It is a sad day for Nissan and Datsun owners as we learn about the passing of Yutaka Katayama, father of the Z car. The news has spread throughout the media from NissanUSA to Wall Street.
As many of you know, Mr. K is the father of the Z Car and was honored for his innovative design of the early Z Car that set the bar for others. He helped Nissan to become the best selling import brand in 1975.
He also positioned Nissan to become the 1st automaker to sell Americans on compact pickup trucks and “King Cabs”. Here is Mr. K with the actor (Dale Ishimoto) that portrayed himself in Nissan’s famous “Dogs Love Trucks” ads:
Retired from Nissan since 1977, Mr. K still had a drive for styling. He played a major role in refining the Nissan Z concept car that was unveiled at the North American Auto Show in January 1999. On October 13, 1998 Mr. K was inducted into the Automobile Hall of Fame museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
We have fond memories of Mr. K at our local and national Z-car shows. It always amazed us how enthusiastic and full of verve this man was to come stateside and participate in our love for these cars. Here is Mr. K at a Z show in the Bay Area, circa 2002. Like many Datsun owners I too was humbled when he signed memorabilia/car parts and shook hands. Mr. K was driving a Z well after he turned 100, noting that his driver’s license was good through his 103rd birthday. Amazing individual.
Having excellent communication skills even in is older years he was known for ending emails and conversations affectionately with, “Love Cars! Love People! Love Life!”
Thank you Mr. K for all that you have done for the automotive world. Our condolences go out to your family. You will be missed!
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Filed under: Events
by Alvin G @ 12:55 am on January 9, 2015
Our friends at SpeedSF are running another great track day at Laguna Seca on Sunday, January 25. We love running our cars with these folks and they go above and beyond to make sure you get tons of track time! In addition to the road course they are also hosting an all-day Auto-X in the paddock for only $50!
Full Track :
Five 20mins Session , 4 Run Groups, (Advance, High Intermediate, Low Intermediate, Beginner w/ Instructor)
All cars welcome with different level of experience groups.
Optional Time Trail Series (Sunday Only): Speed SF Challenge, compare your lap time with other drivers in your class.
Single Driver $200 /day
Auto-X :
ALL Day Auto-Cross at MRLS in the Paddock, unlimited runs, (50 entries Max!)
How do you start the New Year off on the right foot? Drive your Nissan/Datsun! Today I joined Rob and Lou for a nice drive through the South Bay foothills. Rob and shop dog Kane drove the 820hp ZCG 300zx Twin Turbo, Lou drove his 470hp R32 Skyline GT-R and I drove the 460hp Datsun 510.
Our route included stops at both Uvas and Calero Reservoirs with a nice mix of long sweeping curves and windy, single lane farmland roads with picturesque bridge crossings:
At Uvas Reservoir we met a nice gentelman and his tubbed ’66 Chevelle:
Before departing we made our final stop to admire just how “right” Lou’s R32 looks with the new VOLK TE37SL wheels. Amazing car!
We hope you can enjoy driving your car in 2015. Follow the blog and Facebook for upcoming fun runs!
Click after the jump for more pictures! …[read more]
Filed under: Events
by Alvin G @ 1:29 am on December 19, 2014
Start 2015 on the right foot! Our friends at SpeedSF are running another great track day at Laguna Seca January 3 and 4. We love running our cars with these folks and they go above and beyond to make sure you get tons of track time! In addition to the road course they are also hosting an all-day Auto-X in the paddock for only $50!
Auto-X :
We are keeping our same awesome Auto-x deal for $50/day unlimited runs. This time we will be designing a longer course with more technical turns. Limited to 50 Drivers only. Registration for both Auto-x and Full track driver at: Registration
Full Track :
We are offering a 50% off for the second day if you register for the full weekend. Also, this event will be our season opener of 2015 Speed SF Challenge. We have partner with many of sponsors with many great prizes for the 2015. Stay tuned.
$175 / Day, $260 / weekend
