Oct. 19, 2016
Toyota to Mark the 10th Anniversary of the Classic Car Festival in Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan, October 19, 2016―The Toyota Automobile Museum will host the 2016 Classic Car Festival at Meiji Jingu Gaien Park in Shinjuku, Tokyo on November 26. The goal of the car festival is to nurture and promote automobile culture, as well as to encourage interaction among car fans.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the festival in Tokyo, a commemorative logo featuring 10 stars has been created, and special attractions will also be made available for visitors. The first 100 visitors wearing both a scarf and sunglasses* will be presented with admission tickets to the Toyota Automobile Museum (for two), and a special viewing area will be set up to provide visitors with a close-up view of the start of the parade.
Most of the festival events will take place in front of the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery. Planned events include exhibitions and driving demonstrations of classic cars from the Toyota Automobile Museum Collection. Shortly after the festival begins, there will be a crosstown parade featuring approximately 100 privately owned classic cars. This year, with the cooperation from the Honda Collection Hall, the Honda N360, which had far exceeded the performance of minivehicles of the era and became a best seller, will also be exhibited.
The theme of this year's festival is "Outstanding cars from the '50s and '60s which you can see, hear, and feel." Visitors will be able to enjoy listening to the engine sounds made by famous cars while watching them being driven. These will include the Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz (1959, USA), which boasted prominent tailfins and had a major impact on cars all over the world; the Morris Mini-Minor (1959, UK), which changed preconceived notions about a car for the masses; the Datsun Fairlady Model SP310 (1963, Japan), which won the first Japan Grand Prix of 1963; as well as the replica of the Toyota 2000GT "Speed Trial" (1966, Japan), which had set three world speed records as well as 13 international records.
The Toyota Automobile Museum is a cultural facility in Nagakute City, which belongs to Toyota Motor Corporation. To convey a greater understanding of how the world's, and Japan's automobile industries had evolved in an intertwined manner, the museum is currently revamping its permanent exhibits. In January next year, it will also revamp its permanent exhibits on the third floor, which are thematically related to the special exhibition at this year's festival.
*Representative of the "look" of the 1950s, which is the theme of this year's festival
| Date | November 26, 2016 |
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| Time | 10:00-15:30 (regardless of weather, however specific items might be rescheduled) |
| Location | Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery, Meijijingu Gaien (1-1 Kasumigaoka-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo) |
| Admission | Free |
| Classic car parade and exhibition (featuring around 100 privately owned vehicles) | ||
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| 10:00-10:20 | Opening ceremony | |
| 10:20-12:00 (approx.) |
Classic car parade | |
| 11:00-15:30 (approx.) |
Exhibition featuring privately owned vehicles from the parade alongside vehicles from the Toyota Automobile Museum | |
| Special programs | ||
| 12:30-15:00 |
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Please see the attachment for information on other programs.
(Attachment)
| Program | Time | Content | |
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| Classic car parade (featuring approx. 100 privately owned vehicles) |
10:20-12:00(approx.) | Parade starting and finishing at the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery (taking an approximately 11 km route through the Ginza district) | |
| Classic car exhibition | 11:00-15:30(approx.) | Exhibition featuring privately owned vehicles from the parade, alongside vehicles from the Toyota Automobile Museum | |
| Classic Car Popularity Contest | 11:30-14:45 | A contest in which visitors can vote for their favorite classic car from among the privately owned cars on display. Note that ballots will be distributed at the Information Desk starting from 10:00 am. | |
| Classic Car Circuit (CCC) | 12:30-15:00 | Classic cars driven around the circuit
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| Classic Car Studio (CCS) | 12:30-15:00 | MC-hosted panel discussion featuring owner interviews, and a running commentary of events | |
| Opportunity to take commemorative photos in select vehicles | 10:00-15:00 | ||
| Edsel Citation (1958, USA) | - | Although the Citation was designed based on a careful marketing theory by Edsel, as the fourth Ford division following Lincoln, Mercury, and Ford, it turned out to be a marketing disaster. Nevertheless, the Citation's unique design and novel mechanism are reminiscent of the golden age of the American automobile. | |
| Ford Thunderbird (1962, USA) | - | This Thunderbird was the third generation Ford and debuted in 1962. Fifty Thunderbirds participated in the inauguration parade of President John F. Kennedy. The fancy instrument panel, for example, provides the viewer with a glimpse into the excellence of American cars during that era. | |
| Dino 246GTS (1973, Italy)Special appearance at MEGA WEB | - | "Dino" was the nickname of the founder's son. It is notable that the "Ferrari" name and the leaping-horse logo are absent from the body, and only the name "Dino" is on it. | |
| Other events | 10:00-15:00 |
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| Vehicle | Details |
|---|---|
| Toyopet Crown Model RS21 (1960, Japan) |
A modified version of the first-generation Crown. With enhanced engine performance, changes to interior and exterior design details and higher-quality body panels. This was the first Japanese car with a 3-speed automatic transmission and overdrive. |
| Vehicle | Details |
|---|---|
| Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz (1959, USA) |
The tailfin, which was adopted in the 1948 Cadillac for the first time, had a major impact on cars all over the world. The Eldorado Biarritz was at the top―a symbol of the golden age of the American automobile. |
| Morris Mini-Minor (1959, UK) |
The Oil Crisis led to the birth to the rational "Mini." The royal family and artists had shown their interests in the Mini, which changed preconceived notions about car hierarchy and built a unique culture beyond being a car for the masses. |
| Datsun Fairlady Model SP310 (1963, Japan) |
The Datsun Fairlady was Japan's first genuine sports car. It was raced in the first Japan Grand Prix of 1963, becoming the class winner against such foreign-made sports cars as the Porsche and the Triumph TR4. |
| Toyota 2000GT "Speed Trial" (replica) (1966, Japan) |
The 2000GT was developed with the goal of creating a sports car accepted at the world level during the era when Japan had lagged behind Western countries in terms of technology. This car astonished the world by entering a speed trial sanctioned by the International Automobile Federation and setting three world speed records and 13 international records. |
| Toyota 2000GT, "Bond car" (1966, Japan) |
This car was created for the 1967 James Bond movie, "You Only Live Twice". The scenes in which the 2000GT had appeared changed the image of Japanese cars, which until then had been primarily regarded as cars for practical use, and demonstrated to the world a Japan that was developing into an industrial nation. |
| Honda N360 (1967, Japan) Special appearance from the Honda Collection Hall |
The N360 was Honda's first minivehicle with front-wheel drive. Using an engine and technologies derived from a motorcycle, the N360 achieved 31 horsepower. With a performance far superior to that of the minivehicles of the era and a low price, the N360 became a record-setting best seller. |
- Note
- Vehicles, times, etc. may be changed if necessitated by circumstances.
Downloads (Images)
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- Classic Car Parade at the 2015 Classic Car Festival
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- 2015 Classic Car Festival
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- Taking commemorative photos in a vehicle at the 2015 Classic Car Festival
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- Museum Shop
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- Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
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- Toyota 2000GT "Speed Trial" (replica)
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- Toyota 2000GT, "Bond car"
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