Welcome to what will hopefully be the last part of this triptych. Indeed, were it not the final instalment, the very notion of triptych might well be in jeopardy. Let’s start with the MGs, why don’t we. A nice one like this B roadster does make for an eye-catching title pic.
But what some folks do with their Bs can be a little unconventional. You want that red with that grey, really? And sans bumpers? And those… ahem… duct-taped headlight covers?
Not really convinced, if you couldn’t tell. Ah well, there are plenty of those in original or near enough decent nick to sacrifice the odd volunteer.
The same ailments (minus the hardtop, mercifully) seem to have befallen this poor Midget.
But this one escaped its fate… for now…
First TF sighting in Tokyo! Excellent example, as one might have expected.
I don’t normally bother with Caterhams, but this one was quite old (23 at least) and the pics were decent enough. A local kei-engined variant is making a killing these days.
I guess we’ll get into the Lotus part of the seminar now. Lots of encounters – there are many Lotus lovers in this town.
The early model S4 Esprit’s odd rear spoiler, planted on the rear window (and rendering it near useless), was gone by 1995, making the late ‘90s Esprits and V8 Esprits quite the looker.
Of course, one may prefer the S3’s more origami early ‘80s feel. The somewhat brutish silver Lotus wedging its way past a horde of crimson Alfa spiders. It’s those little moments you live for.
A pair of Elans to keep Lotusing about. BRG is a favourite colour of mine on these.
As explained in previous episodes, I chanced upon a classic car rally going by on a rather dreary (but quite fruitful!) December Sunday. So you’re going to see a lot of this crossing.
A new Europa enters the fray. Never seen a dark blue one before. I like it better than the JPS black and gold.
The 2-Eleven is not a rival convenience store, it’s the hardcore Exige-based street-legal racer of some people’s dream back in 2007-11. Very few people, as it turned out.
Lotus are still around, lest we forget. They are now selling dolled-up Geely electric SUVs made in China, but they still have a more traditional British-made offering in the Emira seen here. Produced since 2022, this is to be the final ICE model of the marque. This is the first time I’ve typed this sentence, but it surely won’t be the last.
In Thailand, where I am presently writing this, there are a fair few of these later model London cabs around. Not so many in Japan, except the odd one…
Frogeye Sprite alert! Frogeye Sprite alert! Notify the Man from A.U.S.T.I.N immediately.
Where Austins go by, Morrises are not far behind. Even Minor ones.
Timmmmberrrrr! Get your strictly ornamental but still-a-pain-in-the-neck-to-keep-in-decent-shape timberrrrrr! For your Mini wagon, good sir. Trust me, it’ll be iconic.
I guess the Mini itself was the icon. Still is, flying the Union Jack in front of a parade of Jags. Amazing.
Not sure what to say about the first one. Letting that one slide.
After seeing so may Mitsuokas, one tends to forget what a beautiful design the Mark 2 Jag was.
That night blue ’63 was probably the best of the bunch.
Less keen on the white. Makes Jags look a bit more louche, or like a miniature wedding car. But it looks like it’s attracted a throng of E-Types in its wake.
Lots of them, in fact a little too much for my imperfect camera work. The lack of natural light meant a higher number of blurry results.
Pop quiz: what was the first 100% badge-engineered Daimler model? The 1967-69 Sovereign, based on the Jaguar 420 (itself a slightly bigger S-Type). Around this time, the Daimler V8 sighed its last and the Majestic Major was replaced by the (Jaguar-based) DS420 limo.
Lucky I saw all those Jags at that Ginza event, because all I found otherwise was this XJS cabriolet. Not that it’s not a fine car, but…
There was also the back end of a Daimler Double Six on offer. Can’t complain about that.
That’s a well-groomed Princess, that is. And a genuine one, too. That’s not always a given in Japan, is it?
A couple of Morgans for your viewing pleasure. Looks turn of the century to me, but which century and which way did they turn?
If that license plate is any indicator, this would be a ’77.
Aaaah! At last, the reassuringly datable narrow-mouth TR3 (1955-57).
Classic Astons are few and far between, so sometimes, the more recent ones have to get a turn. Especially when they come in pairs.
Waiting to find a Rapide out by the curb, someday… They are around, it’s just a matter of luck.
