For car nuts, there’s a lot to dislike about Toyota – they’ve done a lot to promote a kind of mainstream banality in cars you won’t see here, and even when they talk about building something interesting, it turns out boring. However, there are odd occasions when you can tell the board/committee/entity was not paying attention, and things like the Scion FR-S, Corolla XR-S, or MR2 sneak through the approval process. Perhaps it’s that one old guy who was on the 2000GT team, and his memory occasionally makes Toyota do something crazy. Like, for example, this 1989 Toyota MR2, now for sale for $2950 in San Diego, CA.
Archive for February, 2014
Japanese Classics – 1989 Toyota MR2
February 19, 2014Japanese Classics – 1970 Honda N600
February 19, 2014Having just covered Honda’s mainstream breakthrough (to borrow a term from the music industry), let’s look back at when they were that cool little indie band only your cool friends had heard of. Honda’s first release in the North American market, starting in Hawaii, was the N600, really more of a single than an LP. Running an air-cooled twin that could rev up to 9000rpm, its performance was unheard-of in a car, particularly one of its class. You can find this 1970 Honda N600 for sale for $2950 in La Mesa, CA.
FoMoCo Tuesday – 1962 Ford Taunus 17M
February 18, 2014One of the more unusual captive imports in the US (compared to Opels, for example) was the German Ford Taunus. The P3 version, built from 1960 – 1964, was influenced by the same design ideals as the contemporary Thunderbird and Lincoln Continental, and the similarities are particularly noticeable in the grill and headlights, as well as the side aspect. Engines ranged from 1.5 to 1.8 liters in displacement, and were good for a maximum 75hp. In spite of being mocked in the press as the bathtub Taunus, they enjoyed considerable success in the European market. Interestingly, both Henry Ford Jr. and Konrad Adenauer were present for the launch of this model. You can find this 1962 Ford Taunus 17M for sale for $750 in Ramona, CA.


