T87’s Singles Collection, Spring 2026 Edition – Part 4: More Foreign Cars (American & British)

By
– Posted on July 9, 2026

IMG20260422121453 edited

Gosh, is this part 4 already? Amazing how time flies. Well, might as well get to it, then. We’ve had a bunch of German delicacies for starters, our main course here will consist of Detroiters and Englanders. Chevrolets are always the largest contingent of the former, so we’ll kick off with a superb late ‘70s-ish Camaro Z28.

IMG20260424143148 edited

Not quite as superb, the follow-up 3rd gen Camaro. Still rather striking in candy apple red.

IMG20260503101714 edited

The C4 Corvette has a bad reputation, but it still looks better than the Camaro, in my opinion.

IMG20260503082509 edited IMG20260503082455 edited IMG20260517081210 edited IMG20260517081201 edited

I really like the tail on these, but the front end is just too busy. Cool colour on this one.

IMG20260422130044 edited IMG20260422130059 edited IMG20260422130106 edited

They really like these later El Caminos here. Japan has been Conquista’ed.

IMG20260619125621 edited

I for one am very much looking forward to the day I encounter this ’57 sedan on the street. Fingers crossed.

IMG20260524085255 edited IMG20260524085256 edited

We’ve seen this 1972 Monte Carlo on CC before, but it’s such a beauty that a small update on its existence might appeal. Conclusion: Still there, still green and still going.

IMG20260619145334 edited IMG20260619145338 edited

Caught this stunning 1967-ish Malibu between the Palace and Tokyo Station – about as central as it gets, in other words.

IMG20260408123707 edited

About two-thirds of the K5 trucks I’ve seen around here are restored to concours level, but there are some that obviously use these as trucks.

IMG20260506105937 edited IMG20260506110000 edited

I’ve just written this one up a few weeks ago, but I hadn’t spotted it in over a year. The fabled CC Effect strikes again.

IMG20260426144303 edited

While we’re looking at proto-SUVs, here’s the latest from Tokyo’s ever-present Jeep Wagoneer horde.

IMG20260506124932 edited IMG20260506124927 edited

Neither one had Di-Noc on its sides, oddly enough. But someone had our back (or rather our flanks) as far as the Plastiwood was concerned.

IMG20260406145821 edited IMG20260406145832 edited

Buick to the rescue! It’s those so-called Regal wagons again. Now available with horrid wheels, too.

IMG20260419101135 edited IMG20260419101146 edited IMG20260419101201 edited

GM really scored a sleeper hit with these in Japan.

IMG20260613110147 edited

Having grown up with one of these (in Pontiac 6000 form), I do see the attraction.

IMG20260510124248 edited

Nothing very classic as far as Cadillacs are concerned. Sixty Specials do make the cut, just…

IMG20260619163028 edited IMG20260619163317 edited

Does anyone have any love for this generation of big Caddies? They’re a tad bland, though still traditionally-styled.

IMG20260428150027 edited

Those ginormous mid-‘90s RWD Fleetwoods are more interesting, from an archaeological point of view. True dinosaurs.

IMG20260424162949 edited IMG20260424162944 edited

What? A Northstar V8 having problems? How can that be?

IMG20260403145250 edited

Wrote this one up three years ago, but the massive parking garage where it lived has been torn down since. Found it in this small box, somewhat less protected than it used to be.

IMG20260502095709 edited

Same deal with this Pacer. Glad to see it’s still out and about.

IMG20260420153442 edited IMG20260420153456 edited IMG20260420153432 edited IMG20260420153448 edited

Again, we’ve had the pleasure of seeing this Rambler wagon before. Pity the owner/driver was in it, I would be very interested in capturing the interior.

IMG20260531082235 editedIMG20260531082226 editedIMG20260531082219 edited

My, grandma Ace, how your hips have grown, as well as everything else… What’s the deal with those weird metal thingamajigs where the bumpers should be?

IMG20260414112932 edited

It’s not everyday I can feature two American school buses in the same shot. The one at the bottom is an International; at the top we have a Ford.

IMG20260416135119 edited

Two Ford products in this shop (the same where I caught the ’57 Chevy). The red Mustang caught my eye, but the Mark V was the one I’d have liked to investigate more.

IMG20260412095956 edited

Very few Mercurys live in this town. Saw this 1998-2002 Grand Marquis through someone’s front gate and managed a blind over-the-head snap. He shoots he scores!

IMG20260510084014 edited IMG20260510084041 edited IMG20260510084105 edited

Not-so-little Deuce coupe, or is it a Modded A?

