Turning Japanese

Turning Japanese: 50 Years of Japanese Motoring in Oz is a snapshot of the rich history of Japanese cars in Australia – on the road as well as on the racetrack. The first Japanese cars to reach our shores in the late 1950s and early 1960s were mostly small, crude and often the object of laughter – and sometimes even hostility but as the designs and reliability rapidly improved, it wasn't long before Australia was won over.

The new Japanese brands just had too much style, were too well-appointed and offered irresistible value for money – and, in some cases, were just too plain cheeky to ignore. From the quaintly named Nissan Cedric of the early 1960s to today’s Nissan GT-R ‘Godzilla’ sportscar … this is a quirky look back at our four-wheeled love affair with the Land of the Rising Sun.

About the Author

James Cockington has been writing the weekly Collect column in the Money section for the last seven years (now called Quirky Investments), detailing the private passions of over 300 collectors. Subjects have ranged from studio pottery to yo-yos. He has previously written for the Sydney Morning Herald’s Spectrum, Metro and Drive sections and was editor of the TV Guide. James has a passion for books and has written several on popular culture, including History Happened Here and Banned, both published by ABC Books.