While at one end of Tokyo the International Motor Show was taking place, attracting crowds of fans with its futuristic studies, at the other end of the city was a festival celebrating automotive history. As part of the Jingu Gaien Toyota Motor Museum's Veterans Festival held on November 30, car enthusiasts of all ages gathered with one goal in mind: to pay tribute to the cars that got us to where we are today.
The Vintage Festival is held annually in Tokyo to promote car culture by exhibiting cars from various countries, all makes and generations. This year's edition kicked off with a sleepy ride across the city, starting at Tokyo's Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery. A total of over a hundred veterans ventured into Tokyo's morning rush hour on an eleven-kilometer route around the city, at the head of which could be seen the Toyopet Crown Model RS21 from 1960 (photo in the gallery) or the legendary Toyota sports model with the designation 2000 GT (photo in the gallery).
After the vehicles returned, visitors could get up close and personal with a wide range of exhibits. Although the cars participating in the festival represented much of the 20th century (from the 1919 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost to the 1983 Alfa Romeo Giulietta ), the main focus was on a special display celebrating the motor shows and cars of the 1960s .
In addition to a few Japanese sports cars from the 1960s, produced in limited numbers, such as the 1962 Hino Contessa 900 Sprint (photo in the gallery) or the 1962 Prince Skyline Sports , the festival honored a number of classic European and American sports cars , including a 1967 Jaguar E-Type hardtop or a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS convertible.
In addition to the range of elegant and attractive sports cars presented at the festival, the 1960s mainly contributed to the mass motoring of more mainstream models for everyday use – cars that became icons of the decade, such as the 1967 Volkswagen Type 2 , affectionately nicknamed the Splittie for its striking the split windshield, or the 1968 Austin Mini Countryman Mark II with its wood trim and bi-fold tailgate.
During the festival day, visitors had the opportunity to vote for their favorite car . Of course, the decision was not easy for anyone due to the high number of fantastic exhibits, but in the end, the bright red Lamborghini Miura P400S took home the highest number of points .
At this year's Veterans Festival , just a few kilometers from the flamboyant stands of competing brands at the Tokyo Motor Show, representatives from Toyota , Nissan and Hino gathered to talk about the cars that inspired them early in their careers. The organized event once again confirmed the fact that despite brand rivalry and the fast flow of time, some cars are simply timeless and can please at any time.
Source: Toyota
