1990 Toyota Starlet GT Turbo

1990 Nissan Pao

Not the first Pao here but this one has more character. It's the chipped paint, missing hubcaps, and loose right headlight. Owner was very enthusiastic, telling me about and working on the car as I took photos.

1990 Mazda Bongo truck

What's great about these little Japanese trucks is their absolute minimalism. Small cab on the front, drive train and load bed behind. No ornamentation, little in the way of styling. Fold the sides of the load bed down and you have a flatbed. A hard working truck perfect for it's hard working operator.

1990 Toyota HiAce Super Custom

JDM vans are somewhat common in Vancouver, however I've only seen few of these Toyotas.

Love the sloping, aerodynamic shape of the front door windows, and the interesting shut lines. Plus the extended step in front of the front wheel, and all those seemingly random sunroofs.

1990 Jeep Cherokee 2dr (XJ)

This one is for Mark, the owner, who was so pleased by my interest in his truck.

I believe the two door Cherokee is less common, there being somewhat of a craze for four door SUVs at the time. Regardless, Jeeps of this era are interesting in that they echo the long history of conservative, 'military' looking vehicles while embracing a new style and better technology. So -- no super aerodynamic shape, but smaller and more practical than previous models. Love the oversized wheels/tires, squared off shapes of all lights, windows, grill, even fenders are mostly straight lines.

1990 Nissan S-Cargo

I've been wanting to post an S-Cargo for a while now. There are several around town. Like the Toyota Sera and the Nissan Figaro (which I will get, sooner or later) this was purely meant for Japan, and for whatever odd niche they fit there.

First I love the sheer crazy audacity of creating a van like this -- the vast glass area, the toy like circular shapes, the impractical windows. Next, repeating the shape in the details -- the mirrors, speedometer & dash, taillights, heck even the wheelwells. Once again, it would never happen in North America.

1990 Acura Integra 4dr

Excellent patina, a fine grime coating most under surfaces. I don't know why they ever quite making Integra sedans, they were both refined and practical.

1990 Subaru Loyale Wagon

1990 Honda Civic LX

This old Honda looks to be in great shape, a daily driver. Looks odd as a sedan now -- I keep feeling surprised that the trunk is there. It looks like an afterthought. At the time, this was my favourite generation of Civic. After this year, they went to the bulge-y, ugly shape. In retrospect, the rounded '91-'95 hatchbacks don't look too bad, but so many have been destroyed by guys turning them into street racers.