Mitsubishi 1969

The arrival of Japanese cars to American shores did not set off any celebrations. Suspicious consumers were reluctant to enter the showroom as they might be seen by their neighbors. Being seen in one was out of the question. Times changed slowly and it was not until the oil crisis of the 1970s that Japanese cars were considered. Soon they became accepted, and then a necessity.

Japanese literature for the 1960s is as rare as the cars. Neither were considered collectible so now both are hard to find, unlike the more common 1970s cars and literature. Now we are drawn to predecessors of the cars that we have learned to love. The literature is novel as are the cars. The cars look strange, just as the first VW Beatle and Renault Dauphine. Like their European counterparts, the Japanese makes were first questioned and later accepted as good or superior to the American models. Ford introduced the Falcon, Chevrolet the Corvair, Plymouth the Valiant, Studebaker the Lark and Nash/Amc the Rambler American. The Japanese had a lot of competition. Their cars were utilitarian and appeared "cheap". They were cheap but they were very economical. Just not stylish or powerful. Quick learners, their cars soon overcame these obstacles and became competitive.