The flow of CCs encountered in and around the Tokyo region continues unabated, no matter the season. Winters here are cool, but generally dry and make for excellent classic car weather, so sightings have been rather numerous – a little more so than in the summertime, for sure. Let’s kick things off with Nissans and the first in a string of Datsun Fairlady Zs.
This was a better one. Mustard yellow is such a peak mid-‘70s colour.
Sincerely hoping the owner of this otherwise very nice S130 Turbo 2+2 left it at this mechanic’s to replace that exhaust with something a bit less fart-canny.
Here’s the 2-seater T-top version, ready and willing.
Given the choice, I think the 2-seater looks a bit better. But the previous generation was the one to have.
Moving on to the Skylines, I’ve elected to include the few cars that I’ve caught at Flex Auto Review, a classic car dealer we had a look at in a few posts last year. This fine-looking 1972 C10 saloon could have been in your garage for ¥6.489m (a little over US$ 40k).
Same place, a four-door “Kenmari” C110 for about US$ 43k. Must we endure those ugly and boring aftermarket wheels for such a lofty price?
It can be tough to tell the R30 coupé (1981-85) apart from its successor. This is the former, in its late-model “Iron Mask” form…
…and here’s the R31 (1985-89). The main difference is the B-pillar design, though I gather all of the sheetmetal was changed.
I have a soft spot for the R32 (1989-93), especially in four-door form. This one’s showing its age. Aren’t we all?
A fine example of an unmolested R33 coupé (1993-98) – they’re getting scarce, in this condition.
Same deal with the saloon version. This one was just impeccable, as if he past three decades had passed it by.
On the other hand, this Silvia S13 (1988-93), in mid-range Q’s trim, has had a tougher life. It would only be a matter of refreshing the paint on those bumpers to get it back to its former glory.
The Pao of the season, ladies and gentlemen. It’s cutesy enough without the Mr Men stickers on the dashboard, though. Not needed.
Standard-issue K11 Marches are getting very thin on the ground, being seen as throwaway cars. The fancier Autech-made neo-retro variants (aside from Mitsuoka Viewts) like this late ‘90s Bolero, however, are valued quite a bit.
Back at Flex Auto Review for a 1970 Sunny 1200 saloon, yours for the equivalent of about US$ 22k. Must be in tip-top condition.
Same place, same marque and almost same colour, but no hard info about the price of this circa 1970 Bluebird 510 SSS.
For whatever reason, these 910s (1979-83) are very seldom seen. I think it’s the second one I’ve encountered in six years here. Older RWD Bluebirds like the 410 and 510 seem much more popular.
The coolest front-drive Bluebird has to be the U12 (1987-92) hardtop, especially in its SSS form. Definitely a collectible item, and one that is seen a fair amount.
There are usually plenty of Cedric / Gloria sightings, but not this winter. The only hardtop sedan I could find was this tired Y32 (1991-95) Gloria Grand Turismo.
But the legally-required Y30 wagon was there, so everything is ok.
Finally (for the Nissan side of things), if you like a Hardbody, would you hold it against me surely a double-cabin one must be even better.
I have no idea what the OEM is in this case, but I’m betting Suzuki. Volkswagen T2 kits are growing in popularity, but the T1 is still dominant.
Pint-sized Suzuki hot hatch, anyone? Pretty muscly-looking, these Alto Works (1994-98). Lots of fun to drive, according to the Interwebs.
This Subaru Bistro is kind of channelling the same vibe, but with a lot of extra bits tacked on. A few too many, in my opinion.
Aren’t these 360s the cutest thing? Not that many have fabric top like this one, yet the design works even better this way. Just like the Citroën 2CV or the Fiat 500.
The first FWD Mitsubishi kei car was the 5th gen (1984-89) Minica, represented here by a 1987 “Econo Parsley”… Yes, they named it after a herb. Did they sell them in bunches?
There weren’t many Mitsubishis worthy of note, but this 2nd gen Minica van certainly was a highlight, even though I’d have preferred it bone-stock.
