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| 1969 Nissan Skyline 2000GT at Japan Booster |
The Nissan Skyline is significant. The C10 Skyline is super significant.
I actually probably shouldn’t say that. Only because I have absolutely no qualification to say so. I am a fan of Japanese cars, definitely not an expert. I know a few, like Ben Hsu at Japanese Nostalgic Car, Eric Bizek at JDM Legends, and Jeff Koch at Hemmings (and yes, that my friends is called an epic name drop) who I rely on all the time for knowledge, so maybe I should ask them.
But I know a thing or two about diecast trends and car culture here, and the Hakosuka Skyline is, like I said, super significant. It has a rich history, a definitive look, is easily recognizable, and is the signature car of one of the most well-known badges in Japan. Think Camaro, Corvette, Mustang.
And while you see very few C10 Skylines here in the States, it has ushered in the JDM movement big time. And that definitely applies to the diecast world. Jun Imai’s Hako wasn’t the first JDM model in the Hot Wheels line, but it ushered in what is a major movement now. The Matchbox Hako has also been the talk of the orange brand now for over a year, and they are being gobbled up by collectors everywhere. It is helping to bring new folks over to orange who were never there before.
But that is here. Japanese diecast makers have been doing the Hako since, well, the Hako was new. It starts with Tomica, and branches out from there. There are hundreds if not thousands of versions. But since the surge of JDM here, it has been all about the GT-R or GT-R clones. Matchbox did the Matchbox thing by going stock, which is most welcome. But the definitive Hakosuka was just released by Tomica Limited Vintage.
The 1969 Nissan Skyline 2000GT is it. It is the Skyline as the Skyline was: a family sedan. Four doors, cool looking hubs, and that intact surfline. This is OBVIOUSLY not the first Skyline TLV has done, nor is it the first C10. They already did the shorter-nose 1800 Deluxe, but looking back, it wasn’t their best. The ’69 2000GT is a far better replica. Much more balanced than the C10 from a few years ago.
It is hard to find anything wrong with this new release. I can’t find anything. TLV has truly perfected their craft, and it has been so cool to see them take on such iconic cars like the Alfa Romeo Junior, Lancia Delta Integrale, and BMW 328i. But Japanese is still their bread and butter, and the 4-door C10 is as iconic as it gets.
There are two out now, and three more coming later this month (preorder them now), and I am sure many more in the future. If you are a Skyline fan you need at least one of these…
(Get the 1969 Nissan Skyline 2000GT at Japan Booster with a discount this month only.)
Some of the other TLV Skylines.
TLV is pure art. Enjoying the photos.