IMG20260609122739 editedIMG20260609122806 edited

My most random and remarkable Detroiter find of the season goes to this 1950 Ford Custom. Absolutely superb in every way, plus the owner was willing to show me around. However, this was just as I was headed home with quite a few perishable items – I had no time to spare, and he was loading a bunch of construction materials in the trunk. Like I said, random.

IMG20260609122919 edited IMG20260609122933 edited IMG20260609122730 edited

Still, I did get a few decent pics out of the whole deal, including ol’ flat-top there. I wrote up this car’s near-identical twin a couple years ago. This one has an interesting added feature: semaphore on the A-pillars, added by the current owner.

IMG20260408124616 edited

I was torn between putting this in the Japanese section or here. It appears to be a Rikuo RT2, one of the last built by the company in the late ‘50s. It’s a licensed copy of a prewar Harley-Davidson design that had a few upgrades. If anybody knows more about these, the comments section is there for you to educate the rest of us!

IMG20260405084715 edited IMG20260405084741 edited IMG20260405084803 edited

While we’re on two wheels, let’s switch over to the British side of the post by way of this adorable Velocette KSS.

IMG20260503092115 edited IMG20260503092106 edited IMG20260503092056 edited

Still utterly hopeless at identifying motorcycles. Beyond the fact that it’s a single-cylinder Triumph that looks like it could be prewar, I got nuthin’.

IMG20260510084221 edited IMG20260510084250 edited IMG20260510084210 edited

Again, someone please help. There were so many 2-cyl. Triumphs made after the war (I assume) that it’s not worth my while trying to ID this one. Not when many of you already know the answer.

IMG20260405111646 edited IMG20260405111712 edited IMG20260405111659 edited

Well, we’re in Triumph territory, so let’s check out the cars. I’m not a fan of their roadsters, but this 1965 Spitfire does have a look to it. The maroon paintwork might have something to do with it.

IMG20260517090941 edited IMG20260517090943 edited

I’m also curious about the Stag – it’s a good-looking car, hopelessly flawed. One of British Leyland’s Deadliest Sins. I’d like to study one in detail someday.

IMG20260614094810 edited IMG20260614094824 edited IMG20260614094830 edited IMG20260614094816 edited

This one was puzzling. Turning a Mini into a pint-sized racer is a time-honoured tradition, but using a rare (and slightly heavier) Riley Elf for this purpose seemed… very strange.

IMG20260524083421 edited IMG20260524083435 edited IMG20260524083410 edited

There. Now the world makes sense again.

IMG20260614085707 edited IMG20260614085718 edited IMG20260614085731 edited

I’m almost positive I’ve caught this one before, but in a different colour. I could be wrong. Perfectly froggy.

IMG20260503102348 edited IMG20260503102412 edited IMG20260503102422 edited

I don’t think I had seen the engine bay of a Princess 1300 before. Positively regal. The stuffed toys and seat covers, on the other hand…

IMG20260426084048 edited IMG20260426084034 edited

There’s always an MGA or two at the Sunday morning Meiji Jingu Gaien meets. Hadn’t seen this baby blue one before. Very nice.

IMG20260426083336 edited IMG20260426083210 edited

This is immediately contrasted by a sad rubber bumper B. But there was more MG misery to be seen…

IMG20260424130105 edited IMG20260424130229 edited

The very same week I posted a (pristine) RV8, I chance upon this one.

IMG20260424130131 edited IMG20260424130326 edited IMG20260424130157 edited

Maligned though they may be, these are still pretty rare roadsters with a great big V8. Not rare or desirable enough to save this one, though.

IMG20260426161903 edited

Morgans are often seen on Sundays at the gingko-lined classic car meets, but out in the wild is another matter. And this is the four-seater, a rare bird in any case.

IMG20260503084255 edited IMG20260503084331 edited IMG20260503084318 edited IMG20260503084339 edited

As per usual, the Lotus contingent was numerous. A lovely little Elan to get things going…

IMG20260405090234 edited

The inimitable Europa, almost exactly half of a G-Wagen in volume.

IMG20260503084844 edited IMG20260503084829 edited IMG20260503084902 edited IMG20260503084855 edited

I’d like to know how this one got that WCCC plaque – the 1978 date doesn’t work with the Europa’s timeline, does it?

IMG20260405112850 edited IMG20260405112901 edited IMG20260405112919 edited

The M100 Elan, with its Isuzu engine driving the front wheels, is really the odd one out in the Lotus cannon.

IMG20260510090148 edited IMG20260510090202 edited IMG20260510090034 edited IMG20260510090653 edited

The 2007-11 Lotus 2-Eleven leans hard into the Chapmanesque “Less is more” philosophy.

