BIG WHEELS KEEP ON TURNING AT THE QUEEN MARY

THE 6TH ANNUAL JAPANESE CLASSIC CAR SHOW Words and pictures by Roy Nakano After two years at Irvine’s Hidden Valley Park (the former home of Lion Country Safari), the 6th Annual Japanese Classic Car Show returned to its roots at the Queen Mary in Long Beach on September 12, 2010. Ironically, the show left the Queen Mary because it had outgrown the grassy knoll area in front of the majestic ship. Evidently, it dawned on the organizers that there’s nothing stopping the show from expanding well into the Queen Mary’s massive parking lot. For this sixth annual event, that’s exactly what they did. Alas, that wasn’t the only thing massive: The line getting into the event was equally massive. So after six years showcasing these eastern offerings from mostly humble origins, I’m convinced that the Japanese Classic Car Show is largely responsible for escalating the value of late-20th century Toyotas, Datsuns (AKA Nissans), Mazdas, Subarus and Suzukis in this country. That’s great if you already have these cars in your stable (some of the exhibiters are original owners). If you plan on doing so (that is, purchase one or more of these nostalgic motors), be prepared to pay a hefty price the longer you wait. Here’s some of what we saw at this year’s show…