Honda USA Kicks Off 50th Anniversary Year

In 1959 Honda established a US subsidiary. They wouldn’t sell cars for another decade, but at the time they moved plenty of motorcycles. Now, a half century later, they’re the second best selling Japanese brand in America. On New Year’s Day 2009, Honda sent a 50-foot robot to destroy all humans kick off its 50th anniversary year at the Rose Bowl Parade. Today, they released this logo accompanied by not much else in terms of info. We’re hesitant to get too excited about...

09/01/2009

How Old is Your Car in People Years?

Does the passing of another year make you feel old? Well look on the bright side, it’s nothing compared to how your dog feels! But what about man’s other best friend, the automobile? Here’s an amusing and easy math problem to calculate how old your car would be if it was a person, courtesy of Blue Donut. Just take take your car’s mileage and divide it by its model year. That makes our JNC wagon (a 1986 Cressida with about 109,000 miles) 55 years old. Don’t feel...

02/01/2009

Happy New Year from JNC!

Wow, 2008 was a rough one. The broken connecting rod of bad loans punched a gaping hole straight through the engine block of the global economy. Across the board, carmakers’ sales plummeted by 30 to 40 percent, affecting any business even remotely connected to the auto industry. From the bankruptcy of aftermarket companies like Trust/GReddy to the utter collapse of magazines like Sport Compact Car and Turbo, no one was left untouched. We at JNC are feeling the crunch too, as potential...

31/12/2008

Hot Wheels Datsun 510 Recolor

Since Kev has gone toy crazy with JDM minicars and other assorted goods, we might as well continue the theme. Earlier this year we got all excited about how Hot Wheels was introducing a Datsun 510 in their 2009 lineup. They’re even recognizing the JDM name by calling it a “Datsun Bluebird 510″. Olskoolae71 recently informed us they were now appearing on store shelves (go out and get them!) and apparently it’s a popular enough model that a second version is already in...

31/12/2008

Honda Ends F1 Participation

We have always admired Honda for charging right into Formula 1 at a time when it barely made any passenger cars at all. That’s why it saddens us to hear that the automaker is pulling out of F1. Honda made the announcement yesterday, citing a faltering economy as the reason. Earlier this year, the Honda-supplied Super Aguri team also ran out of funds. Back in 1964, competing in a grueling, high-profile international racing series was a huge risk for an upstart Japanese automaker. But...

06/12/2008

Happy Thanksgiving and Honda Thanks Day

Each fall Honda Racing puts on something called Thanks Day at their Twin Ring Motegi complex. Any machine that has fought to bring home a checkered flag for Honda is honored, from MotoGP bikes to SuperGT NSXs to F1 cars. This year it took place on the November 24, just a few days before our Thanksgiving Day, but the weather didn’t cooperate, making it far too risky to run vintage F1 cars on the track. In past years, however, it was not a problem. Check out the 2007 Thanks Day in this...

27/11/2008

Hot Rod Nissan

If you’ve been to SEMA you know that the vast majority of vehicles are either classic American or new Japanese. Here’s one that manages to combine both: a ‘32 Ford Highboy powered by a VG30DE from a 1996 Nissan 300ZX with its accompanying 5-speed. Much of the running gear - spindles, brakes, hubs, diff, halfshafts - were also from a Z32, mated to a custom 5-link suspension. Follow the jump for a closeup of the engine. Which do you prefer, the hot rod Nissan or rat rod...

06/11/2008

Happy Halloween from JNC

It’s All Hallows Eve, the time during which ancient Gaels believed that the worlds of the living and the dead merged for one night. Treats for all those bringing back a long forgotten nostalgic from the dead, and nothing but tricks to those who would send them to the crusher. We’re not sure what the story is with this two-tone Were-Mazda RX-4, but beware! Apparently it can keep it’s lycan form even when there’s no full moon out. You can see more awesome photos of it and...

31/10/2008

How ‘Bout Some Dodge Colt, Forty-Five?

Don’t you hate wasting good alcohol when tippin’ a 40? The solution: start out with a Colt 45 for an extra five ounces. For JNCers who live overseas, Colt 45 is an American brand of malt liquor that, due to its cheapness, is far more popular as an ironic pop culture reference than an actual beverage. The brewers, though they would never admit it, obviously got a lot of mileage in name recognition because Colt 45 sounds suspiciously similar to the name of a popular .45 caliber...

