Nostalgic cars from the Showa era: A special feature on memorable classic cars spotted on street corners
The legendary cars that raced through the streets of the Showa era had a unique charm that today’s vehicles simply don’t possess.
The flowing lines of the Fairlady Z, the Corolla with its endearingly round headlights, the commanding presence of the Cedric.
These nostalgic cars, once an everyday sight, now stand out in memory as symbols of their time.
Family drives, dates with a loved one, faithful commutes—days spent together with these cars.
We invite you to savor the allure of the iconic vehicles born in the Showa era, alongside the memories they created.
Nostalgic Cars of the Showa Era: A Feature on Beloved Classics Spotted on City Streets (1–10)
Toyota Land Cruiser
Toyota’s Land Cruiser, globally renowned and affectionately known as the “Land Cruiser” (or “LandCruiser”), was originally developed in 1951 as the Toyota Jeep BJ and renamed Land Cruiser in 1954.
It holds the longest continuous production run under a single model name among Japanese automobiles to this day.
At the time, it was created to compete with the Land Rover by Britain’s Rover Company, which was gaining prominence among overseas cross-country vehicles.
With the determined spirit of driving out the ROVER (a pirate ship), it was named CRUISER (a warship/cruiser).
Nissan Fairlady Z
The Nissan Fairlady Z, known as one of Japan’s iconic sports cars, debuted with its first-generation model in 1969.
Designed with overseas markets in mind, this car combined performance on par with European GTs and the elegant styling of a “lady” at an affordable price, becoming a major hit especially in North America and helping to popularize Japanese sports cars worldwide.
In Japan it’s affectionately called the “Z” (zett), while overseas it’s known as the “Z-Car.”
Isuzu Bellett
The Isuzu Bellett was a compact passenger car sold from 1963 to 1973, distinguished by its rounded, compact body inspired by an eggshell motif.
In 1964, the two-door coupe sports model, the Bellett 1600GT, made its debut.
Nicknamed “Bere-G,” it is known as the first car in Japan to bear the “GT” designation.
True to its name, the Bere-G was equipped with a powerful engine and also excelled in motorsports, reportedly dominating circuits until the Skyline appeared.
Toyota Celica
The Toyota Celica, a light-feeling high-performance coupe that pioneered a new Japanese genre called “specialty cars” and captured the youth market of its time, debuted its first generation in 1970.
Because its exterior featured rounded, daruma-like styling and the front bumper looked like the beard of a daruma when viewed head-on, it was popularly nicknamed “Daruma Celica.” The top-grade 1600GT was equipped with a high-performance Yamaha-built DOHC engine also used in the Toyota 2000GT, and it made a strong showing in domestic rallies and races.
Toyota Century
The Century is Toyota’s top-of-the-line luxury sedan, manufactured and sold since 1967.
The name “Century” is said to come from the fact that the first model was unveiled in the 100th year of the Meiji era and also marked the 100th anniversary of Toyota’s founder’s birth.
When it comes to government and corporate official vehicles, the “Century” is the standard, and the Emperor’s state car is also this model today.
In contrast to the Toyota Production System—which eliminates waste and prioritizes efficient manufacturing—the Century is crafted through painstaking, artisanal workmanship and technique.
Mazda Familia
The Familia was a compact passenger car sold by Mazda from 1963 to 2003, and for many years it held the position of Mazda’s flagship model.
The fifth generation, released in 1980, was especially adored by young people and took the world by storm.
The style of carrying a surfboard on a roof rack on a “red Familia” even spawned the buzzword “land surfer.” This runaway hit reached one million units just two years and three months after its launch, and there were months when its sales surpassed those of the reigning champion, the Corolla.
Mitsubishi Galant
Mitsubishi’s Galant made its debut as the first-generation “Colt Galant” in 1969, positioned as an upscale variant of Mitsubishi’s then-mainstay Colt.
Anticipating the coming “100 million personal cars era” of the 1970s, it was developed as a full-fledged family sedan under the concepts of being “more beautiful,” “higher-performing,” “more spacious,” “quieter,” and “more luxurious.” The following year, the sporty two-door specialty model “Colt Galant GTO” was also introduced.
Its unique and beautiful design reportedly split popularity with Toyota’s Celica, which was launched around the same time.