headlights should be further apart. Just like the very early 240s had from the factory. But that would probably have required a different grill and a different hood. Means: A cheap solution would not have been feasible to do it right..
Horses and their courses, huh. I don’t like the M100 Elan in any shade. It looks as wide as it is long, and unfortunately reminiscent of that godawful mercury/Ford Capri made by Ford here in Oz. There were production errors, and a shorter wheelbase than planned which didn’t help this. I always thought if you painted headlights on the doors and got it sideways, no one would know.
If you’re on Facefungle Mr K, Prof Peter Stevens who designed it has a really cool page there, and a 3-part post about the design of it from 2015 (found by accident making this comment). I haven’t got the time at the mo, but if you like the thing, it looks very recommendable.
Well…compare the dimensions of the M100 and the Lancia Stratos and make a few inches allowances for bumpers (one has them, one basically does not) and you’ll find the length to width ratio still in favor of the M100 but basically the same. So there’s my justification for that!
Nonono, don’t you dare let the OZ Capri enter the chat, it coming two years after the Elan. A later car shouldn’t negatively influence an earlier one just by dint of it having been not very good compared to what it really competed against, i.e. the MX-5.
I wish I could see that Peter Stevens page, too bad I won’t be on that site, they seemed to continuously somehow lose my privacy settings and thus my trust. But I’ll tell you, the addiction to that site makes one to tobacco seem more like a vague desire for something salty so not going back there anyway. A shame someone couldn’t write something sourcing that and publishing it on some random website that talks about older cars…
As an ex-smoker, tell me about it: and as for that site, I’m literally about to delete it for just those reasons (and the fact that Zuckerberg just announced the ceasing of moderation for hate speech, etc, all so that a certain orange type is kept sucked-up to) so I’ll offer you this for now. (Interview with Steve Cropley and Stevens about the M100).
https://youtu.be/TrAkYJ48cHQ?si=OGE-rFagoQ8mwu6P
Actually, now having watched it, the interview is an absolute ripper, has all the info in the FB posts. Steve Cropley is ex-Wheels in Oz the ’70’s, long-time editor of Autocar, and great journo from the great ’70’s-’80’s Aussie invasion (and transformation) of UK motor-noting, and interesting himself. Enjoy!
Btw, recommended to all on CC. Not often an industry insider speaks like this.
I’m sure someone knows more than I, but the triple-wiper MGB (and certain flavors of E-type got triples as well, I believe) were exclusive to US exports. There are regulations here about the percentage of the windshield that must be swept by wipers, Windshields with a low height-to-width ratio needed a third wiper to accomplish this.
This was mentioned in the recent Datsun roadster post; the Datsun got a taller windshield as I recall.
My early ’74 B (chrome bumpers) had 3 wipers,
a lovely car now replaced with a 1960 Austin Healey 3000 MK 3.
Again there is another collection of automobiles, we can treat them as street automobile museums. Amazing is how Japanese owners spend times and money to keep them running. Variety of cars is so diverse, we probably never see them in US.
If you saw a Lada SUV, have you ever accounted Volga and Chaika?
WOOT, WOOF and WOOF for those British rides!
You’re spoiling us again. Aston Rapide please, which is a good answer to most car needs to be honest.
The R-R Silver Spirit dates from 1979, and looking at the Silver Spirit and Spur pictures, for the first time ever I see a bit of R-R Camargue in the front end, with the US market smaller and paired lamps. But I’d still take the Rapide.
And that Routemaster is a longer RML, wit the extra small window and 8 more seats overall.
Ref the Vanden Plas 1300 – is there a thing about keeping the previous UK plate under the Japanese one? There’s a 1972 UK plate on this one.
The headlights on the Jaguar XJ40 may be thus explained:
Four round ones were used on lower rung models and the US market initially, while the composite rectangular ones adorned upper crust variants and Daimlers.
Speaking of Daimlers, the Double Six is not a Jaguar but a Daimler, as witness its fluted grille and rear number plate surround. The Double Six moniker hails from 1926 when a sleeve valve, twelve cylinder was launched.
Finally, the 100 year old Lagonda was imported from New Zealand – the CY2492 plate goes back to the 1960s.
As always, amazing. I’ve just spent (lost?) half an hour absorbing these (mostly) beauties. And another half hour reponding.
The depth of colour on that second white Corniche is just astounding. I didn’t know white could look like that.
That light blue metallic E-type is the perfect colour for one of these.
I noticed the Vicarage badge in the dash photo of the Mark 2; I’ll have to look up what this entails. I saw a Mark 2 with similar cutaway rear spats last week; I wonder if it was one of these?
