Shiotsu Autotrade - President’s Blog

Exporter of Used Japanese Cars and Trucks & Japan Auto Auction Agent

July 19th, 2008

The Ten worst cars in the world

We now live in a generation where even entry-level cars and subcompacts are surprisingly well made. It was possible because of a revolution started mainly by Japanese Car makers like Toyota and Honda Many of the mainstream French, British,  and Italian car makers are no more favored by car owners because they neglected issues of quality, engineering and design.  Today’s cars have become more complex, and the owners prefer them to be cost-competitive. Mediocre cars are going out of business. 

In a recent survey conducted by iMotormag, nearly 25%  Brits picked the Allegro as the worst car, even though production of it ended 25 years ago. The Austin Allegro has been described by most Brits as the world’s ‘worst car ever’.  Made by British Automaker Leyland between 1973 and 1983, the car was plagued with so many design problems, it was dubbed the “All-aggro”.

Austin Allegro

According to a survey, the world’s ten worst cars are as follows:

1. Austin Allegro

2. Morris Ital

3. Talbot Sunbeam

4. Austin Princess

5. Hillman Imp

6. Rover 200

7. Triumph Acclaim

8. Rover 800

9. Morris 1800

10. Triumph TR7

You can note that not a single Japanese car features in the world’s ten worst cars!

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July 10th, 2008

Japanese Cars Most Reliable : UK Survey

As per recent news article by BBC, Cars made by Japanese Car manufacturers are the most reliable, according to a survey by Which? Car magazine in UK.  Japanese car manufacturers have once again strengthened their already formidable reputation for first class engineering by leading a reliability testing done by one of the UK’s most detailed motoring surveys.

Cars manufactured by Japanese Auto makers comfortably outperformed British models when it came to dependability and reliability, as per the survey carried out by Which? Car magazine.  Japanese Car makers took the top seven places for reliability in a table compiled after a study of 89,768 cars of 38 brands.  Honda was the winning car manufacturer from Japan, followed by Toyota, Daihatsu, Lexus, Mazda, Subaru and Suzuki.

Statistical analysis based on readers’ reports of total breakdowns, faults that required a vehicle to be taken to a garage and minor niggles - was used to calculate a Brand Reliability Index used in scoring. 

Eight of the top ten most reliable brands were from Japan. The seven manufacturers in the “very good” category were all Japanese.  Only Hyundai and Porsche from Germany were the only non-Japanese car makers which made it into the “good” category.

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June 30th, 2008

Japanese Used Car Auctions

If your first priority is getting a good price on your Japanese used car or used truck, buying it from the Japanese auto auctions is the right choice for you. Some of the starting bids are as low as 10,000 Yen!  Japanese used car auctions is the right place for finding high quality Japanese used vehicles for low prices.  At these auctions, you would often find high quality used cars such as Toyota Corolla, Landcruiser, Nissan Skyline or Honda accord in mint condition at very low prices.

We receive many queries from our customers if they could buy used cars and trucks directly from the Japanese used car auctions.  I would try to clarify the facts related to buying cars from these auctions, in this post.

Japanese used car auctions are not like Ebay auctions where anybody can become a member and bid for the vehicles displayed on auction.  Japanese used car auctions, which are managed by the major auction houses in Japan are not available to the general public.  These Used Car Auctions in Japan allow only dealers who have used car dealer licenses authorized by the Government of Japan.  Further, only auto dealers who pass the stringent quality check performed by an auction house to become a member of that auction.  A company’s business history, property and bank statements are checked and the company is required to provide sureties and security funds.

Japanese Used Car Auction

We, as an authorized member of these auction houses, can act as your agent to bid on cars on your behalf, examine the vehicles for you and execute a fair and transparent trade at the car auction market.  When you buy used Japanese cars from online auction houses, you would neither have the privilege to test drive the used car before you buy  it, now you would get a chance to inspect the car closely. Hence, to know more about the condition or grade of the car, you would have to depend solely upon the ‘Auction-Sheet’, which is nothing, but a car evaluation sheet prepared by the auction house. Although all auction houses have different criteria for measuring the condition of the Japanese used cars, some parameters are the same. For instance, they allocate grades 2 to 5 or 6 to S for the condition of car exteriors, and grades A to C for the state of car interiors. Details about mileage and accident records if any are also noted in the auction sheet.

Before bidding for any used vehicle on the auctions, you have to make sure that you make your requirements clear to us, and communicate with us frequently and regularly. Once we receive your requirements, we will send you pictures and other relevant information about the car or truck you are interested in.  You can also search through the auctions and we can supply you with the password for that.  You can also request for an inspection to be done at the auction premises at an additional cost.  Once you are ready for bidding, you just have to get in touch with us and let us place your bids at the used car auctions. When you win, we will then fax the necessary documents for registering and importing the car or truck. We can also arrange for the shipment of the vehicle to your country.

The majority of used car buyers do not even consider purchasing from a Japanese car auction, because they believe that the process is very difficult. However if you understand the correct process, you will find it is not that hard at all.  We, however suggest that you check the rules and regulations of your country for importing the cars before you start bidding at these auctions.

For more details, please check our Japanese Used Car Auctions page

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June 17th, 2008

Japan makes robot girlfriend for lonely men

Sega Toys, a Japanese firm has created a 15 inch tall  girlfriend robot that will go on sale in September for around $170 (18,000 yen), and will target a market of lonely adult men in Japan.  

