 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
Developed in 1962, this was
Japan’s first genuine sports car. The Fairlady’s sleek body was fitted with
an in-line four-cylinder OHV engine and used the same chassis as the Bluebird
Model 312. It was an open three-seater with an unusual rear seat facing sideways.
The car was entered in the first Japan Grand Prix of 1963, and became the class winner
against such foreign-made sports cars as the Porsche and the Triumph TR4. Other
Fairlady models, the 1600 (SP311) and the 2000 (SR311), were subsequently developed
and greatly invigorated the motor sports scene. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Widely known as a manufacturer
of motorcycles, Honda ventured into four-wheel-vehicle production with the
release of its first real lightweight sports car, the model S500. It made its
debut in 1963 as a mass-produced version of the previous year's S360 prototype.
Equipped with a super-small, four-cylinder, twin-camshaft 531cc engine with
a 4CV carburetor, it could maintain 44hp/8000rpm and was capable of speeds up
to 130km/h. As a two-seater convertible compact car, its performance and agility
won acclaim, and it soon became popular among younger people. This model later
developed into the S600 and the S800 and formed the base for Honda's car manufacturing
division. |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
The Publica sports model made
its appearance at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1962 as a prototype for the Toyota
Sports 800 released in 1965. It possessed an aerodynamic, functional style and
used components of the Publica, but the costs were reduced to capture a larger
market share. Its price was ¥595,000. With its detachable top and a 790cc
horizontal two-cylinder air-cooled engine capable of reaching speeds up to 155km/h,
it was definitely a fun car to drive. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
This family-use
sports convertible was based on the Compagno Berlina 800. Featuring
a 1-liter high-power engine and a reinforced chassis, the Spider F40K had
a maximum speed of 145 km/h. The growth of the passenger car market
at that time was accelerated by such events as the Japanese Grand
Prix and the opening of the Meishin Expressway. Consequently, automakers
vied with each other to launch sports cars and sporty derivatives of
existing passenger cars to their product lines. |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
Released in 1963, the Isuzu
Bellett offered a variety of seating, transmission, and hand brakes
that customers could choose from, to meet the diversifying market
needs. The 1600GT, announced in April of the following year, was
the first Japanese-made passenger car to be labeled 'GT' (for gran
tourismo, or grand touring). Equipped with an SU twin carburetor,
the Bellett 1600GT’s powerful engine and rapid acceleration earned
it a reputation as a high performance model, and the car did well
in motor sports as well. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
During the 1960s, Prince Motors
developed the Skyline GT amid the growing boom in motor sports.
The 2000GT-B, a mass production model based on the GT, was first
marketed in 1965. Its sporty features, including an engine tuned
to three serial carburetors, the steering wheel, and instruments,
made the car a very popular sports sedan.
With the introduction of the standard GT-A model in September 1965, the earlier
model was renamed the GT-B. Prince and Nissan Motor merged in 1966, and Skylines
produced between that year and 1968 retained the'Prince'name. |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
The same trend that took the
popular family car to a sportier level influenced a change in the 1600cc class.
Toyota responded with a hardtop model 1600GT. Equipped with a DOHC engine, it
was very compact but possessed high-performance speeds of 175km/h. It also had
a clean, comfortable interior, and, had the same five-speed transmission that
the Toyota 2000GT, had (four-speed transmission was also available). This 1600GT
was a high-level, high-performance touring car, and won instant popularity. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
In the 1960s, when oil crises
were yet to come, and exhaust emission controls were not legislated,
many new attractive sports cars were introduced. Among them the
highly efficient Grand Tourismo Toyota 2000 GT was launched in 1965.
Its long hood, balanced styling, backbone frame structure, and
six-cylinder, twin-camshaft engine were the result of the efforts
of designers and engineers who had been given free reign. This car
set three world speed records and 13 international records at the Yatabe
Test Track. The high performance of this car surpassed world standards. |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
The Toyo Kogyo Company
entered into a technical tie-up with Germany's NSU to acquire the
technology for a rotary piston engine. In 1967, after a number of
stringent test runs and improvements, Mazda announced the Mazda
Cosmo Sport, Japan's first passenger car powered by a rotary piston
engine. Its futuristic styling had a strong visual impact and its
49lcc × 2 small-displacement rotary engine surpassed even the 2-liter
class reciprocal engine with its 128ps output. It was praised for
its high-performance features. In 1968, this L10B model underwent
some minor changes which pushed its top speeds up to 200km/h. |
|
|
|
