One of my used Japanese cars is 29 years old. The other one is 23 years old. My wife’s secondhand Japanese car is 19 years old. They are all going strong.
Of course, most people I meet don’t care about how old my cars are, and that’s no surprise, is it? I mean, do you go around telling people you know how old your car is? Do you have conversations like this?
I don’t have conversations like this outside of work. Sure, it’s O.K. to be a car nut in Japan—all my friends know I’m a car nut. It’s just that I don’t want them to think I’m a nutty nut. It narrows the possible pool of friends and acquaintances if I open conversations by talking about the age of my used cars.
But, here at JCD, we do have conversations like this:
“The Nissan R34 Skyline and the Mitsubishi Evolution VI are going to be turning 25 years old this year. I’ve already had enquiries from possible customers in the States. These cars are going to rock on exports to the USA and to Australia!”
“Yep! And the Silvia S15 and Impreza STi Version VI are turning 25 years old soon, too. There are buyers in the US and Oz for sure who are going grab the clean units as soon as they are easy to import. Especially with the Yen exchange rate so favorable!”
Conversations like this are the early stages of widening the pool of our Japan Car Direct customers and acquaintances.
If talking about the ages of used cars from Japan makes my friends and family yawn, spreading the news about what used Japanese Cars are coming up to 25 years old gets many of our customers to brighten right up.
Why is that?
Because 25-Year-Old Used Japanese Cars Are Easy For Self-Import
You see, the governments of most countries, including our main Japanese used car export destinations like the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the UAE, and Ireland, want to make it difficult to do a self-import on a brand-new car from Japan, and the car makers themselves are not keen on every Tom, Dick, or Harry importing new cars from Japan and by-passing the makers’ own dealer networks. I can perfectly understand this. But as a used car buyer (I’ve never bought a new car) my interests and the interests of the car makers and of various governments do not always line up. So there is a sort of dance and struggle between the “little people” like me, who want to buy a good used car for reasonable money, and the makers and governors, the “big boys,” who want me to buy a new car that is very expensive and very heavily taxed.
BUT. BUT. BUT, when a used car from Japan is past a certain age, it is easy to import it yourself. If the car you want is 25 years old or older it is easy to import to the USA or to Australia. Same thing for New Zealand if the car is 20 years old, for Canada if the car is 15 years old, and for Britain if the car is only 10 years old. That’s the situation in a nutshell. To learn more about the used car import rules of the countries I mentioned above, just click on the country name. We also have information about other countries.
At Japan Car Direct we are on the used car buyer’s side. We are on the side of the little guy. That’s one reason why I like working here. So the big boys make the rules to make it difficult for the little people to get good used cars easily. Now, sure enough, when it comes time to retire my old mare, Creamy Honey. I’ve no choice but to mosey on down to the local horse dealer and mortgage my farm to buy me a yearling. So, I’m stuck. …But hold on, Tex, with cars we are not stuck. Cars are not like horses. They don’t age in the same way. Say 25 to 30 years for a horse like Creamy Honey. Around those years the end of the road is coming for her.
25 years old is not old for a well-built and decently maintained Japanese car, especially a good-condition Japanese car bought in Japan where cars are generally well maintained, are rust-free, and don’t have the crap thrashed out of them.
Some Super Popular Used Japanese Cars That Are 25 Years Old (as of the end of 2024)
So let’s look now at some of the “hot” used JDM cars that are coming up to 25 years old this year and next year (time of writing: Late 2024). To learn more about the whole “JDM” thing, have a look at our page about Japanese domestic market vehicles and JDM vehicles over 25 years old. These used cars will soon be, or already are, easy to import to the USA and Australia.
Let me share with you some of our picks in the twenty-five-year-old used car category. I’m going to be partly subjective here and partly market-based in my selections. Basically, what I like and what our customers like. So two sides: Personal desire and my own experience on the one side, and market popularity and other drivers’ feedback on the other. But the selection I’m making is only a fraction of the good, clean 25-year-old machines we’ve got on the go and that we source here and ship overseas. (We source our good secondhand cars from the Japanese used car auctions, the specialist dealers that we partner with, and from private sales as well).
