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10 Legendary Classic Japanese Sports Cars

Vukasin Herbez September 9, 2024

The story about the rising of the Japanese car industry is a very interesting one. JDM manufacturers started as outsiders and entered the American and European markets in the late `60s with the lineup of economy models with no real performance. Over the years, sales grew and the Japanese managed to win the economy segment and declare themselves as automotive giants all over the world. Interestingly, from the very beginning of their automotive quest, Japanese manufacturers designed and produced accomplished sports cars, although in limited quantities. Those sports models are now highly sought-after collector`s cars and we will now present to you 10 most interesting ones.

1. Mazda 1100 Cosmo

Back in the `60s, the biggest news amongst the car engineers was the Wankel rotary engine. The innovative concept of a single-piston engine which was far lighter and smaller than conventional units but with more power and revving capacity captivated the imagination of several major manufacturers. One of the first companies which were brave and confident enough to introduce such an engine in mass production was Mazda with its little sports coupe called 110 S Cosmo which debuted in 1967.

This was a sharp-looking two-seater with modern design and a tiny 982 cc engine with 110 or 130 HP in later versions. Since the car was extremely small and light, the performance was pretty vivid especially for the standards of the day. Mazda 110 S Cosmo was imported to the USA but the reception was nonexistent. Mazda was a new name to the American customers and Wankel-powered two-seater for Corvette price was a hard thing to sell. That is why they only made around 1300 cars and left-hand examples are very rare today.

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2. Toyota 2000 GT

This car was introduced in 1967 and turned the eyes of the car world to a small company from war-torn Japan. All car magazines of the period praised the ride and driving dynamics and despite having only 150 HP from high revving 2.0-liter six-cylinder, the 2000 GT had decent performance and almost racecar-like handling. In the late `60s, this car was entered in the SCCA championship where it enjoyed much success.

Unfortunately, due to the high price and poor brand recognition, the numbers of 2000 GTs sold are very low – exactly 351 cars until 1970. It didn’t even help that it was featured in a James Bond film. But, we couldn’t call it a failure. The 2000 GT did exactly what it was supposed to do, it showed the world that the Japanese car industry is the next big thing in the car world and that they are capable of producing fantastic sports cars.

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3. Datsun Fairlady Roadster

Everybody knows that Japanese manufacturers started as downsized copies of European and American cars. One of the most interesting Japanese copies of European cars was a cute and compact Datsun Fairlady Roadster built from 1959 to 1970 that was also known as Datsun Sports.

The design, technology and the feel were directly borrowed from British roadsters, especially from Triumph and MG. However, Datsun did more than just copying the British. It gave the little roadster some significant power with the 2.0-liter engine, better handling, and driving dynamics. And, most importantly, it guaranteed the quality of the cars which is something that British examples had difficulties with. Datsun made over 40,000 of those cool little cars over an 11-year production period with most of them sold in the USA, of course, with left-hand drive.

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4. Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R Hakosuka

Possibly the most famous model name in the whole history of Japanese performance and sports cars is Nissan`s Skyline GT-R. Introduced in 1968, the Skyline GT-R started its life as a performance version of the upscale Skyline model but with much significant design and mechanical changes which promoted it into a JDM performance legend.

The first GT-R was called Hakosuka which is a Japanese term for a box. The car was called that since it featured squared lines and boxy profile. But underneath the sheet metal, there was some serious sports car technology with high revving 2.0-liter six-cylinder engine and 160 HP. The Hakosuka GT-R raced tuned brakes, steering and independent rear suspension which made it capable on the street and the race track too.

Unfortunately, this model was never imported into the States, but today, it is highly collectible, expensive and desirable, especially since it was only produced in right-hand configuration. Produced from 1969 to 1972, Nissan made just shy of 2000 examples.

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5. Datsun 240Z

The 240Z was the first highly successful Japanese sports car on the American market and a legend that is still highly desirable even today. The 240Z was a proper sports model that featured a bigger engine, better construction and more power and performance than anything coming from Japan in those days. Critics say it was a copy of several European designs but the 240Z managed to win the buyers over and create its segment.

Introduced in America in 1970, the 240Z was a perfect car for the times. The muscle car craze started to wind down, safety regulations killed domestic performance cars and people looking for alternatives which could provide similar driving excitement with better handling and cheaper prices. The European models were too expensive and Datsun 240Z was the right car for the moment. The early models had 150 HP from a 2.4-liter six-cylinder which was more than enough for a lively performance. Over the years, Datsun improved the original model with bigger engines (2.6 and 2.8-liter units) and several restyles. The demand was always fantastic and when this first series of Z cars were discontinued in 1978, Datsun made over 300,000 examples making it one of the most successful sports cars in history.

