Ian Patmore
Well-Known Forum User
I concur.
My impression from researching the Silvia is that Japan's motor and motorbike industry was thriving after the 2nd World War (in the late 1950/early 1960's), and this pushed such companies to try different things, sometimes it was a failure, other things worked, but the companies and workers were pushing, learning and being creative. There were loads of secondary companies either making components for the big ones, or they were pushing their own products. There are plenty of aftermarket parts in the 1960's, fog lamps, hazard switches, the list goes on. The fog lamps and hazard switch I have brought are just lovely (but I digress).
Nissan's project the A550X was much likes Toyota's 2000GT production, both had new ideas, and inticate designs. Both being too technical for Nissan and Toyota to build the prototypes, and did a collaboration separately with Yamaha. These cars, like others, were pinnicles on what each company could do. Imagine being at the Tokyo Motor show in 1965 and seeing a Toyota 2000GT, or would you be looking at a run of the mill Austin Mini?
It's also trying to compare mass produced cars with limited production, there are plenty of Ferrari's/Maseratis/Lamborginis that have lower or comparable production figures than the Toyota 2000GT, Silvia, Z432, but I don't hear them called white elephants.
And remember, the likes of the Toyota 2000GT and Silvia are made with solidly made parts (which cost money to make), the indicators bases are metal, the badges are metal etc. all before the age of mass produced plastic cars. Use a toggle switch for the Silvia, is sooo much more enjoyable to use than a cheap produced plastic S30 one. The likes of the 2000GT was the last hurrah of quality made cars, before the rise of the mass produced ones, where the cost is the driving factor, not the making the car for the sake of it.
Craftmanship. And that comes at a price.
My impression from researching the Silvia is that Japan's motor and motorbike industry was thriving after the 2nd World War (in the late 1950/early 1960's), and this pushed such companies to try different things, sometimes it was a failure, other things worked, but the companies and workers were pushing, learning and being creative. There were loads of secondary companies either making components for the big ones, or they were pushing their own products. There are plenty of aftermarket parts in the 1960's, fog lamps, hazard switches, the list goes on. The fog lamps and hazard switch I have brought are just lovely (but I digress).
Nissan's project the A550X was much likes Toyota's 2000GT production, both had new ideas, and inticate designs. Both being too technical for Nissan and Toyota to build the prototypes, and did a collaboration separately with Yamaha. These cars, like others, were pinnicles on what each company could do. Imagine being at the Tokyo Motor show in 1965 and seeing a Toyota 2000GT, or would you be looking at a run of the mill Austin Mini?
It's also trying to compare mass produced cars with limited production, there are plenty of Ferrari's/Maseratis/Lamborginis that have lower or comparable production figures than the Toyota 2000GT, Silvia, Z432, but I don't hear them called white elephants.
And remember, the likes of the Toyota 2000GT and Silvia are made with solidly made parts (which cost money to make), the indicators bases are metal, the badges are metal etc. all before the age of mass produced plastic cars. Use a toggle switch for the Silvia, is sooo much more enjoyable to use than a cheap produced plastic S30 one. The likes of the 2000GT was the last hurrah of quality made cars, before the rise of the mass produced ones, where the cost is the driving factor, not the making the car for the sake of it.
Craftmanship. And that comes at a price.