IMG20260403141954 edited

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a Rover 600 in for a service.

IMG20260426084128 edited

Herding Jaguars is what we do here, and there were a lot. ‘Twas as if we had entered a wormhole to the ‘90s, it was.

IMG20260531081507 edited IMG20260531081453 edited

Most of the XJSs I see are of the later variety, so this pre-facelift 1990 model was noteworthy.

IMG20260531083151 edited IMG20260531083158 edited IMG20260531083128 edited

That interior is in amazing condition for a 35-year-old Jaguar.

IMG20260503092521 edited IMG20260503092439 edited IMG20260503092609 edited

Quite a few E-Types were sighted. This one was plainly awesome.

IMG20260503092930 edited IMG20260503093013 edited

Sixty years old, but what a figure.

IMG20260607085917 edited IMG20260607085919 edited

The grey colour’s a little less appealing here, but the door mirrors do look better.

IMG20260621084645 edited IMG20260621084627 edited

Here’s one where everything’s gone wrong: long wheelbase, V12 engine, mustard colour and whacky races numbering.

IMG20260621082839 edited IMG20260621082825 edited IMG20260621084612 edited

That rear end is perhaps the most disgraceful angle on this poor car. How the mighty have fallen and all that.

IMG20260419100740 edited IMG20260419095521 edited

As a way to provide eyewash, here’s a perfect early model roadster. Now the world feels right again.

IMG20260524082604 edited IMG20260524082618 edited

In the land of Mitsuokas, it’s comforting to see a real Mk2 Jag barrelling down the road.

IMG20260405112156 edited IMG20260405112259 edited

The king of the felines was, without contest, this 1957 XK150 fixed-head coupé.

IMG20260405112129 edited IMG20260405112228 edited IMG20260405112137 edited

It never struck me before (perhaps because I haven’t seen that many of these in person), but Jaguar sure went for the railway tie approach to bumper design for this generation.

IMG20260612101921 edited IMG20260612101907 edited IMG20260612101816 edited

I guess these are titled as Aston Martins… This is the third one of these I’ve found in Japan – this one was located in the neighbouring prefecture of Saitama, alongside a proper Aston (DB10 or some such) and a Lincoln Navigator. Make of that what you will.

IMG20260403141940 edited IMG20260403141930 edited

The glorious TVR Griffith – now that’s a proper serving of British beef (from the mad cow disease era).

IMG20260531082547 edited IMG20260531082558 edited IMG20260531082538 edited IMG20260531084047 edited

The oldest entry in this edition of the T87 Singles Collection will be this outstanding mid-to-late ‘20s Bentley. It may sound incredible, but I have too many of these sitting in my files waiting to be featured on CC, so this one will just have to be parked here.

IMG20260405110914 edited IMG20260405110931 edited

Plenty of Rollers to get to, as we near the end (finally!) of this post. Over two tonnes of two-toned LWB saloon served here for your consideration.

IMG20260405110943 edited IMG20260405111000 edited IMG20260405111037 edited

They’re working on burying that horrible flyover, by the way. Should be done by 2045…

IMG20260405090407 edited IMG20260405090424 edited

Topless and over the top at the same time: the Corniche III.

IMG20260405085614 edited IMG20260405090416 edited IMG20260405090400 edited

About 450 of these were made between 1989 and 1992. Very nice shade of brown on that interior.

IMG20260614123037 edited IMG20260614124038 edited IMG20260614124041 edited IMG20260614123053 edited

The very last avatar of the classic ‘60s Rolls shape was the 1992-95 Corniche IV. Only 215 made, including one for Emperor Akihito. Guess there are at least two in Japan, then.

IMG20260503152805 edited IMG20260503152729 edited

I recently regaled this CCongregation with a Silver Spur III. Here’s its junior model, the Silver Spirit III.

IMG20260503152707 edited IMG20260503152619 edited IMG20260503152559 edited

It’s hyper-luxurious, yet it leaves one slightly cold. Call it Meh Plus Ultra.

IMG20260506104615 edited IMG20260506104652 edited

The final version of the long-lived Spirit/Spur dispensed with the Roman numerals, but added body-coloured bumpers. Still meh in my book.

IMG20260428150904 edited

I chanced upon a guy detailing a Silver Seraph, which is not a sentence I ever thought I’d write.

IMG20260419095534 edited

And here’s its Bentley-branded twin.

IMG20260614090346 edited IMG20260614090401 edited

I hadn’t seen this delightful Bristol 406 in a while, and there it was, cool as a cucumber in the mid-June monsoon. Mad dogs and English cars, eh.

 

See you tomorrow for the rest of the best!

 

Subscribe to email notifications
Become a Member