When one of the country’s largest importers of Japanese domestic market (JDM) vehicles invites you to come drive a bunch of classic cars never sold here, what would you say? “Yes please,” or “Hell yeah, brother?”
I don’t need to tell you what I said. This week, with the help of Duncan Imports in Christiansburg, Virginia, we’re bringing you a series of reviews of JDM classics. Some are performance legends, while others are the kind of car you’d never see in Initial D. I’ll tell you not just what they’re like to drive, but why they exist, what their appeal is today, and how tricky it might be to keep them on the road.
As for what cars to expect, I drank from every nozzle on the soda fountain. From homologation racer to humble kei truck, from hand-built rarity to spiced-up compact, there’ll be a reason for anyone who likes JDM cars to wait around. You can spoil what’s coming for yourself by scrolling back through my Twitter feed but do so at your own risk. I’m less funny than I am cute.
Honda Civic Shuttle Beagle and a modified Toyota Soarer. James Gilboy
Full disclosure: The cars we drove were officially part of Gary Duncan’s personal collection, and aren’t necessarily for sale right now. However, they are representative of other vehicles in stock, and may themselves come up for sale eventually.
Our week will start today, with a review of a sport compact legend with a nickname like a Douglas airliner. If you can’t figure out for yourself what that means, you don’t have long to wait anyway. One review will follow each day, but we’re saving the two best-known cars for the first day and last—you might’ve never heard of the cars in between.
Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: james@thedrive.com
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