As a car fanatic, you already know that JDM stands for Japanese Domestic Market, and that Japan has a propensity for giving cars unintentionally funny names. You also know that a lot of Japanese cars don’t make it to North America—and to our dismay, they’re usually the coolest and/or weirdest ones. That forbidden fruit appeal has raised awareness of obscure, oddly named classic Japanese cars in recent years—especially as early ’90s models are now legal to be imported (and this guy can help with the sometimes-complicated bureaucracy). But there are still some lesser-known gems to be discovered. Keep reading for 10 classic JDM cars you’ve probably never heard of.
Nissan Homy
One thing America didn’t get enough of is Japanese vans. Not minivans, but the rear-drive-based cab-over vans popular in Japan from the 1960s through today. The Nissan Homy was one such specimen we missed. Just like in the U.S., Japan has had its fair share of badge engineering. The Nissan Homy was a twin of the Nissan Caravan, with the former available at Nissan Prince dealerships and the latter sold at Nissan Bluebird stores. What exactly is the difference, you ask? One had the great fortune of being named Homy, and the other did not. Like most JDM vans from the 1980s and ’90s, the Homy/Caravan was available with a turbodiesel four-cylinder engine and came in multiple seating configurations.
Mitsubishi Minica Lettuce/Dangan ZZ
We promise this list isn’t made up entirely of cars with funny names (our pal Aaron Gold already wrote that list). The Mitsubishi Minica was a member of the Kei car class, meaning it was among Japan’s smallest road-legal vehicles. Sold in Japan from 1962 to 2011, the Minica lasted eight generations. But it wasn’t until the sixth that the produce-inspired Minica Lettuce and itty-bitty hot hatch Dangan ZZ were introduced. The latter (pictured) came with a dual-overhead-cam sub-1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine packing a novel five valves per cylinder. Despite all that tech, the Dangan ZZ only made 63 hp—but then again, you don’t need all that much in a car that weighs less than 1,600 pounds. The Lettuce was developed in partnership with a Japanese grocery store chain and featured an asymmetric door layout (two on the passenger side, one on the driver’s side) much like the Hyundai Veloster. Unlike the Veloster, however, the Minica Lettuce was designed specifically for shopping. Also, it has one of the greatest names ever to appear on a car badge.
Nissan Pao
Most car nerds will know about the Nissan Figaro, a 1950s-inspired fixed-pillar ragtop convertible that went full retro before it was cool. But fewer are aware that Nissan made a number of other retro-styled JDM cars in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Called the “Pike cars” after the Nissan Pike factory that built them, the group comprised four retro models: the Figaro, Be-1, S-Cargo, and Pao. All of them are incredible, but today we’re focusing on the 1989-1991 Nissan Pao. With its external door hinges, round headlights, and distinctively vintage silhouette, the Pao’s design channeled many different 1960s cars, from the original Mini to classic Renaults and Citroëns. But it had a flavor all its own, along with modern amenities like its Nissan Micra–derived chassis and tape deck stereo system disguised as an old-timey radio. Now more than 30 years old, the Nissan Pao is a JDM classic that looks like a much older classic Japanese car and is sure to turn heads if you can import one stateside.
Mazda Lantis
The 2004 Mercedes CLS is largely credited for kicking off the so-called “four-door coupe” trend, but in Japan there was a car that used that term 10 years earlier: the Mazda Lantis. Like today’s multi-passenger fastbacks, the Lantis hatchback had four doors, a sloping roofline, and a rear liftgate. The Lantis rode on a version of Mazda’s midsize front-wheel-drive platform and offered a range of four-cylinder engine options, plus a 2.0-liter V-6 in the sportier Type-R model.
Honda Acty
The Kei car class also has its own trucks and vans, which adhere to the same size and engine displacement regulations as the cars. The Honda Acty, available as both a truck and a van, is one of those micro-haulers that has served the Japanese market for many generations. The design suggests a cab-over-engine layout, but the Acty’s engine bay is actually located behind the cab (in the middle of the bed on pickup models). So the next time you find yourself in a conversation about mid-engine classic JDM cars, drop some knowledge on your friends with the Honda Acty.
