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CLASSIC
‘Life’ Is a Barter: Exchanging a Bottle of Sake for a Honda
The current prevalence of AT vehicles in Japan is said to be 98%. Mr. Iwamoto, who owns a 1973 Honda Life, is said to be one of the rarest AT cars in existence. We asked him about the episodes with his Life, which he has owned for 35 years even though it has suffered countless problems.
Craft of Adaptation: The Nissan Crew’s Journey from Taxi to Drift Car
The Nissan Crew debuted in 1993 as the successor to the Nissan Laurel (C32) and Bluebird (910) as a dedicated taxi model. The key feature of this model was the enlarged opening dimensions and maximum opening angle of the left rear door, to enhance its convenience as a taxi. Later 1994, a private-use model, the Crew Saloon, was introduced.
Journey of Inheritance: The Story of a Father-Son Defender
Mr. Funayama owns a soft-top version of the Land Rover Defender 90, released for North America. It is one of the few soft-top versions in the US, and even rarer when re-exported outside the US. How did he come to acquire such a Defender?
Rarity of Passion: The Story of a Unique Toyota Sprinter Trueno
The Toyota Levin and Trueno were the hot models of the Corolla and Sprinter, respectively. The only popular generations were the fourth generation AE86 models, known as "Hachi Roku", or the first generation TE27 models, which were accepted by enthusiasts as old cars. A rare second-generation TE47 Toyota Sprinter Trueno was spotted in an event venue. We spoke to the owner Mr. Akihisa Kaneko about his car.
Passion of Preservation: The Story of a Legendary Daihatsu Collector
At a classic car event, we found a Daihatsu Midget with a huge collection of miniature cars and other goods lined up inside. We thought this collection was something out of the ordinary, so we approached the owner, Mr. Ryoichi Ohashi. He is a collector of Daihatsu Compagno Berlina and Compagno Spyder, and who is well-known in the classic car world.
From Scruffy to Stunning: Witness the Resurrection of the Isuzu Florian Aska
A 1983 Isuzu Florian Aska LS 2.0 Turbo was in surprisingly clean condition at the "Famous Cars Gathered on the Miura Peninsula @ Soleil Hill Presented by Revival CAFE" held on December 3, 2023. We spoke to the owner in detail.
Mitsubishi Debonair at 60: A Reflection on Luxury and Longevity
It was 60 years ago, in 1964, that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (at the time) launched the Debonair as a luxury car. Since then, the car had a long life of 22 years until 1984, and was called "a running coelacanth".
Stars of the Past: Daihatsu Charmant and Its Era
Daihatsu entered into a business alliance with Toyota in 1967, working together to develop a new four-wheel passenger car brand. In this issue, we look back 40 years ago, in 1974, at the first-generation Charmant, a high-end compact car developed independently by Daihatsu based on the second-generation Corolla, from the catalog of that time.
