Japanese car manufacturers invaded the American market during the oil crisis of the 1970s. At first Japanese cars were ridiculed as being utter garbage. Until it became clear that Japanese cars were on the same level or even superior to American and European cars. So the small Japanese cars began to gain a foothold in the world. Japan introduced and competed in all markets as full-size cars, sports cars, luxury cars, minivans, motorcycles and trucks.
Japan revolutionizes the automobile world even today; every year thousands of projects and new technologies are created, such as the announcement of the "mirai" hydrogen-powered car. In this article, we will look at 10 vintage cars, up to the year 2012, that had some influence or importance in the automobile industry. It’s worth noting that we will not mention the best or the most well-known, just 10 cars out of the thousands that exist.
Table of Content
1. Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla is the best-selling car in history. Since its introduction in 1966, a Corolla has been sold every 40 seconds (on average). The Corolla has gone through 10 major overhauls over the years.
2. Toyota Prius
The Prius was the world's first mass-produced hybrid gasoline-electric car. It was launched in 1997 with a user-friendly design that revolutionized the automotive industry. By 2008, the Prius was offered in 70 countries and sold over 1 million units. The humble Prius became a status symbol that represented concern for the environment. Other Prius drivers were proud of the car's ability to reduce their dependence on foreign oil.
3. Mazda RX-7
The Mazda RX-7 was a sports model produced by the company Mazda between 1978 and 2002. It features rear-wheel drive and an engine of 260 horsepower with a maximum rotation of 9000 rpm. It was introduced in 1978 with a 1146 cc (twin-rotor) rotary engine. It offered sporty performance at a reasonable price. A total of 811,634 cars were produced.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord was the first Japanese car to be manufactured in the US in 1982. It was the best-selling Japanese car in the US for 15 consecutive years (1982-1997). The Accord has a long-standing reputation as one of the most reliable cars ever made. Several pilots have broken their speedometer, reaching more than 1,600,000 km.
5. Lexus LS400
The Lexus LS400 was Toyota's first Lexus to enter the American luxury car market. It was released in 1989 and was an instant hit. It's design has won awards and innovative customers. Other brands felt threatened, so this ended up stimulating competition, generating innovations around the world.
6. Nissan Leaf (leaf)
Nissan was the first to bring an all-electric car to market in 2010. The LEAF has won numerous awards, including European Car of the Year in 2011. (That's because it's Japanese.)
7. Datsun 240Z
A sport model, popular marketed by Nissan in the US as the Datsun 240Z from 1970 to 1978. The Datsun 240Z pleased many for its comfort and low cost. Despite its popularity, it began to disappear from the roads in the 1980s.
8. Subaru Legacy
Subaro Legacy was created to compete against the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Its sleek design has won fans among snowboarders, camping enthusiasts and anyone else looking for a cheap AWD model.
9. Honda Civic
A compact and reliable model introduced in 1972 – a year before the oil crisis of the 1970s. Civics are also used for racing. It's a popular family car too. After several generations the model continues to be successful today.
10. Acura Integra or Honda Integra
A compact coupe from Honda, manufactured between 1985 and 2006 worldwide, and is still being produced in Japan today. It has also won numerous awards for best car.
These were some of the cars that were successful. That's not to say they were the best or the most successful. Most of those mentioned have been recognized in the West. There are thousands of car models, and many more in Japanese eyes.
This article was written based on a search made by “Japan talk” dated 2012, some information may have changed over the years, but we redid the search a little, some of the models in the photos are the oldest.