I found a rather vague production number of “about 3000 units” made from 2010 to 2020 – many of them manufactured in Austria by Magna-Steyr at the start of the model’s life. Quite a let-down for Aston, who were banking of 1000 units per annum. But what a car.
Not nearly as complete a failure as the Cygnet, though. With fewer than 800 made, it’s one of the least popular Aston of the new Millennium.
This is the second one I’ve caught in this city. Perhaps the Toyota-ness of the vehicle gives it a certain appeal over here.
Bentley made 73 Continental SCs from 1998 to 2000 – including 25 in RHD like this one. It’s essentially a Continental R Coupé with a glass roof. The panels above the driver and front passenger can be removed, giving it a bit of a sedanca de ville feel.
Guess we’ve only got the Rollers to go. Corniche II, if I remember correctly.
Were earlier Japanese market Silver “Spur-its” sold here with US-style sealed beam quads, or was this one imported later from there? Nearly all of the Spirits and Spurs I’ve seen here had Euro-style lights, but you never know.
Kind of like this one. Even for a Tokyo Rolls, it was really immaculate.
We’ve seen both of these lovelies individually, I believe. On the right, the 406 was the last Bristol with the legacy BMW 6-cyl. engine, upped to 2.2 litres. This one is a 1960 model, as was the one I wrote up a couple years ago. The slightly boxier 410, made eight years later, had a 5.2 litre Mopar V8. It will have its day on CC at some point, too.
Could only get tail shots on that one, but what a tail the P1800 has.
Volvos are popular in this country, and 240s are the classic Volvo one sees almost every day. Most (like 9 in 10) are late ‘80s/early ‘90s wagons, so this was a pretty nice surprise. I’m thinking 1981 or 82, but I’m no expert.
Better lighting conditions would have made for a decent CC post. Some other time, some other place?
Let’s transition to the German contingent via the rear engine with this autumn’s air-coolest of the bunch, the one, the only Porsche 356 C.
Ok, so it wasn’t the only. Ah well. Question, though: given the choice, would you rather have this, the last and arguably best version of the 356, or a 1949-50 coupé that would showcase the original design, but be perhaps less user-friendly?
Ah, but then, there is the 912. Serious salivation on this one – as far as I’m concerned, good 9-series Porsches are old 9-series Porsches. The ‘80s weren’t kind to that shape.
Good thing the older air-cooled 911s are often on the menu, on these little Sunday jaunts.
This one was on some other rally-type event recently. Or on its way there.
We’ll end it on a fine little 911 Targa – a ’71, if the license plate is any hint.
Tad of a fumble on that rear shot, but what an impressive restoration. Worth it on a Beetle that old, of course (Please insert MY here: 19 _ _ ).
A little more recent, but still a whopping _ _ years young (Please fill in)! Another higher end restoration.
Rudolf the Flat-Four Reindeer here claims it’s from 1967 – what do we reckon?
I respect the venetian blinds as a 100% period-perfect aftermarket item, but I hate them. There, I said it. Fussy, ugly and obtrusive. Love the rest of the car, though. Of course.
It was getting dark when this Squareback came into view. A wee bit fast for my camera to focus properly.
Lovely Golf 1 cabriolet – looks a lot like a rather early model, too. Hope to see it again.
Onwards to the Mercedes chapter – always a long one, this. Kicking things off with the SLs. Couldn’t decide which Pagoda pic to use, so went with both.
Yes, there will be 107s. There always are, aren’t there? They just cannot be ignored.
C107s are always more intrinsically interesting, being rarer. And (to my eyes) prettier than the roadster.
Another fine 450 SLC, this time from Bangkok.
Quite a find, as older cars have rarely led an easy life in Thailand. Someone must love this one very dearly.
Mercedes’ decision to make a 4-cyl. roadster SL – something they never reiterated, as far as I know – was inspired. And the 300SL also inspired it, of course.
The amount of W124s in daily Tokyo traffic means one must be a little drastic in selection criteria. An incredibly clean jet black coupé? Yeah, that’ll make the cut.
I had forgotten that W124s were also pretty ubiquitous in Bangkok. But over here, the 220 was the more usual find — a model never seen in Japan, where the 300 is a minimum.