These were made between 1969 and 1981: even as the saloon / coupé moved to the 3rd and then 4th generation models, the van stayed like this. I wonder what is powering it now – the original twin, whether it was the air-cooled two-stroke 360cc (up to 1976) or the water-cooled four-stroke 550cc, must be long gone.
I *think* this is a Mitsubishi Fuso chassis. Nice, weird and old-fashioned body, eminently Japanese.
Plenty of Hondas about; I’m sure we can all agree that’s a positive thing. Certainly, this late ‘60s N360 is a good ‘un. Arguably the best kei car of its generation.
The first four-wheeled vehicle Honda ever produced was the T360 (1963-67). Found this one lurking in an open garage, and resisted the temptation to take the tarp off to peek inside. Trespassing, however moderately, was enough.
Flawless S800 (1966-70) in a lovely shade of yellow – what’s not to like? Nothing, just I have plenty of these in my files already, even though I have yet to properly write one up. Soon, soon…
The Honda of the season has to be this unrestored 1967 coupé.
It was absolutely stunning. Kudos to the owner for his decision to keep it in this original state, especially in a country where old-looking machines are generally frowned upon.
As per usual, no ‘70s entries from Honda. All the Civics they made at the time were shipped over Stateside, I guess – you never see them here. Far more ‘60s and ‘80s Hondas are present in real life, such as this first-gen (1983-87) CR-X.
Sometimes, there are innocuous-looking classics that actually would have been worth a deeper dive. Such is the case with this Prelude, which I’ve only researched now that I’m writing about it here. I figured it was just an oldie-but-goodie Honda coupé, classy and understated, but that’s just because I hadn’t paid attention to the trim badge (and the license plate).
This is the rare “SI States” trim, only sold for about a year in 1990-91. It’s a special “3-number / oversized” model, with wider wheelarches, bigger bumpers and the 2.1 litre engine used in North American-spec cars. Only 3000 were made for the JDM, so I’ll probably not see one again. Ah well…
You’re a Legend, you are. Those red seat covers are highly unusual. Double the fun!
I can easily walk past one of these Civics and not recognize it as CC-worthy. To me, they just don’t look “classic,” whatever that means. I know I’m wrong. The thing that caught my eye with this particular one was the colour and the license plate – the two-digit “77” number (meaning it’s a car under 2-litres and 170cm width) always flags a car as pre-2000, which helps. These came out in 1991, but they’re so familiar, sleek and modern to my eyes that they seem at least a decade younger.
Late model NSXs (without popup headlights) are not that common. This one has had a lot of extras added – that F1-style air scoop is a first, as far as I’m concerned. And, hopefully, also the last.
I still don’t understand why there are so few classic Mazdas about, aside from RX-7s, in their country of origin. The sole notable encounter this winter was a late ‘90s Proceed Marvie SUV.
Well, to be fair, there was also this – many of us knew these as the Mazda 121, but on the JDM, it was the Autozam Revue.
Quite a few Daihatsus to get to. They have a wide variety of food trucks, in this country – from imported classics such as the Citroën H-van to JDM evergreens by Toyota or whoever. Kei vans like this late ‘80s Mira Walkthru represent a sort of extreme miniaturization of the whole concept of a food truck.
Even smaller? That’s possible, thanks to the inimitable (and aptly-named) Midget II van.
Not many 7th gen (1986-94) Hijet vans about, unlike in certain places I used to frequent such as Bangkok. This one is not long for this world, clearly.
On the other hand, there are plenty 1st gen (2002-12) Copens still around. They just don’t tend to look like this one. Is that a Karmann-Ghia steering wheel, or am I seeing things?
On to the Isuzus: the folks at Flex proposed a superb 117 Coupé from 1979 for the equivalent of US$17k. Tempted?
Anybody order a Piazza? And it’s the Nero version, too. Not that it makes much of a difference. The WTF-meter kinda went to 11 when I saw that interior, though. A little too yellow for its own good, this one.
Quite the Isuzu hat trick with this third entry: a late model (1989-90) gen2 Gemini ZZ “Handling by Lotus” saloon.
