Simply Japanese – Pearls in the New Forest

The National Motor Museum is set in Beaulieu, Hampshire and we’re delighted to say this is the venue for this week’s event report. The ‘Simply’ series of events has made a name for itself on the grounds of the museum complex as a lively and charming venue amid the breathtaking splendour of the New Forest and much like last year’s do, this year’s Simply Japanese gathering was no exception.

Aside from the draw of the museum, the themed car events that have been taking place for over 10 years have proved to be a massive draw for the venue, one of which is the Simply Japanese event held this year on the 23rd of July.

Created to capitalise on the interest in Japanese cars, the event opens its arms to a wide span of vehicles of all ages. It has become an event that attracts car clubs as diverse as the vehicles themselves. This includes accommodating sports cars, people carriers, off-roaders, vans, and the humble family hack. While the modified scene is very much the heart of the event, plenty of standard and classic cars are encouraged to attend too.

Well known for their reliability and build quality, Japanese cars, along with their wide variety of appealing configurations for every type of buyer, their popularity, particularly in the UK has been consistently high. The Japanese car is truly established in the show scene today, guided by their owner’s interest in Japanese culture, motorsports and the social aspects of their vehicles. Around 50 clubs were in attendance, along with an estimated 1,500 cars parked across the site, the turnout genuinely appears to be the best yet.

There were a handful of familiar cars and faces to Car & Classic, one of which was Tony’s duo of Toyotas. We covered Tony’s cars in the Retro Rides events, but it’s worth adding that his Greece-sourced Publica van, which he bought as an estate and converted himself, is now running with a 5-speed gearbox and uprated axle. This makes cruising much more comfortable and he’s now happier to take it on longer runs.

A regular at motor racing circuit track days is this C230 Datsun Laurel. It would have started life with a 2.0-litre, but the owner clearly had plans for it, as it’s now being powered by a BMW V8 engine. Commonly seen when new as a taxi, bigger Datsuns couldn’t quite match the sales figures of the smaller models, as buyers tended to prefer the supposed prestige of European 2.0-litre cars. However, those that did experience the Laurel and its bigger sister, the 280C, seen here in JDM-only coupe form will attest that these low-revving, smooth-riding cars were comfortable and effortless cruisers.

The main tarmac area also housed this restored 810 Series Datsun 180B. The third generation of Bluebird to be imported into the UK, the car was a direct competitor to the Ford Cortina. Available as a saloon and coupe, the estate version is likely to be the hardest-to-find model today so it was a genuine thrill to see it nestled amongst the newer Subarus and Celicas. It has seen extensive bodywork since we last saw the car but still sporting a set of 180B SSS coupe wheels.

Nestled down at the bottom of the Datsun pecking order is the Cherry F-II. Badged in Europe as the 120A, it is the second generation of the model, which was heavily based on the original carrying over the same engines and much of the drive train. The styling was distinctive even by 1970s standards, but the logic behind the recessed headlamps and body contours was motivated to make the car look bigger – a genuine factor for the domestic Japanese market sales where bigger-looking cars elevated the status of their owners.

As the UK’s biggest Japanese importer of cars, it’s no surprise to see that Nissan who marketed their cars as Datsun up until 1984, was the most dominant classic car maker at the Simply Japanese event. There were plenty of examples of their products in attendance, including this first-generation K10 Micra. Nissan’s first supermini arrived in Europe in 1982 and instantly struck a chord with buyers. Incredibly forgiving to drive, with tough engines and plenty of kit, the Micra was a very successful import in the UK, despite tough opposition in the form of the Fiat Uno, Peugeot 205 and Renault 5.

The fielded areas were shared out amongst the clubs, who grouped together the best examples of local members’ cars. It’s always interesting to observe the changing demographics of certain cars once collectability is achieved. The best example of this is the Mazda MX-5, a car that has always attracted a level of interest, ranging from older drivers replacing their MGs and Triumphs, along with the JDM culture-orientated followers, who also appreciate the sharp driving manners and balanced styling. A modern classic in every sense of the word, the MK2 and MK3 examples are following the MK1’s desirability and appear to be worthwhile investments.