Nissan R34 Skyline
O.K., here goes. Let’s start with supercars, those machines that combine blistering performance with stunning handling and great looks.
When it comes to good used Japanese supercars from Japan that are 25 years old now or soon will be and are ready for easy export to the USA and Australia, I’ve just got to put the Nissan Skyline GT-R at the top of the list, especially the mighty R34. (For more on European supercars bought from Japan, have a look here.)
We had a loving look at these rockets not long ago on our Japan Car Direct Blog here. These amazing machines came out in January of 1999 and so the first R34s are over twenty-five years old now and ready to be imported to the States and Oz, and they stayed in production until August of 2002.
At the time Nissan, in its advertising and in the official figures provided to the Japanese government, stuck with the regulations of the day and said the car had 280ps (276hp), but we all knew that was not the case. The RB26DETT, with its straight-six engine layout, twin turbos, and intercooler was producing definitely more than the listed power; like, say, something on the high side of 330ps.
To me, the Skyline GT-R is the epitome of an affordable supercar. Something that really only the Japanese brought to the motoring fans of the world back when pretty well every piece of supercar iron was set to cost you a bomb. (But don’t miss the affordable secondhand European performance and rally machines that we also source here in Japan. Have a look at our JCD Blog here)
So it is always our great pleasure to bring a supercar like a Skyline to one of our performance car fans overseas. We’ve been shipping some really good Skylines in recent days and months, especially with the very favorable exchange rate due to the weak Yen. In fact, we’ve just booked an R34 Skyline to go to Honolulu, another R34 going to Baltimore, another to Long Beach, and an R32 Skyline to go to Brisbane. Our customers are the “Winnermen” (see here for the origin of how this word became one of our favorite Japan Car Direct expressions).
And here is a photo of a gorgeous black R34 GT-T going to the USA via Freeport that I’ve just received from our shipper.
This supercar is going out the door in just days from now. So yes, now is clearly the time to get a good used R34 Nissan Skyline direct from Japan.
Nissan S15 Silvia
Next up is the Nissan Silvia S15, the “Ichi Go” from the Japanese for the numbers “one” and “five.” And an “ichigo” in Japanese is a strawberry. I knew a Japanese fan of the Silvia S15 who called his car “my little strawberry” in English.
We have exported a good number of Silvias of all the “modern” models, which to me include the S13, S14, and S15. See here and here for more on our JCD site about the Silvia.
The S15 Silvia has got to be the cat’s meow when it comes to the front engine and rear-wheel drive sports coupes; they’ve got it all: Handling, braking, a good power-to-weight ratio, and a very tunable SR20DET engine. One of our customers in the UK (a very experienced sports car and supercar owner) told me a while back that, if he could have only one sports/performance car, he’d go for the Silvia S15. I’m not inclined to second-guess him.
In addition, all the modern Silvias, S13, S14, and S15 are serious drift car materials. (See more about some of the greatest Japanese drift machines here on our site.)
It was in January of 1999 that Nissan gave sports car fans the “Ichi Go,” and the cars stayed in production until August of 2002 so, you got it, America and Australia, the Silvia S15 is good to go for you guys who want to import a fine good clean example direct from Japan.
Japan Car Direct will soon be shipping some nice S15 Silvias to North America, one to Canada via the port of New Westminster (Vancouver) and one to the USA via the port of Tacoma. We’ve also just shipped a beautiful white S15 to the UK via the port of Southampton. A really fine unit. Let me show you a three-quarter front view photo and a shot of the engine of that baby.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI
Lancer Evo VI Is Now A Sweet 25 Years Old
Now sticking with turbo Japanese sports and performance cars turning 25 years old this year, we can’t go any further until we put the Lancer Evolution on our list of highly desirable JDM cars.
The first of these rally-bred attainable supercars, the Evo I, came out in October of 1992 and showed what these cars were always going to be throughout their entire evolutionary production life: Simply amazing. Amazing handling, amazing braking, and amazingly quick. And, after 1992, they just continued to develop. There have been ten stages of the Lancer Evo with their version names always given by numbers in Roman numerals: I, II, III, etc. all the way to the Lancer Evolution X. What is in our sights today is the Evo VI. Here’s a rear three-quarter view of one….because this is kind of mostly what you see of these supercars on the road as they pass you by!