Finally, we come to the Toyota chapter. Let’s start it off with a lovely Sports 800 – almost identical to the one I captured on this very street a couple years ago and wrote up for CC. I’m not a fan of silver cars usually, but on this one it really works.
Doesn’t suit this Celica Liftback in the slightest, however.
So many of these 2nd generation (1986-91) Soarers around, it’s almost guaranteed one will be in these quarterly round-ups. Almost invariably white, too.
The early ‘90s made these Chasers a tad chubby, didn’t they? Brown and beige interiors were still a thing, 30 years ago.
What we have here is a Prius. That much is clear. What grew out of it is a “Relax Cabin” designed by Camp-Inn. Adds a lot of room, but also US$ 52k to the car’s price. Triple the money!
I would have thought getting a proper Toyota van would have been more cost-effective. This 1987 Hi-Ace was yours for the equivalent of US$13k, for instance. It’s not a hybrid, but…
Some 4x4s plow through muddy fields and rocky roads and die a painful death. Some get restored and pampered as if they were a prewar Packard. This is the latter.
Someone really, I mean really, loves this FJ Land Cruiser with a passion.
Quite a few Crowns to report, this winter. They didn’t make wagons any longer by the time this 14th gen S210 was around (i.e. 2012-18), except for hearse conversions.
The last production Crown wagon was the S170 (1999-2007). Red is an unusual colour for these.
The truly classic Crown wagon is the S130 (1987-99) – body-on-frame, live axle, double rear wipers. The killer trifecta.
The other members of the S130 gang included the hardtop sedan (1987-91)…
… and the formal sedan (1987-95). Found that one on January 1st, actually. Auspicious start to the year, from a CC point of view.
Japan’s most conservative four-door was, without question, the Crown Comfort. Privately-owned ones are uncommon, they’re more usually used as taxis, especially with the fender mirrors. Seemed to fit right in to these particular surroundings.
I just have to photograph these 2000-01 Origins whenever I see one. Call it OCD – Origin Compulsive Disorder.
The Big Daddy, the Head Honcho, the crème de la crème – the Toyota Century. Very nice 1st gen VG40 here, probably a mid-‘80s example.
A new Century showroom has been set up last month – the first of its kind, I believe. It includes a 1967 model year VG10 saloon, the O.G. of the breed. And a very rare sight.
The red…er… car, I guess, next to the ’67 saloon was the brand new G60 “coupé,” which is more of a shortened SUV. It appears that Toyota are transitioning the Century into a stand-alone marque, à la Chrysler Imperial, above Lexus. Hence now a range is being developed, now with four body styles (saloon, LWB limo, 4-door SUV, 2-door SUV). Let’s see what the future brings.
A week later, the same showroom had a regular 2026 model G60 saloon opposite the VG10.
I recently wrote about the Bubu brand, which was what Mitsuoka called their cars before they felt secure enough to use their own name. These ‘80s Mitsuokas are few and far between, but I found two 1987-89 Bubu SSKs this year. This one has seen better days…
…and this one is about as well-preserved as can be. The platform is VW Beetle.
Late ‘90s Galue, coming through. Probably the Mitsuoka to have. Weird, but not aggressively so. The rear is almost palatable.
Here’s the latest creation from Japan’s smallest and youngest carmaker: the Mitsuoka M55. These are based on the Honda Civic and only 250 units will be made this year. Keep ‘em wanting more.
A couple Yamahas to close this post. Can anybody ID this one? Looks ‘70s-ish, but I’m really no good at bikes. That exhaust must keep the rider’s right inside leg quite toasty.
Low-rider scooters like the Maxam 250 are pretty popular here. First time I’ve seen one in trike form, though. Very weird. Appropriate note to end this on, I reckon.
See you tomorrow for the first of two posts covering the imports.
Wow, what a selection! My wife and I spent 3 1/2 weeks in Japan in February and all I came up with was an Origin and a Buddy, both in Naha. Oh, and a Viewt K12 in Tokyo. How do you do it Tatra-san?
The Buddy.
That three wheeler scooter is wild! I love it. Maybe not enough to buy one but I am glad it exists.
