Japanese car brands - an overview of the most popular manufacturers

Japanese cars enjoy an unblemished reputation. Cars from the country of cherry blossom for many are synonymous with reliability. The Japanese produce successful family cars, comfortable limousines, vans, SUVs, as well as exotic sports models that ignite the imagination of car enthusiasts around the world. What are the most popular Japanese car brands? What are the most famous Japanese cars?

Although the first Japanese car was created in 1907, the first known brands of Japanese cars appeared only in the 30s of the last century. It is this period that is considered the beginning of mass production of cars in this country. Later it was interrupted by Japan's participation in World War II.

The automotive industry began to revive in the late 1940s and early 1950s, when factories were switched back from military to civilian production. Initially, the focus was on cars that would be affordable for the average Japanese, and over time, more and more modern technologies began to be used, and later set off to conquer Europe and the United States. What are the most famous Japanese passenger car brands? What is their story?

Toyota Motor Corporation

History

The Toyota brand is currently famous for the production of cars with hybrid drive. It introduced its first car in 1937 and it was the Model AA. The brand itself was created in the 19th century, when Sakichi Toyoda invented the first weaving workshop. It is worth mentioning that this is not the only manufacturer of passenger cars that started with the production of fabrics. His son, Kiichiro Toyoda, went to Europe in the 1930s and returned with the idea of entering the automotive industry. With the money obtained from the sale of patent rights to an automatic weaving workshop, he created Toyota Motor Corporation.

Familiar models

• Corolla is currently the best-selling model of this manufacturer. The Toyota Corolla debuted in 1966 and has sold more than 50 million units since its launch, making it one of the best-selling cars in automotive history.
• Supra MKIV — is one of the iconic Japanese sports cars, which captured the imagination of many motorists. A tunable engine and a decently aging, timeless silhouette make the car highly appreciated by collectors. Interestingly, the highest prices are achieved by copies kept in factory condition.
• Land Cruiser — produced since 1951 as the Toyota BJ off-road vehicle, has become synonymous with reliability and is valued especially in Africa and Arab countries. Over time, it transformed from a utility car into a luxury car, but retained its off-road qualities.

Suzuki

History

The Suzuki brand has a similar history to Toyota. It started its activity in 1909 as a company producing weaving looms. The first car was created only in 1955 and it was the Suzuki Suzulight — a car from the popular kei cars category in Japan. It is worth knowing that Suzuki also produces motorcycles and outboard engines.

Familiar models

• Suzuki Jimny is a small off-road vehicle that was introduced in 1970 and is now loved by fans of competitive off-road. When its return was announced in 2018, the order list was so long that some had to wait for their copies up to more than a year. In the latest version, Jimny also appears in an extended 5-door variant.
• Suzuki Swift — attractive design, compact size, low running costs and excellent driving characteristics are the hallmark of this urban compact. Its production began in 1983 and is also available in a sports variant as the Swift Sport.
• Suzuki Vitara is another SUV from Suzuki. The car is larger than Jimny and considered a pioneer in the segment of compact SUVs. The first generation debuted in 1988.
• Suzuki Cappuccino is a small roadster in the style of kei car, which at the time of production never gained popularity in Europe. The car is lightweight, has rear-wheel drive and manual transmission. This is an excellent recipe for a good time that has been appreciated by collectors.

Honda

History

The Honda brand was founded in 1930. Initially, Soichiro Honda was engaged in the production of piston rings. In 1945, he sold his factory to Toyota and focused on the production of mopeds, and over time also began to produce motorcycles. Honda's first car debuted only in 1963 and was a pickup truck with the designation T360. Not long after, passenger and sports cars joined the offer.

Familiar models

• Honda Civic is one of the most famous compact cars. It debuted in 1972 as a two-door sedan and in the same year a three-door hatchback joined the lineup. In the 1990s, famous sports variants such as the Type S and Type R. In the V gen. one of the brand's iconic engines, the B16A2, came under the hood. With a volume of 1.6 l, 160 hp was squeezed out of it.
• The Honda NSX is an iconic sports car that was created in collaboration with Ayrton Senna. It was then that for the first time a Formula 1 driver took part in the development of a sports car with road homologation. The shape of the body was co-created by the Pininfarina design studio. A 3.0 V6 engine with 275 hp went under the hood. The car was very light and had excellent aerodynamics. It is now an excellent investment of capital.
• Honda S2000 — is another sports model in the Honda brand portfolio, which is appreciated by connoisseurs. Low weight, small size, manual transmission, engine with a capacity of about 240 hp located between the cab and the front axle and rear-wheel drive make the car very demanding to drive and deliver an unforgettable driving experience.

Subaru

History

The history of Subaru begins in 1918, when Chikuhei Nakajima, a pioneer of Japanese aviation technology, founded the Nakajima Hikōki Kabushiki Kaisha company, which was demilitarized after World War II. It was divided into several companies, which were later merged into Fuji Heavy Industries. Automotive has become one of the branches of his business. The first Subaru model had the designation 1500 and was presented in 1955. However, Subaru gained the greatest popularity only in the 90s, when the Impreza model appeared, which reigned on the rally tracks of the whole world.

Familiar models

• The Subaru Impreza car was introduced in 1992, and only 2 years later it was released in Europe. They were immediately shown, among others, in the WRX version with a 2.0 boxer engine with a capacity of 240 hp. In 1995, Colin McRae won the WRC championship title, and since then Subaru's dominance in rally racing has begun for several years. The event won both individual titles and constructors' classification.
• Subaru Forester is an SUV that initially drew some of the technologies and engines from the Impreza model, which made it very fast and practical. Production began in 1997. It was most appreciated by motorists from Australia, where in 2000-2002 it won the title of the best all-wheel drive recreational car. Since the second generation, it has also become popular in the USA.

