Hate for Sushi chod.

[steve_earwig]

"All agro" and "Vroom for improvement" if I remember correctly. My brother had one with glue smeared all over the roof lining.

 

Jap crap, Brit, er...

 

All I can say is you'll be ok with anything not made this century....

[Bobthebeard]

Jap crap, Austin Allaggro, HMS Marina, Ford Crappy..... Etc Etc...

Modern versions being Nissan Cashcow, Nissan Joke, Renault Me Again (to main dealer).....

Etc.

As long as cars are made people will take the piss.

[Partridge]

"Back in the day" my Dad drove a Datsun 240z and my Gran had a Polo. I can remember my Granddad saying "You'd not think we'd won the bloody war with a German car and bloody Jap car on my drive!" (His Ford was made in Germany, but nobody had the heart to tell him).

If we continue this, there won't be a single car left, that an Englishman could buy.

Rover 75? Oh wait the diesel was German. Volvos? Ah no wait Sweden some things for Germany in the war. Gilburn Invader? Ah bugger, that's Welsh.

[lisbon_road]

My great uncle was a Lancaster pilot in the war and survived.  He bought VW cars all his life, from Beetles in the '70s to a new Golf recently that sadly he now can't drive. 

 

In contrast, if anyone has been to South Korea, it is only 100 miles or so to Japan at the closest point but you never see a Japanese car.  Strong feelings there.

 

I've lost the plot as far as what this thread is about but it is interesting.  I've never owned a Jap car but I do see the appeal of the older ones - especially the Ratdat thread.  And what exposure I have had has always impressed me with quality.  Korean cars are next - the marketing might be crap but the cars are good.  Been in a few taxis in Seoul with 750K km on them that seem fine. 

[Bobthebeard]

The Daily Mail readers will explode when they read this! Not that any Daily Mail readers ever read anything sensible or well researched of course....

[Partridge]

Korean cars are where Jap cars were 20 years or so ago. Soon they'll make a really, really good sports cars to rival the GT86, and the generation of teenage PlayStationists will be wanking over Kias, mark my words.

[junkyarddog]

Had loads of Jap cars over the years,

loved them all.

Still have two,a '91 Vtec prelude,

and a '78 Corolla KE35 coupe

 

A few years ago now,

an American chap sauntered into the yard where we kept the shite that was deemed resaleable.

Looking to buy something cheep n cheerful,

 

Me,"How about that little honda"says I,pointing at a decent little Civic,

 

Yank," I won't drive no jap car boy" he replied in a peeved manner,

"I remember Pearl Harbour!!"

 

Me,"so what would you drive?" I asked.

 

Yank,"You got anything German?"

 

I think the irony was lost on him.

[twosmoke300]

My grandad fought in Burma and always said he wouldn't buy anything Japanese.

Year later he buys a rover 827 , I didn't have the heart to tell him. Especially when he kept going on about it being the best car he'd ever had. He was a princess and ambassador man for years with some Citroen cx estates thrown in for good measure.

[Negative Creep]

Having read rather extensively about WW2 I can see how a lot of that generation could never forgive the Japanese for what they did, but memory becomes history and as such less relevant to most people. Japanese culture has become more prevalent in our own, especially in the entertainment industry, so is seen as cool. Shame they toned down the lovely styling of that 70's era to become more generic, but their reputation seems firmly cemented. In my experience they are not only well put together, but done so in such a way that they're easy to take apart as well. Shame they still can't get interiors right though

[Sloth in a bowl]

Yeah, or made in a country they never were at war with.

 

 

Is there much of a car industry in Portugal?

[Squire_Dawson]

We have been a family of Japanese car owners for over 20 years now - Toyota, Nissan, Honda. I was rather young to understand at the time why the preference was for Japanese cars, nor was I much interested, but now I realise it was down to the layout inside, reliability, the fact they were generally well thought out etc. Currently the family run a 2007 Avensis diesel which is good, but suffers from the illness all modern cars have now of rear passengers not being able to see out of the front. A Nissan Note is the reason why we will never be buying another Nissan, or possibly even Japanese car... slow, boring, spec has crap we don't want but was standard, cheapo plastic handles and fittings which used to be made of metal and so on. The previous chariots of Ford Escort diesel estate, Toyota Previa and K11 Micra Shape are all fondly remembered. Along with many on the forum, I am of the opinion that car designers have lost their sense of direction and have been going further off course since the mid-1990's. Time moves on whether we like it or not.

 

However, the modern motor car, which is now packed with so much equipment and is generally very reliable, is a marvel when you consider how cheaply a new car can be bought these days. If I was going to buy a new car, I would be considering offerings from Hyundai, probably an i30. For now, though, I'll be rattling along in the Austin.

[Junkman]

Volvos? Ah no wait Sweden some things for Germany in the war.

 

Don't forget the Anglo-Swedish war 1810-12.

[Junkman]

Is there much of a car industry in Portugal?

 

Yes, there is. All Englishmen should buy a VW Eos.

Oh, wait...

[Skizzer]

Is there much of a car industry in Portugal?

Sorry, we backed the Dutch in the Dutch-Portuguese War in the early 17th century.

 

You'd be alright with Brazil, I think - except all the Brazilian car plants are owned by the Germans, Americans, Japanese...

[Junkman]

Korean cars are where Jap cars were 20 years or so ago. Soon they'll make a really, really good sports cars to rival the GT86, and the generation of teenage PlayStationists will be wanking over Kias, mark my words.

 

Last time I was in the US of A I had a Kia Enterprise (talk about buying cars from your enemy) as a hire car, and can only praise its virtues.

