Iconic Japanese Classics

Image via Flickr by Iwao CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by Sicnag CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by Ruth Cadioli CC BY-SA 2.0
Image via Wikimedia by TTTNIS CC0 1.0
Image via Flickr by Riley CC BY 2.0

The Price Motor Corporation isn’t known even that widely in the car community. But this plucky, race winning manufacturer was eventually absorbed into Datsun, and so was it’s Skyline. A testament to a normal car, but with everything tuned to be the best it can be.

Image via Flickr by Louis Rix CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by Riley CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by GPS 56 CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by Iwao CC BY 2.0
Image via Wikimedia by Mytho88 CC BY-SA 3.0

A bit of retro-future that stayed a while in the Japanese market, the Cosmo was around from 1967 to 1995 as Mazda’s flagship sports coupe. More notably famous for setting off Mazda’s love hate with the Wankel Rotary for the next 40 some years; hopefully again soon too!

Image via Flickr by Iwao CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by Brian Snelson CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by Alden Jewell CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by Rex Gray CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by Rex Gray CC BY 2.0

A cool little story when you look into it, Subaru debuted in 1968 with the 360cc 2-cylinder making a lawnmower’s amount of horsepower. Needless to say, surfacing during the muscle car heyday, it was the people’s car that America didn’t want. Its weird little charm didn’t help it overcome Beatlemania, but if we’re being honest, it was a whole lot more reliable at least.

Image via Flickr by Crash71100 CC0 1.0
Image via Flickr by nakhon100 CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by peterolthof CC BY-ND 2.0
Image via Flickr by Rob CC BY-SA 2.0
Image via Flickr by kroshka-uk CC BY 2.0

I had the pleasure of one of these staring me in the face lately while I purchased a much more boring Honda. This tiny little track warrior claimed its fair share victories on the race track. It’s small stature and nimble handling made this underpowered cabriolet a vicious David to the Muscle car scene’s Goliath

Image via Flickr by Emran Kassim CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by Iwao CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by Moto “Club 4AG” Miwa CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by Jacob Frey 4A CC BY 2.0
Image via Flickr by Rex Gray CC BY 2.0

I put this and the Lamborghini Miura head to head for the most beautiful car ever made. A nerve-wracking endeavor for Toyota, this made its debut to the world in the James Bond film, “You only live twice” in a trim that it would never be sold in. 337 were all that were ever built, and 1 convertible for Mr. Bond.

PMC Skyline

Mazda Cosmo

Subaru 360

Honda S800

Toyota 2000GT

Responses

Join our Mailing list!