Lexus

History

If we take the current definitions, it is safe to say that there are no luxury Japanese car brands, but there are premium manufacturers. This is led by Lexus, which was founded in 1989 as a sub-brand of Toyota. From the beginning, it has focused on the production of high-end cars. Although the Acura and Infiniti brands should not be forgotten, it was Lexus that was the most successful in the world.

Familiar models

• The Lexus ES is a sedan produced since 1989. The car debuted in Detroit, and the first generation was produced for only 2 years. The ES gained worldwide popularity only from the 5th generation, the XV40, which came onto the market in 2006. Modern, elegant and subtle design, advanced technologies and a powerful and reliable V6 engine proved to be the recipe for success. Currently, the 7th generation of this model is already on the market.
• Lexus LS is another sedan in the brand's offer and at the same time its flagship model. It was created in 1989 and is one of the first Lexus models. Work on it had already started 6 years earlier, and the project cost more than a billion dollars. A V8 engine went under the hood. From the very beginning, the car competed with the Mercedes S-Class and the BMW 7 Series, and until now it offers the highest level of luxury of any Lexus model.
• Lexus LFA — In 2000, Toyota and Lexus began work on the design of their own supercar. The result was the LFA model presented in 2009 and limited to 500 units with a V10 engine of 560 hp. Only 40 copies were sold in Europe. Production was completed in 2012.

Nissan

History

The beginning of the history of this brand dates back to 1911, when the company Kwaishinsha was founded. Its founder was Masujiro Hashimoto. The first car was called DAT, from which the Datsun brand was later derived. The name Nissan first appeared in 1933, and Datsun - 2 years later. The difference was that Nissan produced trucks, and Datsun produced passenger cars. This changed only in 1983, when Nissan officially became a manufacturer of passenger cars.

Familiar models

• Nissan Qashqai is a compact crossover that appeared on the market in 2006 and immediately won the sympathy of customers around the world. It is practical, looks good, has lively engines and durable construction.
• Nissan Patrol is another Japanese off-road legend. It originates from the Datsun 4W60 military SUVs. For the first time, the name Patrol appeared in 1960 and referred to a version intended for the civilian market. Models of the 90s are appreciated by off-road lovers, and now the Nissan Patrol is a luxury car, although it has retained its off-road qualities and pedigree.
• Nissan Skyline — The first Skyline was created in 1957 as Prince Skyline and was a luxury car. However, the imagination of car enthusiasts is ignited by the models of the R32, R33 and R34 type series, which are sports coupes. The most appreciated and sought after by collectors is the Skyline R34 GT-R, which was developed, among others, on the famous Nurburgring Nordschleife.

Mazda

History

Jujiro Matsuda, also engaged in the manufacture of weapons, had a metal foundry, and was a blacksmith by education. In 1920 he gathered a group of investors, together with them bought the Toyo Cork Kogyo company and in 1931 the Mazda-Go truck went on sale. The first passenger car was built in 1960 and was the Mazda R360. The official name Mazda Motor Company appeared only in 1984. In the 80s and 90s of the last century, Mazda was famous not only for traditional cars, but also for interesting sports cars.

Familiar models

• Mazda MX-5 - this is a small roadster, which was released in spite of the fact that the world was turning away from this type of car. The first generation hit the market only in 1989, but the idea was born already in 1976. The first two generations of the MX-5 are the most popular, and the most appreciated are the copies that managed to escape from the hand of tuning lovers.
• Mazda RX-7 - this is a sports coupe first presented in 1978. From the very beginning, it was distinguished by two things - a low coefficient of air resistance and a Wankla engine. 3 generations were produced and the latter captured the imagination of car enthusiasts due to its performance and shape, which did not age for a moment.

Mitsubishi

History

It is difficult to list all Japanese car brands, so we will end our review with Mitsubishi, which was created back in 1874. The name means “three diamonds”, hence the brand logo. The first car was presented in 1917, the Model-A. It was not until 1975 that it entered Europe with the Mitsubishi Lancer, which competed on the rally tracks with the Subaru Impreza.

Familiar models

• Mitsubishi Pajero is another famous all-terrain vehicle from Japan. The first generation hit the market in 1982, although the prototype was ready as early as 1973. Production ended in 2021. The car can be put on a par with the Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser. It is an off-road vehicle made of blood and bone, which from the 3rd gen. began to turn a blind eye towards more affluent customers.
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is one of the most iconic sports cars and a direct competitor to the Subaru Impreza. The first Lancer with Evolution in the name appeared in 1992, although the Lancer itself has been known since 1973, but it did not stand out for anything special. Models of the Evolution series had 4-wheel drive, powerful engines, aerodynamic body elements and a sporty interior. Production was completed in 2015.

summary

Japanese automotive is a lot of established manufacturers and many well-known models, and some of them have grown to cult status and are now highly valued by collectors. If you are looking for the original cars from Japan, Sakura Motors will help you bring them back. When it comes to car auctions, Japan allows participation in auctions only by professional intermediaries. We will help you bring less and more famous models straight from their homeland. Cars in JDM specifications often differ from European and American counterparts. They can also be an excellent deposit of capital. Contact us and you will get an estimate at the beginning cost of importing a car from Japan and you will find out how long it will last Car transport from Japanto enjoy it in Poland.