Motoring J-Style 2007, A Retro Rewind of Nor-Cal’s First Japanese Car Event
In July of 2007, Motoring J-Style held their first Japanese event at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo, California. The focus was pre-1985 Japanese cars and their automotive culture. Though some people joke that “nobody restores a Honda or Toyota,” nothing could be further from the truth. Even ten years ago, demand for clean and restored versions was high, and an active culture was thriving. Cars came from all over the West Coast to attend.
In addition to the show and shine at Motoring J-Style, there as a drift event and a Rallycross hosted by NASA‘s Formula Rally-X series. While the sport has grown significantly, for many enthusiasts the event’s Amateur Drift Competition, hosted by BATTLE Swing, was the first time many had seen drifting in person. Noted FD driver Calvin Wan brought out his Falken-sponsored FD3S RX-7 and even made some exhibition runs. 5Axis‘ Troy Sumitomo was also on hand to sign autographs alongside a few of their show cars like the Scion XB DJ booth and Lexus ISF concept.
In addition to the classic cars, Nissan North America used the show as an opportunity to debut their new GT-R. Other industry icons who made the show included Scion, Lexus, and Toyota. Also on hand was Datsun legend Peter Brock of BRE fame who drove the red white and blue 510s to victory in the SCCA 2.5L classes in the late 60s and early ‘70s.
If you like vintage Japanese cars, Motoring J-Style was the place to be. If you missed it, ten years later, it’s a fun peek back at the cars that were on display, realizing matte finish and vinyl wrapping were in their infancy. We can’t help but wonder where many of these cool cars are today!
Enjoy your trip down the rabbit hole with the complete gallery below.
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