The Best Japanese Classic Cars Were at the 2019 Monterey Car Week – Motor Trend

The Best Japanese Classic Cars Were at the 2019 Monterey Car Week – Motor Trend

This year marks the second annual Japanese Automotive Invitational, a celebration of Japanese classic cars presented by Infiniti in collaboration with MotorTrend at 2019 Monterey Car Week. The featured vehicles exemplified innovation, design, and performance originating from Japan’s rich and historically significant car culture. The automotive heritage on display connects the audience to the past icons of Japanese luxury, and it connects to the future of Japanese design at the Infiniti Pavilion.

Here are some of our favorites from the show!

1963 Prince Skyline

The elegant styling of this first-generation Prince Skyline, which is still impressive even by today’s standards, was designed by Italian car designer Giovanni Michelotti. Only about 60 units were produced from 1962 to 1663.

1984 Honda CRX Mugen

This is a first-generation (1984-1987) prototype test vehicle for Mugen performance parts. It has a Mugen-built modified engine and components. The engine is 1,488cc, with aluminum block and head, Mugen camshaft, valves, and springs with a Mugen-designed suspension.

1966 Nissan Silvia CSP311

A predecessor to the legendary Datsun 240Z, each Silvia CSP311 was hand-built to the customer’s specifications on a Fairlady chassis. The Silvia was in production from 1965 to 1968, and only 554 were made.

Among all the fascinating Japanese classic cars on display, this Silvia CSP311 earned the 2019 Japanese Automotive Invitational Medallion Award.

2000 Isuzu VehiCROSS

We featured this Isuzu VehiCROSS on our May 1999 cover and included it in our “Top 10 Sport Utilities” for its distinctive styling. The VehiCROSS was produced from 1997 to 2001.

1996 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 Spyder

According to the 3000GT V-R4 registry, this is one of 32 red cars produced for the 1996 model year. With 34,000 original miles, it was purchased from the 82-year-old original owner.

1972 Suzuki LJ20v

This 1972 Suzuki LJ20v is one of around 800 imported to the U.S. The first Suzuki 4×4 was also the first mass-production 4×4 in Japan’s domestic minicar category.

1969 Nissan R382

This Nissan R382 won the 1969 Japanese Grand Prix, which garnered a lot of public attention in the late 1960s. The mounted engine was the GRX-III, a newly developed 6.0-liter V-12 DOHC, generating more than 591 hp.

Source: https://www.motortrend.com/features/japanese-classic-cars-2019-monterey-car-week/

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