"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
06/22/2015 at 23:54 • Filed to: None
3
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"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
06/22/2015 at 23:54 • Filed to: None | 3
| 31 |
I noticed something at a Japanese Classic Car Show a few months ago. There seem to be a handful of Japanese cars from around the late 80s/early 90s which don’t have conventional nose badges, but instead have the manufacturer’s full name on the front of the car.
The two cars I noticed at the show are the NA Mazda MX-5 and the FC RX-7 (pictured above). Both forgo a regular “Mazda” badge between the headlights (though just what badge that would’ve been is anyone’s guess given how many badges Mazda had back then) in lieu of the word “MAZDA” being written below the headlight on the passenger’s side of the car.
Nissan got in on the action too. My old 1990 300ZX had a similar thing, the word “NISSAN” appearing in white writing on the grey “moustache” in the middle of the bumper, again on the passenger side (you can see it in the pic above, as well as the naked nose panel. Taken after I wrote off the car. And my heart). This was only a thing on the ’89/’90 300ZX, and possibly only in some parts of the world. I also once owned a (very broken) Nissan EXA, a car which came with “NISSAN” embossed on the front of the passenger’s pop-up headlight.
So did Honda, with the DC1 Integra, which had a Honda badge in the middle but also had its name on the passenger side of the bumper.
This is the most life we ever saw out of this EXA. It was very broken, went to the great scrap yard in the sky.
I think this is an interesting trend. It doesn’t seem to have lasted very long (just one year on the 300ZX?!), and I can only wonder as to what it meant. Maybe someone liked the clean look of a nose with no badges, though some cars kept their regular nose badge as well. There were some weird branding plays happening at the time, with Mazda trying to kickstart Eunos, Autozam and company, and Nissan doing the same with Infiniti. Curiously, most of the 300ZXs (again this varies per market) came with little or no Nissan badging across the whole car - Z logos on the wheels, steering wheel etc. Not sure if these are related, who knows.
The Integra mentioned is a bit of a wild child having both manufacturer and model badge on the front, but research suggests there are few variations of this that have occurred. I’m sure I’ve seen something similar on a 1st-gen RX7 at some point, and I’m sure there are other cars throughout history who have done this in some form as well.
All I know is a few cars do it, so keep an eye out.
dogisbadob
> Nauraushaun
06/23/2015 at 00:03 |
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there is nothing wrong with any of these :)
MegaSuper
> Nauraushaun
06/23/2015 at 00:05 |
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A somewhat-unrelated-yet-related sidenote: Japanese cars where the individual MODEL has its own badge!
For example (just off the top of my head)
1) Nissan GTR badge
2) Nissan Silvia lightning-bolt badge
3) Toyota Celica Supra viking-boat-thingy
4) Toyota Century golden-crane/pheasant thing.
415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
> Nauraushaun
06/23/2015 at 00:07 |
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This one is awesome. If I had an 80’s car I would do it.
x87172
> Nauraushaun
06/23/2015 at 00:15 |
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I don’t really have much problem with that.
What I hate are those years when GM wrote the marque in huge letters across the rear bumper...
Harley Earl would have shit his pants.
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Nauraushaun
> MegaSuper
06/23/2015 at 00:20 |
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Don’t forget the Z! Each generation has had a slightly different Z logo.
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Nauraushaun
> x87172
06/23/2015 at 00:20 |
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It is a but much isn’t it. Especially now that those brands cease to exist. Who wants to advertise that they drive a Saturn?
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x87172
> Nauraushaun
06/23/2015 at 00:43 |
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No, Buick is still around.
You wouldn’t know it though, or at least the people in their ads don’t.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BSAkNP…
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Nauraushaun
> MegaSuper
06/23/2015 at 01:17 |
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And the Stagea has a pair of unicorns. I gotta make a lost about this....
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Nauraushaun
> x87172
06/23/2015 at 01:50 |
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Oh yeah sorry. It’s Saturn and Pontiac that are dead. I’m not from the US. Interesting how the lack of a hero car makes a brand fade into the background. Lincoln too.
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Nauraushaun
> Nauraushaun
06/23/2015 at 01:53 |
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...post*
dsigned001 - O.R.C. hunter
> Nauraushaun
06/23/2015 at 02:13 |
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McMike
> Nauraushaun
06/23/2015 at 05:28 |
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Makes de-badging kind of hard.
