This study chronicles the success of the Japanese car in America. Starting with Japan's first gasoline-powered car, the Takuri, it examines early Japanese inventors and automotive conditions in Japan; the arrival of Japanese cars in California in the late 1950s; consumer and media reactions to Japanese manufacturers; what obstacles they faced; initial sales; and how the cars gained popularity through shrewd marketing. Toyota, Honda, Datsun (Nissan), Mazda, Subaru, Isuzu, and Mitsubishi are profiled individually from their origins through the present. An examination follows of the forced cooperation between American and Japanese manufacturers, the present state of the industry in America, and the possible future of this union, most importantly in the race for a more environmentally-sound vehicle.

Follows the growth of the Japanese automobile industry, with information on the production of every Japanese manufacturer, technical specifications, racing car versions, the evolution of car design and all experimental prototypes

Since the late 1980s Japanese motor manufacturers have been producing a line of high-performance cars that has found a ready market around the world. The combination of their abilities on the road, their traditional Japanese build quality and their reasonable pricing has captivated enthusiasts. Yet there has never been a single source in which to read and find out about these giants of the motoring world. Now, this exciting book profiles all Japan's greatest performance models, detailing their history, technical make-up and potential for speed. Each car is also rated for its desirability, tuneability and availability. At last, here is a book that fills a yawning gap: a reliable source of information about all the most significant and fascinating Japanese performance cars, many of which have never been written about in English before.

Despite the economic and political importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship and the extensive attention paid to automotive trade, few American scholars or policy makers are familiar with the history of Japanese government-business relations, either generally or for specific industries such as passenger cars. This book hopefully helps in a small way to fill that gap in our knowledge and, thus, to help strengthen the foundation from which we make public policy decisions about bilateral trade. [ix]