It’s not just Mazda that understood the ability to package a compact sports car with a driver-oriented focus. Toyota’s development of the mid-engined MR2 has also established itself as a car worthy of the modern classic tag. While Japanese cars have long been associated with quality, Toyota often ranks as one of the best in the world. A remarkable feat for a brand that is known for its huge yearly output. The MK1 MR2 was created during an era when Toyota spent millions to finesse driver dynamics, and as a result, the MR2 did much to help overhaul its conservative image.

Like Toyota, Honda has proved itself as a contender of cars that people buy for their longevity, and again it’s not unusual to see 25-year-old examples still serving their original purpose as dependable transport. This is demonstrated by Kirsten and Ian’s unique 1972 air-cooled Honda 1300 coupe. Rooted in the Honda philosophy of engineering curiosity, this car has also been given a few paragraphs in previous event reports, but as the couple were keen to make the journey for a weekend in the New Forest to attend the show, we simply couldn’t walk past without revelling in its glory again.

After the notable progress established by the fantastic little S500/S600/S800 of the late ’60s, the S2000 hit the spot instantly when first announced in 1999, its first open-top sporting car for 30 years. Honda’s enviable reputation for motorsports, impressive engineering and high levels of customer satisfaction was celebrated by this finely crafted roadster. Noted for its exceptional power output per litre, the car was true to Honda’s historical vision, in which it was led by designers and engineers rather than profit.

Resting on the legacy of the original 240Z, the compact sports car by Nissan lumbered into the 1980s and with each subsequent version diluting the flavour that made the original such a revelation, but to be completely fair to Nissan, this was dictated by the demands of the public. Market research suggested that its core customers in the States wanted more space, power and cruising ability. To this end, the car’s success was assured but its sporting urge was lost somewhat. The Z31 300ZX did much to restore that appetite, with a combination of a state of the art technology without losing the creature comforts. The Z had not only grown up but established Nissan’s return to form.

While known for their innovation, the Japanese were also masters of marketing forecasts and knew where their strengths lay and how to focus on them. Demonstrated ably by Lexus and its iconic LS400, the luxury saloon did much to shake up the German’s approach to luxury cars. With a reputation for utter reliability and robust engineering, the Lexus brand became synonymous with customer satisfaction.

With the prestige of having Ayrton Senna as part of the development team, the Honda NSX was created to tackle Ferrari. With two significant differences – a focus on reliability and affordability. Famously known for being as easy to drive as a Civic, that’s where the similarities end. With the theatrics of a 3.0-litre V6 VTEC engine sitting right behind you, it provided all the thrills without the spills of a traditional supercar.

The Subaru Impreza has to be credited for making the 1990s JDM scene resonate across the car enthusiast community before the popularity of the modifying and drift scenes. This is thanks to their rally success in the talented hands of the much-missed Colin McRae and Richard Burns. Developed by Warwickshire-based Prodrive, the Impreza won six world rally titles over its production run, with over 180 championship victories under its belt.

While the Impreza is now established as the greatest Japanese rally car, its pedigree should not be underestimated. Helping to establish the brand in the UK, the passenger version of the pick-ups used full-time four-wheel drive and set the scene for the later Legacy and Impreza models. Most of the pick-ups, commonly known as Brats, have long been dispatched to the great scrapyard in the sky, as almost all of them have had hard lives but a few survive to show that pick-up trucks do not need to look boring.

Speaking of which, no one could accuse the SVX of being boring. Styled by Giugiaro, the 3.3-litre boxer horizontally opposed flat-six, became a showcase for Subaru who were keen to shift their products upmarket. Known as one of the first Japanese Supercars, the SVX didn’t have that much of a presence in the UK, partly because of slowing sales in Japan due to their recession.

The original Mazda RX-7 seen here in gold, was a huge success in the US and displaced the Datsun 240Z as the best-selling Japanese sports car out there. Mazda has persevered with the Rotary engine set-up, long after NSU, Citroen, GM and Mercedes had given up on it and proved that it could be reliable, as long as you keep on top of the maintenance.

The second generation of RX-7 was rolled out in 1985, and improved on the original, with added plushness and even more power. The most current incarnation of the Mazda Rotary development arrived in 2003 in the form of the RX-8. A distinctive-looking design with a novel door system, its ascendancy into the classic car world has followed its predecessors but is still comparatively affordable – if you can find one that has been well looked after with impeccable service history and maintenance.

