The land of the rising sun is also the land of rising passion for historic vehicles.
This was once again evident at the Concorso d'Eleganza held in Nara, Japan, on 15 and 16 March. In a setting that could not have been more unique, taking place amid the grounds of the Yakushiji Temple, a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site and a unique element of Japanese cultural heritage. The temple is part of the huge complex that was the first centre of power of the Japanese Empire in the 8th century AD and is collectively referred to as “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara”.
Against this backdrop, the carefully selected classics stood out fantastically. The field of participants offered a wide range of vehicles, starting with a 1921 Fiat 501 S race car. As with many other show events lately, there was also a class of supercars from today including a Ferrari Daytona SP 3 2024 to top it off. With one exception, the very rare vintage cars on the show ground were all from Japan. It is surprising how broadly oriented Japanese enthusiasts are, as Italian classics formed the largest group. This fact might also be explained by the preference of the organiser Mr. Hidetomo Kimura, himself a collector, who has a weak spot for special, sporty variants of small Italian cars, such as those from Abarth. He is a very passionate and energetic person, who kept the good mood going even when rain fell, showing that raindrops falling on a well-waxed Rolls Royce Phantom also have their charm.
For the international jury, that included FIVA President Tiddo Bresters, there were ten categories of classics to choose from, plus some special prizes, including the Spirit of FIVA trophy. It is impossible to list all the winners, but of course those for the Best of Show and FIVA trophy need to be mentioned.
The Best of Show award according to the jury could only go to the one entrant from overseas: the futuristic Lancia Stratos Zero HF, presented by a collector from the United States. It is an extremely low and strikingly styled one-off concept car by legendary designer Marcello Gandini (1938-2024), a legacy from his Bertone days. That this creation was first presented as early as 1970 reminds one of the drive for innovation during that era , coming shortly after the first Apollo astronauts landing on the moon.
The winner of the Spirit of FIVA trophy was selected based on a number of criteria, including, but not limited to the quality and authenticity of the car , but also the profile of the very young owner, Mr. Junichi Sugimoto, who proudly exhibited his well-documented 1929 Austin Seven Coupe. Pre-war vehicles in the hands of young people is something that FIVA greatly welcomes. . FIVA further values the fact that even such once popular mass-produced cars, which were then, as well as now, quite affordable, are precisely what attracts young people.
Many other classics presented in Nara are also in the hands of young people, a trend which we are witnessing more and more in the historical vehicle field. This reflects that Japan, as with numerous other countries across the world, has a considerable growth potential for FIVA. . This trend is further buoyed by the growing interest of young people in Japanese classics. Such a trend certainly need not be as exclusive as exemplified by one of the many other masterpieces in Nara, the 1965 James Bond Toyota 2000 GT convertible , used in “You Only Live Twice” (1967). The title of the film precisely reflects what one would wish for discovering many more stars on wheels in Japan.
Text and pictures by Tiddo Bresters
An interview to the organiser and Ambassador Shimizu is available at this link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHMZZwFCnnY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==