There are a lot of CCs that I have missed over the years. They pass by too fast, or the lighting’s terrible, or they’re in the wrong place, or I’m too busy to take the time. And then, there are the ones I managed to catch only briefly, with one or two photos. This Daimler Double Six, snapped very recently in Tokyo traffic, is a good example (and a fine-looking title pic). Hardly worth the trouble to do a whole post, butut these have been accumulating, especially of late. Why waste them? So here’s a compilation album of onesies.
While we’re on the British car side of things, here’s a Rolls Phantom. I saw a stretch limo version of this car roaming around the Ikebukuro area, but never managed to bag it. This one will have to do for now.
From big Brits, we move to Detroit’s finest. I’ve been seeing quite a few American cars in Japan. Not that many, but more so than in Thailand, to be sure.
Cadillacs seem to have a bit of a following, for instance. Escalades are just about as impractical as a car could be in these parts, yet one can see a few here and there.
Actually, I’ll see that Escalade and raise you a fully-blinged out Hummer H2. Ridiculous vehicle to have in Japan. Or anywhere, really.
Strangely enough, I’ve caught a couple of Detroiters that seem to be busier gathering dust than drinking dinosaur juice. This Suburban is one of those puzzler guzzlers.
As is this Mustang, which I see regularly in my neighbourhood. It seems not to have moved for a couple years at least. Fords of any sort are very rare in Japan, unlike most places. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find a few if you look hard enough.
See, a mid-‘90s Taurus wagon, for instance. I sure didn’t expect coming across that in Tokyo. But does it warrant a whole CC post? Not from me, sorry. I know nothing about these, and they don’t really stir anything in me.
On the other hand, if I could have had time to get a few more pics of this Lancia Delta Integrale, that would have been quite worthwhile. Alas, it was not to be. The light was fading fast, my daughter had a pressing need and there was someone in this red gem who probably didn’t want me taking their photo. Rotten luck.
I found this adorable Fiat 500 F right on the curb, rather than on the side of it. But then, I’d already found one pretty recently, so this one was just surplus to requirement.
There are a few French cars about as well, which is surprising. One can see a few Peugeot 206s and the odd Renault Mégane amidst the flow of Crowns and Priuses. But a Citroën C6 is a rare sight anywhere, so it had to be included here.
Same with this 2001-02 Clio V6 RS Phase 1, only even more so. I’m not even sure I ever saw any up close when I lived in France, so finding one sitting in a carport in rural Japan was a bit of a shock. Only 1513 of these radical machines were made (in Sweden, of all places!), with a 230hp V6 sitting where the rear seat should be.
Peugeot 205s are road cockroaches back in the old country, but seeing one in Tokyo was a pleasant surprise!
Japanese folks love their Minis. Sometimes a bit too much. This one is slightly over the top. I didn’t want to peek inside, for fear of seeing pink felt seat cushions and Hello Kitty floormats that were likely lurking within. I’ve projectile-vomited over less.
Even with its flat tyres, this Mini was much more interesting, especially as it was paired with a Skyline R32 coupé. Alas, this was someone’s property and trespassing is a huge no-no in Japan. So I allowed myself one photo from the street and went on my way.
One last thing before I break this up for part 2. A lot of cars here, newer ones in particular, sport a parking pole on the left side of the car. This late model BMW takes it to another level.
Yes, there’s a tiny BMW emblem on the top of the pole, just for kicks. I’ve only noticed this once so far, but I’m sure I’ll see it again. On a Mercedes, perhaps. Probably not on an Audi, tough. That would be weird. See you tomorrow for part 2, with JDM cars, some older metal and a few more foreign exotics, including some caught in Thailand and other places I’ve prowled in recent years.
Wow, you exhibit some Joe Dennis-like reflexes with your traffic shots. It is easy to forget yourself and start looking for Chicago landmarks in the background. 🙂
The Taurus wagon is a puzzler – especially with the paint blistering off above the windshield. It would be like someone having a beater Toyota Century over here in the US. Except for the Toyota being a much better car, I mean.