 

I bet you are completely right, if the Kia Stinger concept car is anything to go by:

 

[Skizzer]

If we don't count the time when Switzerland was a puppet state under Napoleon, I reckon Britishers could drive Monteverdis with clear consciences. I'm surprised* they're not more popular.

 

Mind you, the same argument would probably have half the country driving around in Skodas. Just imagine that! Oh, hang on...

[Negative Creep]

If we don't count the time when Switzerland was a puppet state under Napoleon, I reckon Britishers could drive Monteverdis with clear consciences. I'm surprised* they're not more popular.

 

Mind you, the same argument would probably have half the country driving around in Skodas. Just imagine that! Oh, hang on...

 

 

We've never been at war with Canada so we could have a DeLorean, or Mexico so we could buy that supercar that Top Gear were all OMG racialist about

[Parky]

There was never anything wrong with the cars from Japan, but when I grew up the mags always said the same thing - wont go wrong, lacks any character. I remember a piece in CAR written by Bremner I believe called "Corolla, Carina, they make your washing cleaner" which discussed how Japanese cars were treated as white goods and they couldn't cope with proper Euro opposition. Which at the time was the mk4 Escort.......

 

This sort of reporting influenced the pub bores in much the same way that Clarkson does today. I had friends at school who had Corollas which we ripped the piss out of mercilessly but we spent our weekends waiting for the AA truck while they were off to the countryside with the ladies. Go Japan!

[Hendry]

Interiors, that's my reason for not liking them, they build good cars, which are starting to look a bit nicer, they are mostly reliable, good to drive now, well equipped, spacious, comfortable, but the interiors are still such a let down, only other gripe is they feel and sound tinny still. Particularly Nissan Qashqais, Jukes, Toyota Verso and Avensis.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I don't like German cars because of Hitler . So I drive an American* car that was made by a company called Steyr in Graz.....

 

My history teacher, Mr Mathews was a survivor of The Burma Railway. He was ,30 years later , still a walking skeleton, as kids are all evil bastards and it was the late 70s,we called him Bony M. Anyway he drove a purple Mazda 818, I never understood why my dad thought this was strange.

[Skizzer]

I've got absolutely nothing against Japanese cars, to generalise massively, and am all for other people having them - but I've never owned one because there are so few that really light my boat, somehow.

 

There are a few exceptions, that I quite fancy: various 80s Hondas, especially a mk1 Prelude or a 1987 Accord Aerodeck (the 3 door one); a 1970s Colt Sapporo, Sigma or Celeste; a Mazda Montrose pillarless 2-door coupe from about 1980 (like John Toshack had when the Swans were in the first division last time round); or an Isuzu Piazza.

 

I nearly bought an aged 1985 Mitsubishi Galant once, but the suspension was knackered so I didn't. Stupendously comfy seats though, with velour you could lose a dog in. I also contemplated a Lancer Evo briefly, but with the mileage I do it would have needed a service every six weeks .

[mercrocker]

I well remember my Grandad chopping his last P6 in for a coke bottle 160B.  I was aghast.  How could he, etc?   This was 1975 and his Rover had just comically exploded in a water-fountain sense in the Benelux tunnel.  The response from the BL dealer once back home in Blighty had him rippling with anger.   He already looked a little bit like Major Upsett in the old Motor magazines...Anyway, he went straight out and ordered the Datsun the same week.   His brother had recently chopped in a Princess 4 Litre R for a 100A Cherry (talk about chalk and cheese) and had not stopped going on about the fuel economy (no shit, Sherlock!).   Anyway that was it, Jap all the way, Bluebird followed by Accord, although his last steed was a homely Metro.   I learned to drive in a 120Y with dustbin lid hubcaps as well as the aforementioned bordello-interior 160B but I am afraid I have retained absolutely no first-shag love-misty eyes for anything Japanese.   UNTIL very recently when I started making obscene phone calls to my mate's Laurel.  Really am beginning to like that car.  It must be a sign of age....

[dollywobbler]

I suggest folk look up the excellent Al Murray and countries 'we' have beaten at war. It's excellent and amusing!

I think most of the cars we love attract flak elsewhere. Deal with it.

[AnthonyG]

I'm not entirely sure whether I understand the connotation between a Proton and cars from a country Britain fought during WWII, but do you realise,

that in case it was a J-reg, your civil duty would have been to save it?

A 1991 Proton is an 1980s Mitsubishi assembled in Malaysia.

[AnthonyG]

The Malayans had to get smacked as well, 1948-60.

Well, we were fighting one group of Malaysians in order to hand over the country to another group of Malaysians who we were more friendly - we were never at war with the country (which we sort of owned at the time)

[AnthonyG]

We've never been at war with Canada so we could have a DeLorean, or Mexico so we could buy that supercar that Top Gear were all OMG racialist about

Eh? deloreans were made in Belfast!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Eh? deloreans were made in Belfast!

Maybe Bricklin?

[mercrocker]

Or one of the last Studebakers...........Or anything out of the GM Oshawa plant.   Meteors or Monarchs from Ford of Windsor?   Snowmobile anyone?

[AnthonyG]

Bricklin's - yes, I think they were made in Canuckshire.

[spike60]

I've nowt against Japanese cars, just most of the ones I would be interested in have become knob wagons, modified drift etc. I had a bog standard S13 Nissan 200SX which was a good sporty coupe and a £60 Cherry which wasn't. Mx5's are about the only ones I would consider these days, must be too girly for these modifying boys. Fine by me!