These machines came out in January of 1999 and so are available now for easy, direct import to the USA and Australia. I see a good number of them on the roads here in Japan and I note that they are usually kept in very good shape. Once in a while, I’ll see one that has been track-raced, but generally, they are kept in fine shape by their Japanese owners. (Note as far as tracked cars are concerned: Our inspectors raise the yellow flag right away when they come across such vehicles and we pass that information right on to our customers before there is any thought of bidding at the Japanese used car auctions here. It’s not that we say never to bid on a track car, it’s just that we are extra careful). To learn more about Japan Car Direct’s Additional Auction Inspection just click here, and to learn more about the auction sheets, have a quick look here on our website.
If you are looking for something seriously collectible, 1999 was also the year they made the Tommi Makinen Edition, also known as the TME. The limited run of 2500 was created to celebrate Finnish rally driver Tommi Mäkinen’s four consecutive World Rally Championship driver’s title. The special edition featured a distinct front bumper and was the only variant available in red.
If you are looking for serious, very serious performance out of the box along with Japanese quality from the cars of what I call the “Golden Era” of Japanese affordable supercar days, you score big time if you import a good, clean, used Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI from Japan.
Mazda FD3S RX-7
Often overlooked, the FD RX-7 is another iconic sports car of the era. Although the legendary rotary sportscar has been available to export for a few years now, the 1999 model was the pinnacle for RX-7 fanatics. These were never exported to North America leaving many enthusiasts to acquire parts to update theirs to “99 specs”. It may look like a facelift refresh with a new distinguished front bumper and adjustable rear wing, however, there were quite a lot of subtle changes to the aerodynamics, braking, and engine. With the engine upgrades, this was the year that the RX-7 joined the 280bhp club and it was the first year the RX-7 dons the “flying M” Mazda logo.
Subaru Impreza GC8 WRX STi Version VI
Subaru Impreza WRX STi Version VI Is Now Clear To Land In The USA And Australia.
Now in this class of Japanese supercars like the Skyline R34 and the Lancer Evo VI, namely the all-wheel drive turbo rocket class that, due to their phenomenally high acceleration 0-60, will plaster your face onto the headrest, is the Subaru Impreza WRX STi. Version VI of this car came out in 1999 and it, too, is now available for easy import to the States and Australia.
I, myself, had Version III of this car (yeah, we are using Roman numerals here, too) and I can vouch for its speed: SCARY FAST. Handling and braking were top of the pops, too. The dramatic “Hawk Eye” face of these cars seems to tell people to perk up because there were many times when driving my STi that I noticed the people in front of me eager to let me pass; they’d kindly pull to the left to give me a clear pass on the right. (Kind of a nice predatory feeling, I have to admit).
So. for the newest affordable, attainable used all-wheel drive supercar iron from Japan: Go Nissan Skyline R34, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, and Subaru Impreza WRX STi Version VI and join the Winnermen.
Toyota JZA80 Supra
The Elegant And Powerful Supra: 25-Year-Old Clean Examples Still Available
Let’s stay with Japanese supercars but move on to a more traditional layout, front-engine, rear-wheel drive (FR) and away from all-wheel drive (AWD). First up has got to be the Toyota Supra 80.
A beautiful car that came out in 1993 and continued in production until 2002, with final production being at the Kanto Autoworks East Fuji plant where I used to work, amazingly enough; I’m sorry to say that I did not actually see the Supras on the assembly line in the F201 factory. The last Supra 80 came off the line there just after I arrived. (Let a tear fall! BUT: The last generation of the Celica was being made there when I was there and I saw many passing gloriously under the bright final inspection lights and we’ll look at them next.)
