Wilkommen to the third and final part of the summer roundup of Tokyo’s CC scene. I don’t think the W123 would be in my top three classic Mercedes, but it’s certainly up there in terms of ubiquity. So much so that I will often let one slide – especially the more common saloon. But a coupé? That’s at least worth a snap.
This blue one was sitting just a few yards from its red colleague (along with a saloon, which I didn’t immortalize), all within the same lot. Someone has W123 fever.
I’m personally more partial to the wagon.
Even found a TD version – those are far from the majority here, where Diesels are not as popular as they are in Europe.
It’s impossible to capture all the W124s one sees in traffic here. But the cabriolet will warrant a quick pic, for sure.
Some folks use kei cars or scooters to get their groceries. Others get the W114 out.
On to the S-Class. This W140 failed its final exam…
This one, on the other hand, is a valedictorian. The license plate says it all: it’s a wide-body jet on wheels.
I’m almost certain we’ve seen this one before in a previous Singles Collection, but who’s going to complain if we see it again?
This colour suits the W111 coupé better, in my view. And I have a slight preference for the Euro headlights.
It’s interesting that Mercedes kept the ivory-coloured steering wheel for so long. I realize the W111 was about a decade old when this one was made, but that wheel seems to have come straight out of the early ‘50s.
The usual R107 contingent was present, of course. I can only see so many before I cave in and take a photo.
US market versions are by far the minority. Great to see both the regular and American one side by side like this.
Tasty little Pagoda, isn’t it? The BRG hue really suits it. First time I’ve seen a rear-mounted A/C like this on these.
It’s easy to forget that Mercedes-Benz has always been a top-tier van and truck maker as well. At least, top-tier until they made these Sprinters (1995-2006). Their propensity to rust became legendary. A few can still be encountered in Europe, but this is the only one I’ve ever come across in Japan. Incidentally, they were never called Sprinters here, as that name was trademarked by Toyota.
It’s not evident on the photos, but this Opel cabriolet looked abandoned and may be destined for the scrapyard in short order. In its native land, it would probably be salvageable.
Not sure where this belongs. I’m assuming there’s a VW flat-4 in there somewhere, so let’s just put it here.
Again, VW-adjacent but not quite the actual thing. This is a Canadian-made Intermeccanica Kübelwagen, a modern (circa 1995) re-creation of the Porsche-designed KdF Typ 82 made during the war.
The chassis and body are made by Intermeccanica from scratch, but the 1.6 litre engine and suspension are VW-sourced – albeit from a Mexican Fusca.
Just one (genuine) Beetle joining the party this time. We’ve seen it before, but it’s so nice it can come again anytime.
The A2 Golf, which is fairly common around here, is no longer on my radar, really. But this one was just so spotless, it had to be documented.
The only tell-tale sign that this is a 35-year-old vehicle is the condition of the bumpers, really.
And then I find this Jetta. Now this looks like it literally came off the showroom floor (via the BBS shop) last month. How do they do it?
The Porsche contingent was much smaller than usual, this summer. One the air-cooled front, I can only offer this distant passing shot of a 1964 356C. Better than nothing, eh?
On the other hand, this 968 was an absolute joy to behold. The dark purple colour was stunning.
Whatever happened to the 8 Series? This is maybe the third one I’ve seen in five years, which really isn’t a lot. Maybe they didn’t sell well over here. Or their reputation for being extremely expensive and complicated to fix might have something to do with it.
The Z8 is also a rare sight, but that’s normal – BMW made them that way. Yet I’ve seen more of these than I did the 8 Series.
Lucky catch. I was trying to find my way through the depths of the concrete jungle’s little side streets, and this 2002 comes barrelling down the road. Suddenly, for a split second, it was 1970.
Back to the year 2024. As a sort of intermission between the German and the British classics, the very first proper Chinese car I’ve seen in Tokyo. This is the Atto 3, launched in 2022 and available in Japan since March 2023. They’re he-ere!…
Last time I posted a DeLorean, there was a comment about it “not really being an American car.” It’s hard not to agree: Italian styling, French engine, British engineering and production – only John Z. and his (highly questionable) financing were from the other side of the Pond. So I’ll just park this one here.
Classic British cars come in two flavours: small roadster and peasant-crushing luxobarge. Let’s start small with a cute Forgeye Sprite and work out way up.
Caught this one before at the usual tree-lined avenue, but I might have discovered where it lives the rest of the time.
The Morgan fanbase is strong in Tokyo. This angle really works for me, too.
I noticed this one looked wider than usual when it pulled up. And sure enough, the emblem on the radiator said “Plus 8.” Serious wheels.
I do try not to trespass into parking garages, but this TR3 flashed its grille at me from within, so I had to come in and say hello. Just common courtesy.
Cool TR4 and all, but was the lemon yellow really a wise choice?
The additional front bumperettes and the side marker lights make this Spitfire a North American market model, probably a ’73. Nicely cared for, at least.
Here’s a little something for Mr Jim Klein (and Max). Nice colour, though it’s only a 2.5 litre.
