CC Outtakes: T87’s Singles Collection (October-December 2024) – Part 2: More Japanese Cars (Toyota & The Rest)

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– Posted on January 3, 2025

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Round two for the JDM stuff and we’ll start with the meat and potatoes (are rather rice and seaweed) of the matter: Toyota. These S130 Crown wagons are always a treat, and this one was especially tasty, with those fender mirrors and those old-fashioned hubcaps.

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Fugly wheels kinda let this one down, but I do like the quad headlights and the chrome bumpers.

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This Crown saloon had an interesting paint scheme going on.

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Can’t get enough of these Origins. Blue and silver ones are fine, but nothing beats black. Classy.

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White Century VG20s are uncommon, though this isn’t the first one I’ve caught. Looking pretty good, I have to admit.

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Starting to encounter a few more of these Cenutry SUVs around town. No cause for celebration, just reporting on facts as I see them.

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Amazing that the very same Toyota that produces the super-exclusive Century also made the dumpy Delboy. Great vans, but my God, that mug is about as unadorned and bulbous as they come.

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The 3rd gen (1982-89) HiAce van looks a little more substantial (and a lot less goofy) than the Delboy.

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There’s another HiAce van – this one is a late model Super Custom, I believe.

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The present-day HiAce, which has been in production for over 20 years at this point, remains a staple of Japanese roads. So if you want yours to stick out of the crowd, adding a Dodge face to the front end and loudspeakers to the roof might just do the trick.

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One rung below the HiAce was the MasterAce Surf, a higher trim version of the TownAce. This is an early model (1982-85) example.

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Back to the world of the four-door with a stunning Mark II Grande X70 (1984-88) formal saloon.

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The X80 (1988-92) hardtop is far more common, but a particularly well-cared for example like this one warrants a couple of snaps, surely.

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On the other hand, finding a T170 (1988-92) Carina in such a derelict state – and with Nissan hubcaps! – is also worth reporting.

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This obviously cherished E90 Corolla hatchback has an interesting body kit. Probably has an engine to match, too…

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But the Corolla of the Year Award should go to this E90 notchback saloon, found on the outskirts of the Railway Museum at Ōmiya. Apart from a broken parking pole, it was absolutely immaculate.

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It could have made for a fine stand-alone post, but I’ve already written one of these up. It’s not like they’re rare yet.

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Ditto the Sprinter Trueno AE86. So iconic that they are still seen on a daily basis, but the trick is to find a really good one for a CC post. This has been achieved, and one will be written up in due course. Just not this particular one, though it did have its merits.

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Let’s revisit that (rather disappointing) south Tokyo branch of Flex Auto Review we glanced at yesterday. Here’s the full forecourt lineup: yesterday’s R31 Skyline, a Supra, two MR2s and a Mark II wagon. Not exactly the Lane Museum.

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I don’t know about you, but the A60 Supra (actually a Celica XX, but that’s the same thing) would be my pick of the bunch.

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Here’s the Celica version, though for some reason this particular one is featuring massive US-style bumpers.

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I like these Z20 Soarers, but I hate venetian blinds – especially on cars. It does make some sense that one might want to protect the occupants from the sun, though. That greenhouse offers almost zero shade, unlike today’s claustrophobic cocoons.

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It was a good season for Sports 800 spotting. Better than most, even.

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It can be difficult to keep a mental list of individual sightings of a particular model, but I’m pretty sure this two-tone is one I had never seen up to now. Beautiful interior.

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This one, on the other hand, I’m pretty sure has had the honours of the T87 Singles Collection before. But then it’s so gorgeous, I’m ok with giving it another look-see if you are.

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The top Toyota of the post will have to be this 1600GT. Only about 2000 of these were made in 1967-68, so it’s a little less exclusive than the 2000GT it clearly sought to emulate, but still very rare.

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Here’s the heart of the matter: a standard Corona 1.6 litre engine reworked by Yamaha as a DOHC monster, mated to a 5-speed manual. Heady stuff!

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Of course, the Toyota 1600GT wasn’t the only game in town. The Isuzu Bellett GT could do all that for a cheaper price and arguably with better styling. And with four-wheel independent suspension, too.

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Only one other Isuzu sighting worthy of your attention during this fall season, in the inimitable shape of the Piazza Nero. Let’s move on swiftly to the eagerly-awaited Mitsuoka portion of the tour, shall we?

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OK, strictly speaking, this is not a Mitsuoka. It’s one of the three or four Princess ADO16 kits one could adapt on the Nissan K11 March. In spirit, it’s pretty close though, isn’t it?

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The cheap version of the Viewt, the Nadeshiko only has the pseudo-Jag body kit fitted to the front end, leaving the rear unmodified (apart from a token chrome bumper). Makes for a very odd profile.

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Drum roll, please: unveiling the brand-new 4th generation Viewt, live from the Mitsuoka showroom in central Tokyo! Still as gaudy as before, but with a completely new body (the Toyota Yaris XP210’s, to be precise), ready to carry on with 30 years of tradition. Humbling, isn’t it?

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On the Daihatsu side, just three entries – which is better than nothing, I suppose. It’s hard to pass by a Midget II and not photograph it.

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On the other hand, I see Esse kei cars fairly often, but never bothered to stop and snap – until I saw this one, that is. Seems the kustom krowd have finally run out of Skylines and Chasers. Now they’re practising their art on grandma’s Daihatsu. What a world.

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We enter the weird world of retro kei vans via the Daimler-infused Daihatsu Atrai Classic.

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I assume most generic retro kei trucks to be Suzukis, but I really have no idea. The little-seen T2 Transporter kei…

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…and what looks like a home-made Jeep “face” – how this could pass the shaken is beyond me.

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The Retro Kei Van of the Season Award goes to this fella, and credit for its discovery must go to the Right Honourable James “Junkyard” Klein, Esq. – extremely well spotted, Jim-san!

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One unequivocal Suzuki sighting was this lovely gen 1 Jimny. Great colour, too!

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Onwards to Subaru, with a few interesting Sambars for your consideration. This one represents the 5th generation (1990-99), the dawn of the 660cc era. Or at least it used to…

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Based on the 4th gen Sambar (1982-90), the Domingo deliberately added cladding and big bumpers to go beyond the rigid confines of the kei class. The engine is the Justy’s 1-litre 3-cyl., albeit located in the tail.

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This is a very early 3rd generation (1973-82) Sambar van, sporting pre-1974 kei license plates. These still had the 360cc twin used in earlier models, as well as in…

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…the inimitable Subaru 360, of course! I’m always amazed by how often I run into these. A true kei icon of the ‘60s.

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A very interesting find, as I don’t think this car was ever officially produced. This is a Vivio T-Top coupé (one of 3000 made), with the front mask and rear lights of the (Vivio saloon-based) Bistro Chiffon.

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It’s not all keis, of course. But big Subies like this sweet SVX are a little less readily observable.

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The coolest Subaru of the fall season was probably this 1989 Alcyone XT. It’s a VX, so it has the 2.7 litre flat-6.

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Few Mazda sightings, but quality is better than quantity, right? Autozam AZ-1s seem to be far more popular now than they ever were when new.

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And they are the epitome of both weird and cool. Quite a potent combination.

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Discretion, whether visual or audio, was not a high priority with the RX-7 to begin with. The owner of this one decided to take those down yet a few more notches. LOUD ENOUGH FOR YA?

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We’ll end the JDM part of this little roundup with the calming and dignified presence of a Prince Gloria Super 6.

Next week, our tour continues – three more parts to go, because there’s always a bit more imported stuff around.

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