Nissan Fairlady 200ZR
The Z31-generation Nissan 300ZX isn’t an obscure JDM classic by any stretch of the imagination. But did you know there was a Z31 model sold in Japan with an inline-six rather than the V-6 we know here in the States? Called the Nissan Fairlady 200ZR, the model received the same 2.0-liter RB20 turbocharged I-6 as the Nissan Skyline and was the last Z car ever to offer a straight-six. The 200ZR is identifiable by its large central hood scoop, which feeds a top-mount intercooler, as opposed to the small offset scoop found on the V-6 turbo models.
Toyota Mega Cruiser
What’s the baddest Toyota off-roader ever made? Land Cruiser, you say? That’s a sweet rig, for sure, but it’s no Mega Cruiser. Like many other major automakers, Toyota wanted in on a lucrative military contract, so it developed the Humvee-like BXD10 to woo the Japan Self-Defense Forces. It worked, and just as the Humvee spawned the civilian Hummer H1, the BXD10 gave birth to the BXD20, also known as the Mega Cruiser. Produced from 1995 to 2002, most Mega Cruisers were sold to police and fire departments in Japan, but a few also made it into civilian hands. A 4.1-liter turbodiesel inline-four provided 153 hp and 282 lb-ft of torque, and was designed to deliver most of that torque at low rpm. Three locking differentials came standard, along with four-wheel steering.
Suzuki Mighty Boy
Yet another contender for the title of best name ever, the Suzuki Mighty Boy is one of those obscure JDM cars you might not have heard of—but once you have, it’s impossible to forget about. Like the Honda Acty, the Mighty Boy is a Kei truck. But unlike the Acty and most other Kei trucks, the Mighty Boy doesn’t employ a cab-over design. That gives it the appearance of a car but a comically small pickup bed (obscura fans can imagine it as a shrunken Suzuki X-90 with a bed instead of a trunk). At just under 2 feet long, the Mighty Boy’s bed doesn’t offer much utility by American standards. Still, some models were supposedly rated to carry up to 440 kg (970 pounds), which is impressive for such a small vehicle.
Nissan Autech Zagato Stelvio AZ1
These days, the name Stelvio should immediately bring to mind Alfa Romeo’s superb-handling SUV. But there’s another lesser-known car named after Italy’s Stelvio Pass. Shortly after launching as an official tuning subsidiary of Nissan Motor Co., Autech partnered with renowned Italian design house Zagato to build a series of luxury sports cars. The first and only fruit of that partnership appeared in 1989: the Autech Zagato Stelvio AZ1. It used the Nissan Leopard’s (aka Infiniti M30’s) platform and mechanicals as a base and draped it with some severely polarizing sheetmetal. A total of 203 copies of the Stelvio AZ1 were planned, but just over half of that number ended up being produced.
Mitsubishi Debonair AMG
The Mercedes-Benz and AMG brands are inseparable today, but that wasn’t always the case. In the 1980s, the Affalterbach-based firm was a tuner for hire, and Mitsubishi was one of its most unlikely clients. Mitsubishi’s flagship sedan for the Japanese market was called the Debonair, and it was starting to look dated by the close of the 1980s. To rejuvenate the car’s looks for 1990, Mitsubishi contracted AMG to craft a uniquely styled variant, appropriately named the Debonair AMG. That car got a bespoke front and rear valance treatment, special wheels, a new grille and side skirts, a trunk spoiler, and clearly visible AMG graphics. Did the enhancements work? Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but AMG also styled a version of the Mitsubishi Galant, which is unquestionably handsome.
Classic JDM Cars You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
- Nissan Homy
- Mitsubishi Minica Lettuce/Dangan ZZ
- Nissan Pao
- Mazda Lantis
- Honda Acty
- Nissan Fairlady 200ZR
- Toyota Mega Cruiser
- Suzuki Mighty Boy
- Nissan Autech Zagato Stelvio AZ1
- Mitsubishi Debonair AMG
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