Japfest – Hunting Out the Classics
We ended up at Japfest, which was a large gathering of MX5s and Nissan 350Zs. But in amongst all the stickers and all the vaping, there were some interesting classic to be found.
May 11, 2019
For reasons we’re still not entirely sure of, we found ourselves at Japfest, a yearly gathering held at Silverstone that celebrates Japanese car culture. The majority of the tin on show was very much of the modern persuasion. More R35 Nissans, MX5s and 200SXs than you could shake a modified, day-glow, vaping stick at. Not really our bag, all told, though we do of course appreciate the passion and the effort that has clearly gone into the cars on display there.
The show is, if you’ve never been, gargantuan in scale. It takes up most of the available space at Silverstone, including the track itself. Thousands of cars and owners attend, as well as more than enough trade sellers with enough parts to pretty much build a car from the ground up. It’s a feast for the eyes and for the ears, especially if you like the ‘wub wub’ of a Subaru’s flat-four boxer engine.
But it wasn’t all modern stuff. There was a whole host of classic metal hiding in amongst the gratuitous stickers and worryingly large spoilers. And because we’re good to you, we made it our mission to hunt them out and show them to you. Old J-tin really is some of the coolest out there, as this little selection goes to show.
Nissan Skyline KPGC-10 ‘Hakosuka’
Arguably the daddy of all classic Japanese cars, this model was the first Skyline to be given the GT-R name. It started life as a four-door saloon, but in 1971 a two-door coupe was released for sale. Powered by a 160bhp DOHC engine, the original Skyline GT-R wasn’t powerful by today’s standards. However, the car was stripped extensively to make it light, and being ‘71, it wasn’t further weighed down by modern safety systems and, worryingly, crash protection. This was a raw, visceral car that was built for speed and nothing else. In just two years, the GT-R claimed 50 victories in competition.
The car we spied at Japfest was far from standard. Lowered to within an inch of its life and fitted with rear arch extensions and big alloys with competition tyres, it was an immediate attention-getter. But then, we love a purple car, so there was no way we were going to miss it!
Honda Prelude
This third-generation Honda Prelude from 1990 was a real treat, and in our eyes, done just right. When you’ve got a car as pretty as that, wheels and a subtle suspension drop are all you need to make it stand out.
What makes this generation prelude so special is the fact it was the first car to offer mechanical four-wheel steering. The idea was simple, in that the rear wheels would turn by a degree or two and thus improve cornering. It was a bold and expensive development for Honda. It hoped that it could get 30% of buyers to opt for the system, however, it was so good and so revolutionary that over 80% of Preludes sold were ordered with this feature.
Toyota Mark II GT Twin-Turbo
This was a bit of an oddity, and a rather amazing spot. The Mark II GT Twin-Turbo is a rare machine. How rare you ask? Well, only 200 were built with a manual transmission, which is what this car has. What you’re looking at here is the only one in the UK, that’s how rare. And it proves that the Germans aren’t the only ones with a history of building outrageously fast four-door saloons.
Toyota Celica ‘liftback’
The Toyota Celica is sadly no longer with us, having been killed off in its seventh-generation back in 2006. And that’s a shame, because for a long time the Celica was a hot commodity, seen as being a practical and handsome sportscar. This was never more the case than in the 1970s when the Celica ‘liftback’ was released. With sleek yet muscular lines, many have said that it bore more than a passing resemblance to a 1960s Ford Mustang fastback. And they’d be right to say so, as the Japanese have made no secret of their love for American styling. The Celica liftback gave buyers the chance to own something just a cool as the Mustang, but at fraction of the cost to both buy and run.
Daihatsu Hijet
Okay, not a classic in any sense, but we sort of fell in love with this Hijet, which has been renamed by the owner – it’s now a ‘Lojet’. Sitting low over white-lettered tyres under flared arches, we like it. It’s fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Interestingly, the Hijet has been around since 1960 and is still, in one guise or another, in production. It’s what’s known as a ‘kei’ van, or microvan. The kei category was created by the Japanese government in 1949, with the idea being lower tax, lower running costs, less pollution and greater manoeuvrability within compact Japanese towns and cities. In fact, on that note, there are even kei fire engines and ambulances!
Mazda 929 estate
The Japanese are no strangers to a big wagon, as this huge Mazda 929 goes to show. You could live in the back of it, such is the space. It was by no means penned to be an exciting car, more practical than anything. That’s interesting when you consider that you could buy a four-door pillarless version, an altogether more exciting and intriguing design. Furthermore, while this car has a conventional four-cylinder engine, the 929 was also available with a rotary, and was named the RX-9.
Subaru Impreza
When it comes to modern classics, few are as evocative as the Subaru Impreza, a car made famous thanks to its rallying exploits, most notably of those being the years during which Colin McRae was behind the wheel. But the Impreza wasn’t built as an out and out rally weapon. In fact, in Japan it was nothing more than a generic family saloon or estate, and came fitted with a slow and lumbering 1.6 petrol engine. It was only when the team at Subaru Technica International (hence the Impreza STI) breathed on it by fitting a turbocharged 2.0 flat-four engine that the car got its competition edge.
Mazda RX7 FC convertible
In a sea of modified metal, this utterly charming and original third-generation Mazda RX-7 convertible was a pleasant breath of fresh air. An obviously cared for example, it was evident that real effort had been put into preserving it. Honestly, put it in a showroom and it would look the part – we couldn’t see a single flaw or imperfection.
The FC, or third-generation RX-7 was the only version to be offered without a roof. It was also the first convertible to be offered with an integral windblocker, which was a panel behind the driver and passenger that served to stop air whipping up behind their heads. Clever stuff, and way ahead of the competition.
Fitted with a rotary engine, the RX-7 offered rev-hungry motorists a drive like nothing else. Happily, in the UK we were also treated to this model with a turbocharger, which made for quite the driving experience with the roof down!
Datsun 260Z
When you think of a classic Japanese car your mind immediately goes to the Datsun Z car, and rightly so. That long bonnet, the sharp lines, the rakish looks – it’s a hell of a machine. Introduced in 1969, the Z went on to be one of the most successful sports coupes ever built. It’s not hard to see why. It was affordable (relatively speaking), it was great to drive, it was unerringly reliable and it looked incredible. Plus, the straight-six engines were able to put their power through the rear wheels with ease thanks to fully independent suspension.
The car we found at the show has come a long way since being standard, but we have to admit, we like it. The deep banded steels are menacing, the arch flares make the car more muscular and the stripped interior clearly means business, though the bare metal seats are a bit keen!
Of course, we saw far more than the car we’ve talked about here, so enjoy the gallery below of the other classic and retro cars on display at 2019’s Japfest.