LongbowMkII
> MegaSuper
06/23/2015 at 07:23 |
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3) is a dragon. Viking boat is an apt description however.
twochevrons
> Nauraushaun
06/23/2015 at 07:44 |
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It’s a decade earlier, but Triumph did something similar on the 2000/2500/2.5PI range. They ditched their old-fashioned logo, and put their badge just above the left-hand inner headlight. The badge on the grille is the model, in this case, the rare 2.5PI model, which was rather like the BMW M5 of its day.
phenotyp
> MegaSuper
06/23/2015 at 08:51 |
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MR2s, too.
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Nauraushaun
> McMike
06/23/2015 at 09:27 |
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Unless you feel like swapping your bumper :P
TrickJos
> Nauraushaun
06/23/2015 at 09:47 |
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Uhhh, I do. I love my Saturn. The Saturn S-series cars were a little plain, but they’re very reliable and make great commuter cars. They’re lightweight (2,350 lbs. I think) and handle pretty well. They really are good fun, especially with the DOHC engine and the 5 speed. My ‘94 SC2 has pop up headlights. What’s not to like about a ‘90’s car with pop up headlights?
MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig
> MegaSuper
06/23/2015 at 10:26 |
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AW11 MR2
Bob
> Nauraushaun
06/23/2015 at 11:08 |
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Name that Cadillac.
If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
> Nauraushaun
06/23/2015 at 11:18 |
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Throughout the 70’s and 80’s the Japanese automakers almost universally put a model or make badge off to the side or corner of the grille.
Kanaric
> McMike
06/23/2015 at 12:02 |
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good, lol. I hate debadging unless it’s taking dealer badges off.
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Nauraushaun
> If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/23/2015 at 18:27 |
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Woah! Thanks for posting, I had no idea! That era, particularly the 70s, is such a forgotten one for Japanese cars.
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Nauraushaun
> Bob
06/23/2015 at 18:28 |
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Oh man, you’re asking the wrong guy. I can count the Cadillacs I’ve seen in my life on one hand
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Nauraushaun
> TrickJos
06/23/2015 at 18:29 |
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Sounds great. But surely you’re not an enthusiast of the Saturn brand? Even with one standout model.
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Bob
> Nauraushaun
06/24/2015 at 10:09 |
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I stuck a “V-Series” badge on my Cimarron. It actually looks pretty good.
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TrickJos
> Nauraushaun
06/24/2015 at 13:54 |
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Actually, I am kind of a Saturn enthusiast. The S series was the entire Saturn line up for a long time. They came in sedan, wagon, and coupe forms. SL, SW, and SC. Saturn was a completely different animal from the rest of GM in the 90’s and early 2000’s. The cars which came later were typical GM “who cares about quality” cars. Except the Sky, that was a cool car.
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Nauraushaun
> TrickJos
06/25/2015 at 07:56 |
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That’s good to hear. I can imagine you’re right - Saturn was created with a purpose, it’s nice to see someone appreciate that purpose even if they faded to obscurity in later years
TA4K
> twochevrons
06/26/2015 at 02:51 |
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I have a 2000, and in fact those aren’t even glued on, they have pins through plastic washers. Made taking them off to paint the car really easy!
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twochevrons
> TA4K
06/26/2015 at 07:44 |
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Ha! Probably explains why mine had rust bubbling up from under there.
I remember talking to you before; you’re from New Zealand, right? My first car was a Nelson-assembled 2500 that my parents had owned for years before I got it. Fantastic car – it made it up to 320,000 km (my Brother had it by that time) before it failed its WOF on some pretty severe rust, and we moved it on to somebody who was planning on restoring it (although I’m sceptical about how possible that would be - it was pretty rough by then). We had a 2.5PI at one point, too, and my gran still drives a Mk1 Estate that she bought new in 1968!
I live in the US now, so no ‘big Triumphs’ for me, but they certainly run in my blood.
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TA4K
> twochevrons
06/27/2015 at 06:24 |
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Yup, Kiwi local haha. I have a MK2 2000 that is in the process of getting paint eventually. Luckily no rust anywhere except for surface rust and the plates were on hold, which is good since it has been on hold since 97. You could import a Big sedan to the US ha!
Amoore100
> Bob
10/15/2015 at 01:35 |
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Not sure if I want to know why you have a Cimarron...but yeah, it looks good in a kind of convoluted way...