Must do a proper W116 post one of these days. I found a good one not too long ago that would illustrate things quite nicely. This one only had but a couple of angles to work with, but I like them in this colour.
Assuming the license plate is the original one, this W114 would be a 1970-73 model. Fun Mercedes-Bends math trivia: these traded their 2.5 litre for a 2.8 in 1970, but kept the “250” badge. But the higher trim 280 also existed. Go figure.
Same deal with the V8-engined W111 two-door: they kept the 280SE on the decklid (and on the grille, for this particular one!) regardless.
As advertised in yesterday’s edition, the sole semi-decent capture I could manage of a (very rare) W180 Ponton 220S coupé.
The Ponton coupé shared a small forecourt with about six other vehicles, the dominant one being this beast of an Unimog.
Final chapter: the BMWs. We have to start small. Like 4-cyl. E30 small.
Let’s add a green cabriolet to balance out that red four-door.
Don’t know why that circa 1968-72 red 2002 has those wart-like repeaters (at least, that’s what they look like). Maybe a requirement for Japanese market cars for a couple years. Or a slightly modified US model imported more recently?
Let’s finish on a high with one of the best shapes of the ‘60s, first in its later, beefier years as the 3.0CSi.
And we come to the end of our little tour with a 2000 C Automatic – one of only 3250 made between 1965 and 1969. Most people, I think, prefer the later 6-cyl. cars, with their more conventional nose. But I am firmly in the minority on this one: these earlier cars are much better, in my eyes.
Yes, they’re a bit odd, but I really think the design looks more coherent that way.
Well, that’s it for yet another edition of the T87 Singles Outtakes. We’ll see if this feature will continue in the same fashion for 2024, as the amount of time these take to make is consequential.
Surprised by the number of whitewall tyres on the Jaguars and other European cars shown here.
Whitewalls were always very rare in the UK, really the great majority of European cars look better with blackwalls and especially British ones. Its a bit like an older woman wearing too young clothes
The Esprit works for me, and if a Brit “supercar” were to be welcomed to the stable it’d be hard to decide between an early origami Turbo, a late massaged body V8 or just a late 2000’s A.M. V8 Vantage instead as the only “affordable” option from the lads at (now) Gaydon.
Lots of lovelies on parade again there, thanks for compiling this.
I like how the Caterham driver appears to be wearing a tweed jacket and an English-looking flat cap. That seems like the best way to pull off driving a Caterham. And even the drivers in the British car rally don’t seem to be going that far.
For some reason, I thought that all Daimler Double Sixes from the 1980s came with the multi-holed “pepperpot” wheels, instead of the more common XJ wheels. But looking it up, it seems like this one here isn’t the only example.
Looking at that big parking lot ding on the Corniche’s rear fender, I can’t imagine how horrified the owner was to discover that. Probably not a cheap repair.
I’m somewhat thankful that I’ve never seen a Volvo in that yellow-green color.
And I’ll end here by expressing my admiration for those 450SLCs – one of my favorite, and overlooked, Mercedes models.
Oh, and finally, I can’t help but wondering – do you ever put your camera down? You have more photographs in a month than I take in a few years!
“Oh, and finally, I can’t help but wondering – do you ever put your camera down? You have more photographs in a month than I take in a few years!”
T87 has a bionic eye. When he blinks it snaps the shutter. It’s why he moved to Japan, the Japanese are wizards at miniaturizing photo stuff. 🙂 Downloads are via neural network and retina scan into a laptop dongle. Sort of a bidirectional thing. We’d have it here too but there’s a tariff.
Ha! I believe it!
Good lord – a third 450SLC fancier in the world! I have misspoke below.
We shall form a tiny but defiant band against those crass Beverly Hills trinkets, the SL’s, and their legions of tasteless supporters. (I may well rust out before the battle is concluded, but shall always be with you in spirit – probably smelling like 20W-40 burnt past leaky seals into a combustion chamber, I shouldn’t wonder).
From the depths of my brain, I seem to remember that it was Mercedes’ US importer (Maybe Max Hoffman?) who instigated the 190SL 4-cylinder, and primarily for the US market. The 300SL was much more expensive and had a limited market.
Nice, nice pics! And I LOVE Unimog’s!
Anyone able to “year” the two “early V dub’s”?
The Oval is a 56/57, the next one is a 58/59 .
