GALLERY: Our Favorite Japanese Classics From Winter Drive 2017

The Purist Group held their fifth annual Winter Drive this past weekend, and Petrolicious was happy to participate in the charitable car show which saw thousands of new gifts donated to children who might not have anything to open otherwise. It was a great event to be a part of—it’s always healthy to put things in perspective—and the size of the crowd was an inspiring reminder that car enthusiasts tend to have their hearts in the right place.

When you funnel so much time and effort into one pursuit, whether it be tracking down something rare, saving up patiently, or building the vision in your head, I think you tend to form a different kind of relationship with material things than most people. You build a sentimental attachment, you learn how to give deeper meaning and weight to objects. Take your favorite toy as a kid, the one you’d carry around everywhere with you: it’s value stopped being quantifiable the moment it became yours, and that’s why the Winter Drive giving so many toys to kids in need is such a special kind of charity: it lets them have that experience of unwrapping something on Christmas morning, of indulging in the pleasures of being a kid hyped on a new LEGO set.

The car portion of the event was a impressive in its own right, though there weren’t too many representatives from the vintage European crowd that you typically see on this site. That was just fine though, because the Japanese contingent provided more than enough distraction. Rows of GT-Rs faced off against oddities like the Mitsubishi Delica, and while I don’t think any of these were wholly stock, there were some extensively modified cars in attendance that called to mind the infamous Daikoku parking lot meets in Japan proper. I’m sure plenty of good stuff came and went before I arrived, and I know I saw a few gems on the way in as I was on my way out, so if I’ve missed your favorite don’t think it was a snub! Here are a few of our favorite imports (for the curious, the little Honda is a Beat):