16/10/2008

Harmonizing Over the Bluebird Coupe

Another great ad from 60s Japan, this time for the Datsun Bluebird Coupe. While the song is not as catchy and seemingly of a different era as the Maruzen Oil ad, it gets the point across: “Big power, dynamic power, after your heart!”

17/09/2008

Honda Z600 Coupe Sets Bonneville Record

Microcars are on a roll! First a duo of Subaru 360s finishes 1-2 in their class in the Liége-Brescia-Liége, and now a Honda Z600 has broken the 600cc class land speed record at Bonneville Speed Week. We first came across Evil Tweety last year when we pitted it in a hypothetical Blaze of Glory Deathmatch against jet- and ‘Busa- powered Z600s. JNCers, including Evil Tweety’s own driver Eric Burns, voted for JETBOY as their chariot into the afterlife, but that was before anyone knew...

26/08/2008

Hint Hint, Nissan: Another Retro Datsun Design

Here’s yet another unofficial rendering of neo-240Z. This one has actually been floating around the web longer than yesterday’s Iacoski design, and designer Lars Mårtensson has done his homework. It remains incredibly faithful to the design of the original Z (though we could do without the side scoop) and should have no problem taking its place among other successful retro designs like the Ford Mustang, 2010 Camaro, Toyota FJ Cruiser and VW Beetle. Plus, it’s gorgeous! With...

21/08/2008

Have a Nice Civic Holiday, Canadian JNCers

We’d just like to take some time out to wish our neighbors to the north an enjoyable, relaxing Civic Holiday. So grab a Molson and kick back, eh? Cheers, Canadian JNCers!

04/08/2008

Honda Super Cub’s 50th Anniversary

Honda held a ceremony in Tokyo yesterday to celebrate a half century of the Super Cub motorcycle, which went on sale in August, 1958. Although its engines have grown in size and technology, the basic design of the bike has remained the same. The Super Cub has been sold in over 160 countries and in April, Honda sold its 60 millionth unit. Clearly, it holds the record for best selling motorcycle of all time. The Super Cub was exported to the States in 1959 and gave Honda a foothold into the...

23/07/2008

Happy 4th of July, Part II

We have failed you. How could we have forgotten the most famous (and most likely, only) example of a vintage Subaru painted like Old Glory? Well, our lame excuse is that we don’t get to watch much TV. Luckily, Jalopnik is posting pics of flag-themed cars like there’s no tomorrow, so here’s the BRAT from My Name Is Earl. Eat it, Union Jack-themed Jaguar! Happy Independence Day again! [IMCDB via Jalopnik]

04/07/2008

Happy 4th of July & Nostalgic Hot Wheels

Since we’re celebrating the birth of our great nation today, we thought we’d mention one of the most American things around, Hot Wheels. It’s probably safe to say that any red-blooded American who didn’t grow up playing with these small metal cars is likely some kind of terrorist. Since their debut in 1968, they’ve fueled the dreams of many a car nut, and this year is their 40th anniversary. We had hundreds of them - still do - and we’re happy to bring you...

04/07/2008

Honda Civic, One-Make Racing Since ‘81

We all know that Hondas provide some of the best deals in cheap motoring fun, and Honda Japan knows this too. It’s been sponsoring a one-make race series in Japan since 1981, when the second-gen Super Civic debuted. From then on, some generation of Civic - Wonder, Grand, Sports, Miracle - has been the HOA (Honda One-Make Racing Association) chariot of choice until 2002 when the Integra took over. But with last year’s return of the Civic Type R, the old warhorse is taking center...

26/06/2008

H is for Honda, Hot Wheels, and Happy Childhood

We’re not sure how we became unhealthily obsessed with automobiles, but having kind parents who bought us Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars probably helped. It’s hard to believe that the little metal furniture scratchers will be 40 years old this year, but it’s true. And to celebrate, Mattel issued a Designer’s Challenge to stylists from actual car companies to come up with vehicles that represent the spirit of Hot Wheels. We first saw them at the SEMA show last November,...

30/05/2008