-Nate
I quite agree about the 2000C Beemers. They are a very delicate yet sharp-edged design, and it does suit for the face to have a sort-of stiletto menace about it (though they later made more popular use of it when they flipped it over and stuck on the original Z3). Alas, for all the CS’s, that aesthetic delicacy was given physical embodiment when Karmann apparently confused the drawing instructions with a sauerkraut recipe and brined each body in a seawater tank before painting.
I agree too about the R107’s, namely, that the SLC is the better-looking car, perhaps making us a minority of two against the world. The shape is just too squashy and heavy and serious for a SWB two-seater, with the hardtop ending (to my never-ending chagrin) past the rear wheelarch. The enlengthening solves a host of ills, and I think the coupe is rather glamorous, though it’s possible I confuddle that glamourosity with the childhood knowledge of the rarity and stupendous price of them back then.
May the light always shine upon your Leica, may the road rise before you to a hidden nirvana of cars, and may your view of the new year be filled with images for the taking so that ours may be later taken with their viewing.
And thank you Prof T, retrospectively for your prodigiousiosity thus far, and prospectively for the bounteousness you will undoubtedly provide for our feasting in 2024.
The green Volvo is interesting, it has the flatter but not totally flat hood of mid/late ’80s cars despite being a color that screams late ’70s/early ’80s. Maybe lime green sold better in Japan than the US and wasn’t dropped from imports?
Assuming original trim pieces, the black VW is a ’55-57. The “bullet” turn signals were only used on Bugs those years and only for certain export markets (US and Canada got them) while German-spec cars still had semaphores.
The first light-blue one is a ’58. First year for the big back window (and bigger windshield/new dash) but carrying over the oval-style steering wheel; the dished style used into the ’70s was first seen on ’59s.
Nosir ! the dished steering when with chrome half ring horn push as the 1960 model and it had a 60/61 only specific wheel and half ring .
I appreciate the interior images of this 58/59 as they’re showing the not -quite- as factory repop door panels only made by one company, I’m planning to order in a set this year for my ’59 .
-Nate
Tatra-san, thank you for taking the time to do this series. I very much enjoy them, both the cars and the settings they are in. However I do understand the effort it must take to pull these together and I will be happy with whatever you can provide.. Happy New Year to you and your family.
A louche Jag? Jag’s were always louche in the Fifties and Sixties, driven by chaps you wouldn’t want your daughter to accompany, always at speed with screeching brakes. Compared to the rather sad pig like SUV’s currently burying the name or the forthcoming overpriced Bentley wannabee, give me louche every time.
Once again I am amazed at the extent of your carspotting, Tatra-san. It’s probably just as well I’m not over there in Tokyo; I’d never get any work done. I’d spend all my time wandering the streets, lanes, and carparks, just carspotting! You must be so disciplined….
As regards the Mark II Jag in white, remember white was way less common on cars back in the mid-sixties, and seemed more ‘modern’ than a maroon, grey, or (shudder) black. Seeing any Mark II was an Event (well, in Australia, anyway), and nobody would have thought to use any Jag as a wedding car. But I take your point; in 2024 it does look like a mini-wedding car. I’m trying to remember the colour of the one my family doctor had back then – think it was white.
And I side with Justy on that lovely 2000C. The front end detailing is lovely with those headlights, and the almost-grilleless look takes it away from stereotypical BMW coupe (almost a yawn) to Wow! Must be murder to clean the bugs off the sheetmetal though. There’s certain delicacy the later cars lose in favour of muscularity.
Oh, I could comment of everything. I’d better go! 🙂
Those MGB headlight covers are from MGBHive; what looks remarkably like duct tape is actually the alloy brackets that come with the kit. There are better solutions out there should one so choose. Quite agree re the BMW 2000C too, the earlier nose is quite delicious!
You talk a lot of shit for not knowing much. Japan is full of british car enthusiasts and they tend to modify their cars in the styles of period racing. Especially factory works type stuff. You didnt even look closely enough at the “duct taped headlight covers” to see that theyre styled after the sebring mgbs (along with lots of other racing-inspired details like the missing bumpers, roll bar, and motolita steering wheel). I’ll bet that hardtop was recently purchased from a fellow enthusiast and is probably going to be matched to the paint on the rest of the car, or painted white.