Classic Cars And Youngtimers
Importing A Classic Car From Japan
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Classic Cars And Yougtimers
Let’s check some popular classic cars & young timers here.
The Japanese public has long been avid consumers of cars and not just Japanese cars. We have to go back to the bubble period in Japan when the country was awash with money and every 3rd person was some sort of high roller.
The Japanese like most Asians love wealth and to some extent love to show it off. No, they will not have gold chains dangling around their necks and throw money away frivolously, but they will buy a 2nd home and a 2nd or 3rd car.
So with this in mind in the 1980s and into the early ’90s etc these wealthy Japanese went out on a buying frenzy and snapped all sorts of great cars from the best automotive manufacturers in Europe and the USA and more.
I know this because I have remnants of these cars parked in my garage and have exported hundreds of these great cars back to their country of birth.
Just what did these wealthy Japanese car lovers buy? Lets us have a look below
Yes, the Porsche designed E500 and the 500E not to mention the E500 Limited edition. Some even ordered E60`s as a special alternative. I would often drive to the car auctions in the late ’90s and early into the millennium and see the fat ass of an E500 in my crosshairs.
Is there anything quite as great, long, and comfortable as a Mercedes Benz 560SEL in its prime! Yes, these cars are back and quite frankly never went away. When I first started getting inquiries for these cars I prayed that the supply would never run out.
Then requests started pouring in for the 560SEC, a beautiful long and elegant coupe that at first glance you had to wonder how such a gloriously gorgeous car had never been dreamed of prior ( yes, of course, there were )
My wife loves convertibles and none look better than an original Mercedes Benz 320CE Cabriolet. A splendid coupe with a marvelous turning circle, great looks and timeless design. These cars are designed so simply and to find a nice example some 25 years later is still quite easy in Japan.
How did we nearly forget the Mercedes Benz G class! Never
For a long time, I saw this big rectangular piece of German engineering driving around the streets of Tokyo and used to think, why? Was it a G320 G500 or a G55 AMG
A solid car with a solid construction the every reliable Benz G Class 4WD is a car for collectors and enthusiasts alike.
Moving away from my pet favorite car and on to the next subject.
Most of us realize that BMW never really hit its stride until the M3 E30. Yes, there was always the BMW 2002 and M6 which was a particular favorite.
When I was in my prime in New Zealand we would go and watch the local touring cars where you could see a BMW 635 CSI wiping the track clean. A fantastic site to watch in the day.
Now we must digress back to the BMW E30 M3. This car with its chiseled boy lines and heart-pumping 6 cylinder engine was at first underrated. Then we saw it going head to head with the Mercedes Benz 190E Evolution I and II. This little car set the benchmark for the M cars from BMW we see today.
The BMW 7 series. Wow, such a fabulous car. Less technical in some respects to its earlier Mercedes Benz S class cousin, and rarely did it give as many issues. Ok, so the interior was not glued in so well. A good condition BMW 735, 740, or 750 still looks great today.
By the way, I happen to own the best BMW E36 M3 in Japan currently. Only 27,000 Kim by one owner in white. The car is glorious and in showroom condition. Ask here.
BMW has now made its come back and with these great cars and including the ever loved BMW M5, BMW has a fabulous line up of Classic Cars and Youngtimers.
Touching on the M5 we have to wonder if the V8 was a better car than the ever-popular later V10? Another story on another page I think.
Moving forward and beyond
Well firstly as we know there was only one. Yes, the 911.
How do you start talking about the Porsche 911 930, 911 Carrera, 964, 993, 996, Turbo, 4S, Club Sports, and the rest?
Yes and rightly so the air-cooled car syndrome is abuzz. Save your money and break the piggy bank. This wonderful little Porsche 911 air-cooled charmer will cost you your child tuition today, and rightly so.
There is nothing like it! No car has commanded the appeal or the cult following of this little frog. Yes, you have your Mustangs and Ferraris and whatever. But nothing will compare to the uniqueness and appeal of this car.
Over the years I have owned more Porsche 911`s than most people could ever dream. I never grow tired of these cars. I have a 996 4S parked in my driveway from 2002. It still looks fresh today. It too will be the next Classic Youngtimer. In some ways, it’s already the most affordable.
Read well here! There is no production-based car that will match the appeal of this crazy little rear-mounted engined monster. They even make a car in a color called “Lizard Green” That’s some balls.
Love these fantastic Porsche 911`s Contact us for yours.
I would truly love to delve into Lancia models and say things like Prisma, Thema, etc but that silly. There is in reality only one Lancia that counts on this page and that’s the Delta. I am not going to race into statistics about this car but I will tell you what I know.
In 2008 I was contacted by a dealer in Stuttgart and asked if I could buy him a couple of Deltas. What was I going to say other than yes? He was only interested in EvoII Integrales and
wanted to pay around 2.0 million JPY.
We bought Delta after Delta. We also started to buy EvoI which was the first edition and paid around 1.6 for these. It was a dream, and then I woke up along with the Youngtimer classic car market.
Within 7 years I was having to pay 5 million-plus for an EvoII and 4 million-plus for an EvoI.
People started asking about 16V also, this was absurd as nobody wanted a boring 16 valve even if they were given one. I was paying over 1.5 to 2.0 million for them in 2016
Hopefully, the top price for this Italian rocket has peaked and we can all think about enjoying one. There will come a day when I will look back and count how many I bought and the ones I should have kept!
A great day for the new owners and a sad day for me for not keeping them.
There are a couple of notable mentions along the way and not to be forgotten.
Let us consider the great twin-turbo Maserati GT3200. Yes, it has its problems but wow it still looks and sounds great.
From Sweden, we are often asked for a Saab 900 Turbo. Such an interesting car and very collectible today if you can find an original one.
On that note, one can also consider a Volvo V70. Maybe not the cup of tea for all but they will certainly be a very affordable classic car to own.
There are a few more little Swedish delights but they are too scarce to mention here.
Jaguar V12 XJS convertible, The Rover Mini, and there are even some affordable classic Rolls Royce cars out there for the everyday Joe. Oh and I almost forgot the great Bentley Turbo. Cheap luxury and great coachwork if you can afford to keep it running.
I would love to break into a long serious chat or yarn about the great classic American car here but they are destined for another page on the website.
Over the years I have bought many cars from Japan. The experience importing to Germany can be difficult but I have mastered the import process. I advise anyone wanting to buy a car from Japan to contact the team here at AutoTraderImports
Raul from Hanover