The robot girlfriend may not be tall and blonde, but she doesn’t complain about dirty socks ! She is big-busted, petite, very friendly, and she runs on batteries. She can sing, dance and - should the occasion require it - hand out business cards. She could prove to be a good companion for lonely-hearted men everywhere; she can even kiss on command. The friendly robot is named “Ema”  standing for Eternal Maiden Actualization.

Sega Toys says they want to break the stereotyoe image of robots where the robots are associated with strong, tough and battle-ready, and want to provide a robot which is friendly and interactive.

Japan Girlfriend Robot

There will be a big demand for this friendly robot when it will be released.  If any of you would like to own this robot, I can arrange to get one for you.

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May 26th, 2008

Cat works as stationmaster in Japan

Kinokawa is a small town in Wakayama prefecture of western Japan. There is nothing special about this town, but a cat named Tama has made the town very famous in Japan.  

Tama, a 9 year old calico cat is appointed as stationmaster of Kishi Station in Kinokawa. She has been officially working for last two years. Two other cats were named deputy stationmasters at the same Kishi Station. Stationmaster Tama, wearing a formal railway uniform cap, and two other cats often welcome passengers at the unmanned Kishi Station. The railway company feeds her in lieu of salary.

Cat Stationmaster in Japan 

In Japan, you will often see small sculptures of lucky cat called Maneki Neko. These cats are supposed to bring luck.  Tama is also bringing luck to Kinokawa town. The station went unmanned in April 2006 as the railway line was losing money. But since Tama was appointed as the stationmaster, number of passengers using the line increased dramatically. The Wakayama railway company  expressed its appreciation of the cat’s role in boosting business by promoting her to super stationmaster and also by giving her a spacious stationmaster’s office equipped with a ventilation fan and a toilet.

The operator of the grocery shop at the station has been keeping the three cats. Tama became a national star when she appeared in books and documentaries.  She is also set to appear in a French documentary film about wonder cats around the world.

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May 18th, 2008

Nissan to launch Electric Car in Japan by 2010

Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Nissan, recently said in a statement that Nissan is aiming to launch an electric car in the Japanese and US market by 2010. Nissan aims to offer their electric cars globally by 2012, in their long term plan.

In this world of rising gas prices and pollution, Nissan Electric Cars would also be able to meet the stricter fuel-economy standards in developed nations through this initiative.

Nissan Electric Concept Car

Nissan has plans to develop subcompact electric cars powered by self-developed lithium-ion batteries. With this Nissan has now become the first Japanese automaker to announce their plans to develop and sell mass market, all-electric vehicles globally.  This would put them in direct competition with domestic rivals Honda and Toyota both of which are already selling hybrid cars in Japan and USA.

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May 11th, 2008

Hybrid Trucks from Japan

We constanly hear all the talk about the rising gas prices, importance of fuel economy,innovations of Hybrid Cars and how they are sweeping the whole world.  Honda and Toyota  can not build them fast enough to meet the rising demand for hybrids. One of our customers recently inquired if there are any hybrid trucks made in Japan. And my answer was Yes.

Hino Motors, the heavy-truck division of Toyota, already offers the Hino 165 Hybrid in Japan since 2003.  Hino 165 Hybrid is powered by a diesel/electric hybrid system.  However, this truck currently sells for more than $100,000, so not affordable by many people. The fuel saving is a solid 14 to 27% over the conventional models like the Isuzu and other competing trucks.

Hino Hybrid Truck

Canter Eco Hybrid from Mitsubishi Fuso is another energy-efficient medium-duty truck in the world.  With its diesel-electric drivetrain, the Canter offers the best of both worlds: a Li-ion-powered electric motor that kicks into action during stop-and-go driving (ideal for city-bound, delivery-type trucks like this), and a high-efficiency, cleaner-burning diesel engine for highway cruising.  The result is a 20 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over similar trucks, and the first commercial truck to meet Japan’s new long-term emissions regulations, which came into effect August 2007.

Because of the relative efficiency of modern (bio) diesel engines compared with petrol engines, diesel hybrids are becoming a popular, if still more costly twist on typical hybrid cars.

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May 10th, 2008

Can you make your car run on water?

With the cost of oil continuing to climb past $100 a barrel, many say $4.00+ a gallon will soon be a reality. Many researchers are working on alternative fuels and improving car engine efficiency to take control of this fuel crisis.

Water4Gas Car runs on water

Recently, one of my friends showed me his old used car which he has modified to run on water and gas. Does it not sound unbelievable?

Well, his modified car works on a principle called Hydrogen On Demand System which uses  a little electricity out of your car/truck battery, to separate water into a gas called HHO (2 parts Hydrogen + 1 Oxygen).  The HHO gas is 3 times more potent than gasoline, so when the HHO gas is mixed with gasoline, the results are claimed to be simply amazing - leading to increased fuel efficiency by over 100%.  

I won’t recommend you to convert your new car to run on water. However, if you have a spare old car or truck, and you are a DIY fan, you can definitely try to run it on water.  You can find more information about this system on  Water4Gas Cars website.  You can also order all the necessary parts from Water4Gas Cars site.  Please let me know your experience if you try this modification on your car or truck.

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