Turning Japanese

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

The new Japanese brands 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' sports car, this is a quirky look back at Australia's four-wheeled love affair with the Land of the Rising Sun.

Explores Australia's four-wheeled love affair with the Land of the Rising Sun.

A quirky survey, from the early 'Toyopet' Toyotas and the Nissan Cedric to today's Nissan GT-R 'Godzilla' sports car, which includes the original two-cylinder Subaru microcars, the turbo WRX performance legend, and today's market-leading models.

Over 300 photographs and a great full-colour design.

Covers the first enthusiastic failed assaults on the Bathurst car race in the 1960s and Nissan's total dominance of the Mountain in the early 1990s.