Now the Supra 80 is a really nice piece of kit: Sexy long nose hiding a potent three-liter straight six (these engines have a lovely sound and feel, by the way) and a curvy body that looks good from pretty well every angle. Available in normally aspirated or twin-turbo spec, these are cars that command respect; respect from passersby and respect from the driver. I have it on good authority that the turbo cars are thrilling machines that can put you in the ditch quicker than spit if you drive like a doofus but that, if you are a skilled driver and good clutch man, you will be very satisfied behind the wheel of a used twin turbo Toyota Supra 80 from Japan; very satisfied, indeed.
Here’s a beautiful Supra 80 Japan Car Direct is exporting to the USA via the port of Jacksonville this month. Niiiiiiice!
Toyota ST230 Celica
Celica SS-I And SS-II Clear For Easy Import Now. It’s About Time!
Let’s look next at the Toyota Celica I mentioned above, the seventh generation of these perpetual favorites of fans of Toyota sporting machinery; guys like me. The seventh-gen Celicas came out in 1999 and so are now available for no-hassle import to the USA and Australia (and, of course, to the UK, Canada, and New Zealand). Yeah! Here it is:
I note that some people at first found the styling too new, almost “quirky.” But I find them modern without looking dated now 25 years later. And they handle really well. I’ve test-driven both versions, the SS-I and the SS-II. Really good! The SS-II has the more powerful engine and it is quite something when you get the revs up super high (which the unit is made for) and the whole power concept is very different from the, quite frankly more leisurely, three-liter Supra engine. The 1.8 engine in the Celica SS-II is a pure racing mill. I found both the SS-1 and the SS-II thrilling to drive.
The “superstrut” suspension in the SS-II Celica is the same as in my Celica GT-4 and is very effective, combining the flat cornering of a double wishbone layout with the practicality and simplicity of a strut-type system. One drawback, though, the lower arms at the front are a bit expensive to replace. I was surprised at the cost when mine went, although, to be fair, that was after over 150,000 km.
Now what we have been looking at in this Japan Car Direct Blog post has been only a fraction of the excellent and popular Japanese performance cars that are 25 years old now and available for easy import from Japan to the USA and Australia.
Toyota S170 Crown
7th Gen Toyota Crown. Reliable Luxury For Easy Import
We have not yet looked at exotics like the Honda NSX or the mid-engine Toyota MR-S, nor have we yet looked at one of the most popular and reliable luxury cars ever made: The Toyota Crown. You can find out more about the Crown in our multi-part series on the Best Toyota Luxury Cars beginning here on our Japan Car Direct Blog. I had a Crown with Fender mirrors and thought it was just the best sedan I’d ever driven.
It’s over 25 years old now too!
Mazda NB Miata/MX-5/Roadster
My Personal Fav: Mazda Miata / MX5. I Love Mine!
Now before we sign off for today on good used Japanese and JDM cars that have recently turned twenty-five years old, I’ve got to point out that the second series of the Mazda Miata / MX5 is now available for easy import to the USA and Australia. The NB2 Miata is my ride at the moment and has been for about eight years. Here’s a beautiful 1999MY car for sale in Japan at this very moment.
Mine is the 1.6 and I have to say that I have never been more happy or satisfied with any other of the sports cars I have owned. Many people have sung the praises of Mazda’s delightful roadster so I don’t need to add my voice to the chorus. But to those guys who ask:
“Why import a Miata from Japan? They were sold here in my country?”
My answer is that a good, clean, low miles Miata from Japan today is very likely to be in better condition than what you can get secondhand now where you are, at least for reasonable money. I know that this is the case “back home” for me.
Overall, 25-year-old Japanese cars are of excellent quality, good build, and fine design. Some, like the attainable supercars and high-quality sports cars that we have talked about a bit in this article, are not being made today in these times of excessive complexity and senseless regulation…and they may never be made again. So get yourself one of these truly great machines. I did. And I’m very happy I did.
At Japan Car Direct we are keen to help you take advantage of having access to the really good 25-year-old Japanese and JDM cars as they come on the market. Just register now and we’ll bring you together with the car you want. Get in touch with us and let’s talk about twenty-five-year-old used cars.
PS: Or 10-year-old used cars for the UK, 15-year-old for Canada, or 20 for New Zealand. Yeah!