I do like the MkI Mitsuoka Galue. It went off the rails styling wise after that.
The Prius Relax Cabin is wild. Hard to understand anyone buying it for that kind of cash. It is a likely better looking on the inside?
That does look like a vintage VW (or Temu knock off maybe) on that Copan. Interesting choice. I like the Copan and that VW wheel but perhaps not together as a pair.
Fantastic selection as always.
The grille on the Mitsuoka looks awfully like the one on the Dodge Challenger.
RE-Mr. Men books. We collected as many of those as we could when our sons were small. Mr. Impossible was one of my favourites.
Is that Hi-Ace stock, or is it carrying some sort of “Dajiban” conversion? I can’t remember what a Hi-Jet is supposed to look like, but this one has a front end that looks an awful lot like an 80s Dodge B-van grille.
The gray S130 hardtop looks to have the badges for the 1G-GZE supercharged 2-liter six offered on this generation. It also has the big black antenna for the old-school car phone.
I really like the C110, down to the wheels. Ok minilites might be cliche but they’re period correct and look good on the bodystyle l. It’s like a miniaturized 70 Challenger
Being in Japan, the wheels are probably Watanabes, Matt. No doubt there’s a way to tell them from Minilites other than geography – but don’t ask me!
The Yamaha bike is a DT-1, a very important bike historically, as it unleashed a huge wave of dirt bikes that were also suitable for the street. It was a monster hit for Yamaha, and they soon built the same basic format in a wide variety of sizes.
We have a good post on it at CC:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/sunday-salon/sunday-salon-the-yamaha-dt-1-the-bike-that-took-us-down-the-road-to-get-off-the-road/
As always, some beauties here.
That Piazza Nero looks awfully, um Giallo to me. I take it that’s not just my monitor. I hope that wasn’t a factory colour. It’s eye-grabbing, but really doesn’t suit.
In contrast, is there a better colour for a ca. 1970 Datsun? Whether it be a Fairlady, Bluebird or Sunny, that colour is perfect.
Telling an R30 from an R31 is easier than you think, especially if the windows are down – the R30 is a pillarless hardtop, the R31 has this pillar thing in the way. So wide, too. Probably less body flex, but…
Love the orange 240. Great compilation and great work!
Interesting selection as usual, thanks T87 🙂
Gosh, didn’t ’80s Hondas like that Prelude have wonderfully airy cabins with the low cowls. The superb visibility must surely be safer than the gun-slit windows in new cars. On the subject of Hondas, the red seat covers in that Legend are spectacularly dreadful.
As well as the Karmann-Ghia steering wheel on the Copen, isn’t that also a KG handle on the bonnet? The front bumper looks like it’s meant to be KG-esque too!
Make mine a Skyline – either the Kenmari or the R33 GTS-25T coupe will be just fine!
That Legend is the minor change version of the first-generation car, offered from October 1988, with a rather tacky JDM-only facelift with the die-cast grille and lots of chrome. It’s too bad it was parked tail-in, making it impossible to see the tail badge. The facelift cars were available with the 2.0-liter V6 Ti variable-geometry “Wing Turbo” engine, which was only Honda’s second turbocharged engine and an interesting technological exercise.
That Gemini ZZ has always one of the most attractive car shapes to me. I know it as the I Mark. A lady in town had one when I was a kid. At least with the I Mark, I’ve only known the hatch version to have the handling by Lotus. But it’s possible the sedans did too.
I find that Piazza to be quite tasteful. Just enough yellow interior bits to keep the racing theme, but not poorly done or overdone.
With that Hi Ace, I too initially saw the front of a Dodge. But actually more of the 84-86 Voyager minivan.
That Prius, can’t help it, all I see is it possessing a large phallic object.
Lovely selection as always! By the way, the sticker on the back of the first Nissan Z is the letter Z in naval signage. It is significant for some Japanese in a historic/militaristic way I don’t fully understand: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_flag#In_Japan
I learned about this after looking it up because I saw this strange flag at a bar that also prominently displayed the famous Japanese navy flag. And then again both are sold as souvenirs on the Yasukuni Shrine museum.