“Double Six” while being a great name, always reminds me of playing dominoes with grandma. Happy memories.
That Elan looks lovely in yellow. As for the moulded-in bumpers on that Europa, there was a competition version. I wonder if this car was sort of a nod to that? It doesn’t look as stripped down. And fancy finding an Elite!
That round-headlight Volvo wagon does look odd. I’ve developed something of a soft spot for 240s in my old age. Didn’t like them at the time, but the shape has proven to be almost timeless.
I could go on. (I have? Okay…)
One last thought. That RML bus? That red filler panel in the upper window really gives away where the stretch is. Here’s one with regular ‘glass’. 🙂
London to Japan via Glasgow. It is a genuine RML, but they’ve rearranged the panels somewhat. I assume those are offside emergency exits now, so maybe they’re staggered for structural reasons.
Here it is back in 2005: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hamster81/4945924605/
Thanks Tatra, a glorious selection of vehicles to leisurely peruse.
The Norton is a 1935 ES2. A fundamentally excellent motorbike that stayed in production for nearly 30 years after this one was produced. By which time of course the British motorcycle industry was just about to find out that while they had been stagnating and underinvesting, the Japanese had been developing bikes that were reliable and didn’t leak oil everywhere.
This one at least is a throwback to a happier time for Norton.
Thank you very much for this! Didn’t figure it for a 90-year-old. If you build the same model for 30 years, unless you’ve really got something iconic, the competition is going to eat you alive…
The Lagonda is ex New Zealand. Has the old black and silver plates on.
Great finds – and nice to see Ginko Dori in full bloom. I sure hope it stays that way.
You and me both, Jim.
Apparently, the proposed “development” (read: “butchering”) of the Meiji Jingu park will spare the tree-lined avenue. The rest of the park, though, looks like it will be replaced by the same shopping arcades and office blocks that can be seen all over the Kanto Plain.
The yellow E-Type is a Series 1, or 1.5, to be more correct, with the original small grille opening but with the open headlights.
I could be very happy with that VP Princess 1300. What a little gem.
Aston Rapide is for sure the 2010’s best best , jaw-dropping in real life still today.
I prefer the old Elite for my prettiest Lotus, preferably bumperless, in cream. Quite stunning, and dynamically supposed to be very sweet, and all powered by a fire-pump engine, because Lotus (Chapman probably stole it from a firetruck).
I think I’ll take that mushroom soup-coloured Sprite, not for that oh-so-’50’s shade of depressing food, but for what appears to be its superb originality. Having once sat in one, and rapidly assumed myself to be Gulliver washed up in Lilliput, I know I really don’t fit, but still, life is too short (which is presumably what the permanent owner needs to be too).
That Defender isn’t playing at being an army brat, it looks like a real deal veteran. British Army spec Wolf 90, possibly winterised given the snorkel. Very cool.
With all the references to these cars appearing in television series, I thought I should mention New Tricks, as DS Pullman (Amanda Redman) drives a late Saab convertible and Gerry (Dennis Waterman) drives a Triumph Stag. Both cars are featured throughout the series.
This Lotus Europa always reminded me of a car locally produced here in Québec: The Manic GT with its R10 engine
Mmmmmm, another delectable edition T87! In a vaguely CC-effect, my husband’s former MG Midget that he sold 20 years ago popped up for sale here yesterday. Ironically we saw it as we were looking (online) at a rather nice Triumph Stag.
As noted above, that Lagonda is ex-New Zealand, although probably not NZ-new given that the records say it was first registered here on 23 March 1960. Given the hundreds of thousands of used JDM imports that have come here over the years, I suppose it’s only fair that we should send something back the other way as a token of our appreciation – and if the job’s worth doing, it may as well be something interesting!
That bright yellow Range Rover intrigues me. It’s wearing an early front bumper and grille, but the four doors with concealed hinges, the single pane front glass, and the rear-view mirrors, speak of a much later variant which someone has customised to appear much older. Not sure why, but each to their own!
Think of 911 Porsches. Folks seem happy to spend large money on turning their accordian-playing-bumpered ’77 into a ’65, and I do get it. Well, I did, until it became a game in which one had to mortgage one’s local castle to play at the table first, but I digress.
Imagine a 2-door Rangie with concealed hinges, no quarter vents, and no mirrors at all (tiny cameras replace ’em). It’d make the perfect perfecter.
And yes, in all sadness – and lower your hat for the advancing demise of my brain – I have had these fully-formed thoughts even before your comment.
The Lotus Europa is an automobile that I have never understood – and probably never will.
Why do you design something like that? And who buys it?