Almost extinct as an option for modern car buyers, the compact coupe was a highly prized asset in the Japanese car line-up. Derived from Ford’s Mustang, the 2 door coupe really resonated with Japan and they produced a remarkable number of attractive cars. The high point would have been in the ’70s, but they continued to produce them well into the 2000s. The ’90s era of the coupe was well represented at Beaulieu, and these four cars make a fascinating comparison.

Mazda not only produced the larger MX-6, which was to become the Ford Probe but also offered the smaller MX-3. Distinguishable for its use of a small displacement V6, the MX-3 benefited from an advanced suspension and engine system. Its bold styling holds up well today and deserves more recognition for its execution.

The Toyota Paseo was an all-new car when first launched and was also misunderstood by the UK press. With a standard tune 1.5-litre engine and an emphasis on comfort and usability rather than driving prowess, the Paseo was still a keen handler and of course an ideal mode of transport for those who didn’t need to kart too many people around. Owner Sam has been a long-time supporter of these cars and brought his limited edition yellow-only ‘Galliano’ model based on the high-spec Si model.

Honda also produced a coupe version based on the Civic, the CRX could well be considered the most popular of the batch and judging by their surviving numbers appear to have attracted the most attention amongst today’s enthusiasts. Of course, being a Honda gives it a head start as many would have had more discernible owners when new, who were generally older and less likely to press the car’s performance.

Nissan has also stuck with the coupe format for a long time, having used the Sunny as a base. The last incarnation of Nissan’s compact coupe also featured styling unique to the model, it followed Toyota’s logic of valuing individual style over performance. The novelty of a Targa top certainly helped it find homes in the UK but Nissan’s unfavourable early ’90s pricing policy made it unattractive to most.

Camper vans have long been part of Japanese culture, and have ably demonstrated that not only do they provide an alternative to VW’s more expensive offerings but come with far more in terms of kit and value. A phenomenon that was started with the 1970s Toyota Hiace and Datsun Urvans, recent imports of fully furnished Nissan, Toyota and Mazda vans prove to be popular for those looking for a touch of luxury on top of their camping needs. Often well-represented at Japanese car shows, the regular presence of the Mazda Bongo Owners Club and Elgrand Owners Club offered a family-oriented aspect to the event.

As mentioned right at the beginning, it’s always worth venturing into the museum, as the display and variety of cars are always of interest. As this review has a Japanese focus, we’d like to highlight a couple of ‘spots’ in the museum that are worth showing. This is perhaps the ultimate Classic Japanese car and the earliest Datsun badged car in the UK. This 1935 Datsun Type 14 is believed to have been imported directly by Austin Herbert to ensure that the car didn’t fall foul of any patent infringements. Nissan rather cleverly ensured it was a complete reworking of the Austin Seven, with minor but significant differences to avoid any litigation.

The museum has also established a long relationship with BBC’s Top Gear motoring program, and have have a series of exhibitions consisting of several of their featured cars. This includes the first car to successfully cross the English Channel under its own power, a Nissan D21 as well as a very nicely finished Tesla-powered Subaru Brat.

The finale of the event was marked by the prize-giving ceremony, in which three cars were chosen by the public vote as the winner. Voted by the visitors and suitably named as the People’s Choice Award, the winner receives a Beaulieu trophy and an Autoglym prize. Ably compered by Tim, known as ‘Our Tim’ on his youtube channel, the three top-voted cars were parked in the main arena.

In third place was Sara and her 1990 Toyota Sera, it’s one of a fleet of Seras in the family, and as a regular to the event, she was delighted to have been placed on a podium position out of 1500 possible entries.

In second place came Laura and her 1999 Honda Civic SE coupe, she was speechless and a little stunned by it all but a genuine JDM girl at heart, with a talent for racing too.

So who won? That went to Josh’s 2001 Lexus IS200. The car is well known in the modified circuit and the car is unique for that stance which is not reliant on air suspension. It has recently come out of the paint booth, having originally been blue.

Made more enjoyable by the respite of the rain for the weekend, Beaulieu has yet again proved to be a suitable host for this wonderful gathering of cars. The event is just one of several ‘Simply’ themed shows carried out over the year, and there are several more events coming up soon including a Supercar, VW and British day on their calendar.