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6. Honda S600/S800 Roadster

Honda was one of the first Japanese car companies which entered the American market in the `60s, but the first Hondas weren’t cars because the company made and sold only small but durable scooter motorcycles in those days. However, Honda always had an ambition of starting proper car production and one of their first models was a cute little roadster called S600.

Introduced in 1964, the S600 was a two-seater convertible with extremely compact dimensions, lightweight, powered by a small 600cc engine. It had 57 HP but pretty lively performance since the car weighed just 1500 pounds. Interestingly, the S600 had chain drive which was a primitive drivetrain system straight from motorcycle production. In 1967, Honda introduced the S800, an upgraded and more powerful version with a bigger 800 cc engine and 70 HP which was also available as a coupe.
The production was discontinued in 1970 after more than 22,000 of these Kei car roadsters and coupes were built. The car wasn’t initially popular on the American market, but today, it is sought-after by the collectors.

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7. Nissan Silvia CSP 311

You all probably know Nissan Silvia for its widely popular S14 and S15 versions produced in the `90s which became the definitive drift cars but the story of Silvia as one of Nissan`s most legendary sports cars dates the back the to mid `60s and cool looking Silvia CSP 311 coupe which was one of the first modern and proper sports cars from this brand.

Introduced in 1964 on the Tokyo Motor Show, the Silvia CSP 311 was a big step forward for this still obscure manufacturer. The car had European looks and proportions and it was a luxurious (for the Japanese standards of the times) sports coupe with rear-wheel drive. It was powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 96 HP which gave it decent performance. However, the first Silvia was a pretty expensive car for the Japanese domestic market and it sold in just 554 examples, most of which stayed in Japan. Today, it is widely regarded as one of the most influential early Japanese sports cars.

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8. Mazda RX-3 Coupe

Despite the limited appeal of Mazda`s Wankel engine offerings, problematic durability, and unusual driving dynamics, the company continued to offer this type of engine in various models for USA buyers, even in compact pickup trucks. But in the early `70s, the most interesting was a small but lively RX-3 Coupe. This tiny car was a nicely styled fastback coupe with modern design cues although on a much smaller scale than contemporary models from the USA or Europe.

The most important was the engine and under the hood was a two-rotor, 1.1-liter Wankel unit with 91 HP. We know it doesn’t sound as much and foreign markets got the same engine with 115 HP, but domestic emissions regulations choked this little Rotary motor. But, the 2300-pound weight, manual gearbox with short gearing and high revving engine made this tiny coupe pretty capable. The car even broke a few records on Bonneville in 1974.

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9. Mazda RX-7

The reassurance of interest for Japanese sports cars from the `70s has been one of the biggest news in the classic car world in recent years. The forgotten models, some even with RHD-only configurations are becoming more and more popular with US enthusiasts who are importing them from Japan or Australia. If you are looking for a genuine JDM example, you are late since the prices are stratospheric and a choice of models is very limited. However, there is the alternative in the form of the Mazda RX-7. The first generation of compact Mazda`s sports car has all the right ingredients to become a cult classic.

It is 40 years old, has rear-wheel drive, specific design, pop up headlights, interesting technology, it is cheap and plentiful and even had some racing success. The first generation was introduced in 1978 and stayed on the market until 1985. During that period, almost 500,000 of RX-7s were made, most of them being sold in America. Under the hood was a 1.1 to 1.3-liter Wankel rotary engine which was the RX-7`s most notable feature. The extremely compact and light engine produced 102 to 135 hp which was more than enough for a lively performance of this little coupe.

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10. Toyota Celica

After the sales flop of beautiful and highly advanced Toyota 2000 GT in the late `60s, the Japanese company didn’t give up from entering the American affordable sports car market. They just realized that they need a more conventional model with a much lower price and with the design which is going to be similar to the already known form. That is how the first generation (1970-1977) Toyota Celica came to be.

Built on a standard Toyota Carina basis, the Celica was one step above the popular Corolla in terms of size, technology, and engine power. The new Celica was introduced to the American buyers in 1970 with two body styles – regular two-door coupe and hardtop fastback. Immediately, the new Celica was compared to Ford Mustang because it was clearly inspired by Ford`s pony car and it was also a sportier version of a regular production sedan, just like the Mustang was.

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