Eight JDM classics that never came to the UK | Axon's Automotive Anorak

In the last 50-years or so since British and European imports of Japanese cars began in earnest, vehicle producers from the Land of the Rising Sun have garnished our highways with a wide variety of memorable and (sometimes) remarkable coupe models, such as the Toyota Celica and Supra, Nissan 200SX, 240Z and GT-R, Mazda MX-3, RX-7 and RX-8, Honda S800, Z600 and Prelude, Mitsubishi Starion, Celeste and 3000GT, Subaru XT and SV-X, Suzuki SC100 ‘Whizzkid,’ Isuzu Piazza, and so on...

Whilst a few of the Japanese car makers have gradually abandoned the British/EU sporting coupe market sector in recent years, with no suitable category entries from Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Suzuki for a while now, for example, the likes of Nissan (370Z and GT-R), Subaru (BRZ) and Toyota (GT86 and GR Supra) have remained loyal and active in this niche segment, each rightly receiving plaudits for their specialist coupe models.  

Although the recent news of the decisions from Nissan and Subaru to deny this part of the world their latest coupe models is a blow (we are still waiting to hear if Toyota will import the new BRZ coupe’s Toyota GR86 close cousin for 2021), historically, a sizeable number of other outstanding JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) coupe models have been reserved for sale within Japan’s own shores only, with the occasional example sneaking out as an unofficial grey market import.

Previous JDM-only coupes such as the Mitsubishi FTO, Mazda Eunos Cosmo, Toyota Sera, Soarer and Curren, plus numerous earlier Nissan Skyline GT-R, Figaro and Silvia/Gazelle coupes, have informally found their way into the UK and other (mostly RHD) markets, suggesting that maybe Japan’s car makers like to keep the crème of their most interesting sporting coupe models to themselves, not to be shared with overseas motorists to savour.

On that note, here are eight notable (and oft-forgotten) late-20^th century JDM coupe models that were never officially sold in the UK (nor most European markets) as new cars, although a handful have later crept in as personal imports, some now regarded as highly-desirable classics.

Toyota 2000GT – 1967-70

First revealed as a jaw-dropping prototype at the 12^th Tokyo Motor Show in late 1965, the 2000GT was developed for Toyota by Yamaha and instantly caused a sensation, with affluent Japanese customers clamouring to buy one.

The production 152PS 2000GT was finally released onto the domestic Japanese market as Toyota’s halo model in Spring 1967, with its low-volume hand assembly contracted out to Yamaha and power provided by a DOHC straight-six motor, derived from the range-topping Toyota Crown saloon’s SOHC engine.

With a 136mph capability and 0-62mph achieved in 8.6 seconds, the svelte 2000GT’s performance was lively by contemporary standards, although its two-seater cockpit (designed for smaller Japanese drivers) was a tad too compact for many overseas frames, necessitating the need to convert two examples into open-topped roadsters for the use in the Japan-based 007 Bond film, You Only Live Twice.  

Now highly collectable, with just 351 examples built, the Toyota 2000GT became the very first Japanese car to achieve and exceed a $1million/£1million sales value at auction.

Mazda Cosmo 110S – 1967-72

The first in a long-line of rotary-engined production Mazdas, the Cosmo 110S coupe was initially presented in concept form a full year ahead of JDM rival Toyota’s 2000GT at the 1964 Tokyo Motor Show. After the Show, 80 pre-production examples were rolled out to JDM Mazda dealers to try and test during 1965-66, to ensure the revolutionary Wankel engine was going to prove usable and reliable in ‘regular’ customers’ hands.

Once Mazda’s engineers were confident in the durability of its new motor, the first production Cosmo 110S models were released in 1967, with around one car per day being built, and total production over a five-year run numbering just 1,176 units.

The Cosmo’s compact 998cc rotary engine achieved 112PS initially, with later Series 2 examples (from mid-1968 onwards) stretched to 130PS, resulting in a 5mph top speed growth to 120mph, allied to marginally sharper acceleration. After a three-year rest, Mazda revived the Cosmo model name for its entirely different luxury 2+2 rotary MX-5 coupe in 1975, with the designation continuing until being retired with its fourth-generation, triple-rotor Eunos Cosmo coupe in 1996.

Love Mazdas? Read our list of 14 brilliant rotary Mazdas you’ve probably never heard of.

Prince Skyline Sport – 1962-64

The elegant but expensive Prince Skyline Sport coupe started a trend for Japanese car companies turning to Turin for some much-needed vehicle design expertise in the early 1960s, with Nissan/Datsun, Mazda, Hino, Daihatsu, Suzuki and others following Prince’s pioneering path to get the finest Italian designers to style their cars for a broader international audience.

Turin’s celebrated vehicle designer Giovanni Michelotti lead the field, first rolling out his handsome Skyline Sport prototype for Prince at the 1960 Turin Salon to great critical acclaim. The production version of Prince was released in Japan in April 1962 in both four-seater coupe and convertible forms, with the Skyline’s striking coachwork hand-made by Italian artisans initially flown in to Japan, invited to teach and train the local assembly line workers how to build such a refined, top-line car.

This process made the Skyline’s retail price exceptionally high (more than twice that of Prince’s range-topping Gloria executive saloon), putting the model too far out of reach for most Japanese buyers, with around just 60 examples finally constructed.

Michelotti’s Skyline was based around the humble mechanicals of the ‘regular’ Prince Gloria 1900 saloon, with an in-line four-cylinder OHV engine churning out 94PS. Once Nissan had taken over Prince in 1966, it continued production of the sporting Skyline models as a key player in the Nissan/Datsun portfolio, reprieving the two-door coupe derivative with its (now cult) Skyline GT-R in 1971, as featured below.