Still can’t really get excited about the XJ40. I’m on the fence about the headlights. What do you reckon – the quads like here, or the composites? I used to favour the latter, but I’m no longer so categorical.
Rapides are one of the few modern cars I’ll stop and look at in the street. Especially in a darker colour like this one.
The new generation Ghost. I mean, they’re better-looking than the 2009-20 cars, but that’s faint praise.
That’s much better, Mrs Shadow II. They really should have stuck with this classic fascia.
I was a little slow to react on this one. It’s a dual-headlight car, so either a Silver Cloud I or II.
It’s amazing how Rolls almost killed off Bentley in the ‘60s and ‘70s, only to resurrect it with the Mulsanne and this Turbo R model in the ‘80s.
I caught this one and wrote it up a couple years ago. It’s a 1954 Bentley R with (nearly unique) two-door James Young coachwork.
This is the first time I’ve seen it in motion, as opposed to stuck under an overpass, where it usually resides. Looks a lot better out in the open air. Speaking of which…
A few minutes after the James Young coupé showed up, this…er… unusual machine arrived. “Private Bentley” reporting for duty? If you say so.
That’s a real Bentley straight-6 in there. The car was the subject of a vivid conversation, which was alas entirely incomprehensible to me. As was the very existence of this vehicle, in fact.
Again, much better this way, even if this was Bentley’s darkest hour. What we have here is a 1980 Corniche Series II cabriolet, the most expensive B-badged car money could buy at the time. Only a measly 29 were made between 1977 and 1984, versus about 1600 units of the Rolls-Royce equivalent.
Final entry for this edition, perfect expression of the heavy and steamy weather we had over the past three months here and the oldest vehicle I think I’ve ever caught in this country: a Mancunian locomotive dating back to 1898. This old gal was shipped over to Japan from new and used by Tobu Railways from 1899 to 1965, which coincidentally was just one year prior to the closing of the Gorton Foundry.
Hope you enjoyed this little tour of the Japanese capital. Next Singles Collection in January (probably).
I love that first green MB wagon with the white walls. Great looking car.
A few more pics down there was a light blue 2 door MB. Back in the early 2000’s I picked up a 1969 MB 280S in that same color. That was a really nice old car, but it was special ordered with no options other than the Thermo King A/C. No radio, no power features. Just the A/C, 4 speed manual, engine, 4 tires and that was about it. Although a fun little sedan to drive, it became tiring on our car cruises with no radio and a manual. So I sold it and replaced it with a 1987 Chrysler 5th Ave. Now that was comfort on those rides!
I assume you mean Mercedes Sprinter, not Vito.
That Bentley roadster is quite the piece of work. I assume it must have an automatic unless the shifter is very well concealed.
Right you are, that’s a Sprinter. Will amend the text.
The manual shifter on the Bentley, which cannot be seen in the pictures I took, is located on the right hand side of the car, but within the bodywork. It’s the reason for that odd bump right there.
That’s where I expected it to be as these were still right side shifters. But your shot of the interior doesn’t show it. Presumably hiding in the shadows.
The first Shinkansen (akak “bullet train”) went into service in 1964. The locomotive pictured above went out of service in 1965. Different gauges, so separate networks, but they ran in parallel for roughly a year. Wow.
Lovely to see all those elegant, classy Mercedes. In my mind current MBs are just normal cars – generic SUVs and yawn-inducing design language – where these go back to the time when a MB was something special.
My pick of the whole bunch was the 8-series BMW, strangely – I’m surprised at myself! Such a confident design that has aged very well.
Thanks for putting up these posts, always an absolute highlight of CC!
Max approves of your find(s), so thank you. I think I’m liking what looks like a 500E (or E500) spied through the window of the VW Golf. Although the silver VW Jetta is mighty attractive too, looking for all the world like a 16V GLI until you notice the chrome VW logo on the grille.
The W140’s problem has always been the wheels, they never look large enough for the body, perhaps the one car that could really actually benefit from a set of 20s or larger. The AMG one comes close but still not worthy of the whole cigar…
And lastly, your fine car dealer guy I think is now just posing his inventory in his front yard waiting for you to come by and snap them. They are displayed the way someone would display a 2011 Camry around here if they lived on a main thoroughfare with a plastic for sale sign, except I know your guy’s street is a quiet little pathway in the middle of a Tokyo neighborhood that would have me concerned about banging a flank’o’Bentley on a corner or two just getting it there…
Another nice set of pictures, in the 70s it was a thing to build Bentley specials on 40s and 50s MK6 Bentleys with rusty standard steel bodies when they were just old cars.
Their chassis were very sturdy and stiff and were often in excellent condition and mechanicals were very long lived. Those type of bodies were simple to construct in comparison to the closed saloon car body, not that fussed on them myself, too much of a 1930s pastiche. I seem to remember a famous Bently person Rivers-Fletcher was involved with a company that made some of them.
1960s Mercedes Coupe beautiful European headlights, so distinctive, or the US market stacked ones, no contest
With regard to the XJ40, I slightly prefer the composite headlights, but either way, I would say it’s the taillights and rear end that make the car. Much subtler lines than the Series III and its retro-styled successors.
License plate “5 07” on the Z8. Nice.