And I guess that in addition to turn signal repeaters, Japanese-market Tauruses featured folding mirrors. I can definitely see why.
…and, yes, amber rear turn signals:
I just went searching for a rear photo too. This one shows a close-up of the amber turn signals, which were put in place of the US-market back-up lights. The back-up light (singular) wound up as a tumor on the rear hatch:
What’s that pole for? Maybe it’s just another japanese cultural thing which we neither know nor understand. (Especially because it looks very OEM).
My guess would be to identify where the far corner of the car is from the driver? Kind of like the “candlesticks” that big rig trucks use.
They use to be common on second-hand Japanese imports. Sometimes they could be telescopic/electric. When I had a Mk 11 Jag I desecrated it by fitting wing mirrors (ugh) simply to help me judge the width in traffic.
Hmm… this sounds somehow reasonable, but why not use the cam instead? BMW always has cams (and if not – those enerving beepers) to get the correct distance. And there is clearly a beeper below the fog light.
The parking pole is a long standing JDM accessory/option dating to at least the early 80’s… yes they are there to gauge the corner when parallel parking. They’re always compared to curbfeelers when the question is asked.
A lot of JDM enthusiasts here covet these parts among many others, and I had one installed in my Acura Legend – the Honda ones have a lighted green tip that comes on with the head/parking lights. The one on this BMW is simple and stationary, since most of them retract and are basically like power antenna units. It is hard finding a completely functioning one since the plastic gears can dry and break.
The 92-94 W140 S-Class actually has TWO of these “guide rods” on the rear fenders (sonar sensors replaced them in ‘95).
The Mustang has folding export side mirrors, I hate that that incredibly useful feature had been so continually deprived from domestic models by the accountants.
Also of uncommon note, that 80-82 Corvette is a convertible, which probably means it’s actually a 74-75 with the later front and rear ends grafted on
There were a number of companies performing convertible top conversions on 1980-1982 Corvettes and then selling the cars as new through Chevrolet dealers. Duntov, Greenwood, and Flint Corvettes were a few of them.
Love the Mini van! They were still selling them when I lived in the Netherlands. I don’t think I noticed that they retained the external door hinges and sliding side windows at the time. I do remember Mini fans lamenting that quite a bit of useful interior space was lost when roll-down windows were fitted, so maybe they kept the older design because space was at such a premium when the typical van partition was in place.
About 55 years since I spent a morning driving a Minivan, but I can remember that there was no ‘van partition’.
Good point. I wonder why they bothered keeping the older style doors in production? It looks like they kept the wand-type non-remote shift levers for a long time too.
Cost. Fancy doors and fancy shift levers are more expensive to make.
And yes, that long shift lever was pretty unpleasant.
I remember driving a friend’s granddad’s ’59 mini with the s-shaped gearstick. 1st gear was bangin’ your knuckles on the dashboard, 2nd gear was a good three feet throw to the floor. What a fun car to chuck around though!
Rolls? Mitsuoka could do a better parody of Rolls than that Rolls. Bleah.
So true …..
+1
I thought it was another Galue when I saw the photo.
Snap! That’s some Phantom-busting comment right there. And I can only agree too. At least the Mitsuokas are cheap to run.
Beautiful work Tatra!
R32 and ‘grale for me, but that Clio RS is mouth-watering.
Got to be the Minivan for town and Double Six for weekend trips.
And that Minivan is quoit a surprise – looking very unmolested and from a time (pre 1969 based on the sliding windows) when Japan had less interest in the Mini than it did in the late 1990s and on
I can’t find any evidence that the Mini van ever gained roll-down windows or hidden door hinges.
Love the Citroen C6 & Peugeot 206. That Renault Clio V6 sure was an unusual find. Guess I’m really into French cars.
Not many Hummer H2 left on the road – thankfully!