Hino Contessa Coupe – 1965-67

Better known today for its heavy commercial vehicles than passenger cars, Hino was once a major force in the burgeoning post-war Japanese automobile sector, building a locally-adapted version of the Renault 4CV under licence.

After World War II ended, Japanese manufacturers were encouraged to engage with experienced foreign companies to help build-up the local passenger car industry again. This lead to the well-established truck maker Hino becoming a private car manufacturer too in 1953, initially assembling Renault 4CVs, with the first 4CV-inspired Contessa PC Sedan launched in 1961 with a clumsy, unappealing in-house design.

Lackluster sales caused Hino to follow Prince’s lead and call on Giovanni Michelotti to re-design its ugly Contessa PC into the more accomplished second-generation Contessa 1300 PD, an attractive four-door saloon, resembling the Triumph 1300/Dolomite family, also styled by Michelotti.

Six months after the successful new Contessa saloon’s launch, Hino introduced a sportier two-door coupe derivative, with a lowered roofline, a more steeply-raked windscreen and two-doors. Just 3,868 coupes were made before Hino’s new owners – Toyota – cancelled all passenger car production to focus solely on commercial vehicles though, prematurely stifling the Contessa coupe’s potential.

Isuzu 117 Coupe – 1968-81

One of a trio of exceptionally good-looking Italian-designed JDM coupes of the 1960s (the others being Michelotti’s Prince Skyline and the Bertone-styled Mazda Luce R130 of 1969) the Giugiaro sketched Isuzu 117 coupe is arguably one of the Italian design master’s finer moments.

First shown in prototype form at the 1967 Tokyo Show, when Isuzu introduced the production 117 in 1968, the coupe remained mercifully true to the outstanding airy 1967 prototype’s design. Based around the forgettable and underwhelming Isuzu Florian family saloon and estate, the 1.9-litre 117 was initially handmade in small numbers at a high price. This situation changed substantially in 1973 when General Motors took a major stake in Isuzu, with the now more-affordable 117 benefitting from greater mass-production technics and economies of scale. A diesel engine option (to create the world’s very first diesel coupe) was added in 1978.

Throughout the Isuzu’s long 13-year production career, aesthetically the pretty 117 thankfully changed very little, the only alterations being limited to the addition of alloy wheels, a subtle front spoiler, plus four rectangular headlights replacing the previous quad round lamps in late 1977. 

The 117 was eventually replaced in 1981 by the equally striking Isuzu Piazza, another outstanding Giugiaro-designed coupe that was briefly sold in the UK from 1985.

Nissan/Datsun Skyline GT-R Coupe – 1971-72

In August 1966, the Nissan Motor Company acquired and merged with its former JDM car making rival, Prince. Largely unknown outside of its domestic market, Prince was considered the Japanese ‘sporting’ prestige brand, first introducing its cult Skyline performance model line from 1957.

The Skyline switched from Prince to Nissan (and Datsun) badging in 1968, when the Prince marque as killed off and the third-generation C10 models were launched.

This Skyline C10 generation saw the introduction of the first GT-R high-performance derivative in 1969, initially available in four-door saloon form only, but with the much-storied GT-R coupe following in early 1971. This 162PS 2.0-litre DOHC coupe introduced the flared wheel arches and quad circular tail lights that have gone on to become a signature design feature of all subsequent GT-R models, as still evident in today’s stand-alone Nissan GT-R.

With the exception of the few minor export markets, the C10 GT-R remained reserved for the Japanese home market only. It wasn’t until the fourth generation Datsun Skyline (C110) was announced in late 1972 that exports of the model began to the UK and mainland Europe, badged as the 240K GT.

Suzuki Cervo/Mighty Boy – 1982-88

Although firmly established as a motorcycle producer in most export markets for many years, Suzuki remained unknown for its four-wheeled cars until it began exporting its diminutive Jimny 4x4 in the late 1970s, swiftly followed-up in a few countries with its characterful Cervo-based SC100 ‘Whizzkid’ rear-engined coupe in 1979.

Designed by Giugiaro, the tiny first-generation Cervo SC100 was replaced by a more conventional front-engined, front-wheel-drive Kei car coupe in 1982, the new SS40. This new Cervo remained a JDM-only coupe, soon joined by an unusual utility-cum-coupe, amusingly named the Suzuki Mighty Boy!

The funky Mighty Boy had the appearance and profile of a coupe, but with a laughably small pick-up bed, measuring just under 2 feet (0.6 metres) long, so not offering much usable practicality and utility, despite with an impressive 440kg cargo weight limit, quite considerable for a miniscule Kei car. Sadly the Mighty Boy remained a unique model that Suzuki chose not to replace when the more traditional third-generation Cervo was changed from a coupe to a ‘hot hatch’ in 1988. 

Autech Zagato Stelvio AZ1 – 1989-91

Autech was launched as Nissan’s official tuning subsidiary in 1987, arriving with a bang, quickly partnered with the renowned Italian design house Zagato to build a series of exclusive luxury sporting coupes.

The first of these was the distinctly ‘love-or-hate’ Autech Zagato Stelvio AZ1 of 1989, an unusual and costly two-door coupe, based around the JDM-only Nissan Leopard coupe's platform and turbocharged 284PS mechanicals as a base. Zagato dressed the Leopard donor with distinctive and severely polarising coachwork, accentuated by its bold wing mirrors integrated into the front wings, giving the AZ1 an unusual look that referenced the prominent front wing-mounted mirrors that were frequently found on many JDM cars of the 1960s and ’70s.

Of the total 203 Stelvio AZ1 coupes originally planned to be made, just 104 examples of this odd and expensive coupe (priced at over 2.5-times the price of a Nissan Leopard) were finally built, the model being ultimately replaced by the even less popular 300ZX-based Autech Zagato Gavia coupe in 1993.