The 130 Collection is run by Endless, a leading brake company
A 19-year-old female racing driver, Rami Sasaki, who loves old cars, visits the Endless 130 Collection Museum in Sakuho-machi, Nagano Prefecture, to find out what kind of cars attracted the 21st century-born car enthusiast to this museum.
The museum is the fulfilment of the late Isao Hanazato’s long-held dream
What is the 130 Collection anyway? Let me briefly introduce it again. It is a facility opened in March 2021 by ENDLESS, which develops and manufactures parts such as brakes and suspensions in-house and is also involved in motorsports activities with its own team.
This facility has a café, a museum with a collection of vehicles on display, and a racing garage where race cars are maintained. The cars on display are not only those that Endless has used in motorsport activities, but also a collection of old cars that were collected by the late Isao Hanazato, the founder and chairman of the company. The opening of the 130 Collection was Isao Hanazato’s dream for many years.
Based on Isao Hanazato’s belief that “a car is only valuable if it runs”, the old cars on display here have been restored to running condition and are dynamically preserved.
The café is authentic and easy to stop by during a drive
The café is also very special. There are several types of coffee to choose from to suit your taste and mood. The sweets are not ready-made, but made on-site. In addition, some of the menu items can be printed with photos you bring in yourself (and of course, you can eat them) using a food printer. Rami chose cheesecake and had her S30 “Fairlady Z” printed by City Auto, which had taken over her Toyota “86”, her personal car.
“It’s creamy and delicious! It’s not too cheesy or quirky, so I think it’s easy for all kinds of people to eat!”
In addition, Endless’ hidden favourite product, the delicious “MX72 cookie”, is crushed and spread under the cheesecake. According to Rami, they are a good match for the cheesecake.
In addition, Endless-related goods are sold in the café space, and photos of cars equipped with Endless parts and active in the motorsports scene are on display. For car enthusiasts, the café space alone is enough to enjoy. There is also a turntable outside, where, for a fee, you can turn your car and take photos.
Race-spec B110 Sunny “has a nice empty interior vibe!”
Now, let’s take a look at some of the old cars on display that particularly appealed to Rami. Incidentally, visitors to the 130 Collection can also open the doors, sit on the seats and try out the steering wheel of the cars on display. Feel free to ask a member of staff for more information.
On the day of the interview, “My favourite! She was enthusiastic about the racing-spec Nissan B110 “Sunny”. As a racing driver, she is probably strongly attracted to cars that have the circuit as their habitat.
“I like it the best of all the cars I saw today, but I also have a strong feeling of “I want to drive this car!” I also have a strong feeling of ‘I want to drive this car!’ In terms of looks, I still like these over wings! I like the empty inside and the racing car feel. Also, when I test-drive old cars recently, I feel that the long shift lever extending from the simple centre tunnel around the old car gives it a distinctive atmosphere. This is another point I like about the interior of old cars, and Sunny makes it stand out even more.”
This Sunny is a TS race-spec car, which was a big hit at Fuji Speedway and other tracks in the 1970s. Restored to show car quality, the TS-specification Sunny is a car that combines beauty with the unique motorsport atmosphere of the era.
