With the popularity of kaido racers now reaching a more global scale, I thought it might be best to go back in time to see where they originated from and the trends and shifts in their design throughout the generations.

Red classic car parked outdoors on a city street, showcasing its vintage design and sporty appeal.
Toyota Celica

This first post will be geared toward what Holiday Auto magazine considers the 1st generation of kaido racers. Finding magazines from this era to reference can be difficult and usually only contain a few pages for each magazine. Holiday Auto did a few historical articles in more modern publications which will be my guide for most of this information.

Vintage Nissan Skyline sedan parked with person standing beside it.
Nissan Laurel with Work Equip 01 wheels

By 1974, kaido racers appeared across Japan, sparking a nationwide boom. Their increasingly extreme modifications left many wondering, “Can you really drive this on public roads?” These creations quickly gained popularity and over time the style evolved.

Vintage Japanese magazine cover featuring woman in striped attire with a cane, August issue. Retro fashion and style.
Holiday Auto August 1975, the first issue to have the words kaido racer printed on the cover.

Holiday Auto started noticing a rise in the number of these modified cars. They decided to call out and ask for people to submit their cars for a new monthly column. They ended up getting a large number of submissions and published them in a section of the magazine titled “Oh MY! 街道レーサー” (“Oh My! Kaido Racer”) in 1975. At the time, supercars were all the rage, but kaido racers were a new trend that started to take off and last, even after the supercars trend had died down. This underground movement was the polar opposite of what these supercars were about.

Vintage green sports car with custom modifications on a road, surrounded by trees.
Mazda Savanna GT RX-3 with chin spoiler, over-fender, rear spoiler, and wide steel wheels.

Yoshio Kawahara (河原良雄) joined Motor Magazine Co. (Holiday Auto’s publisher) in 1976 and became in charge of the Oh My! Kaido Racer column. At the time, there weren’t any particular qualifications for what was considered a kaido racer as there are now. Holiday Auto was just trying to showcase cars that looked like race cars but on public roads. Some of these columns might even feature foreign cars at the time, like European or American.

Collage of vintage 1976 Japanese cars featured in a magazine contest showcase.
Oh MY! 街道レーサー 1976 Best Car Contest

In this initial era, modifications can be considered modest compared to what we think of kaido racers today. But at the time, all of these modifications were considered illegal making them more remarkable.

Vintage modified car with wide fenders on a parking lot, showcasing a retro Japanese design.
Toyota Celica with racing jacket, Napoleon Bacca mirrors, celica works over fender, chin spoiler, yellow racing seat, half cage.

It was a must that the cars were lowered, but not as extreme as today. Owners would remove their springs to get lower to the ground. Sometimes cars would sport works-styled (racing team) over fenders, Dunlop CR88 tires (nicknamed “papa”), and illegal door mirrors. These parts gave the cars a track-ready look while they drove around on the public roads. This is where the nickname “kaido racer” or “highway racer” came from.

Vintage classic car with blue paint and sporty design parked by the ocean under a clear sky.
Nissan Laurel with 910 Bluebird headlights, Napoleon California mirrors, chin spoiler

Some of these modifications would run deeper than just the visual parts. People started modifying their engines for more performance. This would later spark the 0-400m drag racing and top-speed trials at Yatabe Test Course (谷田 部テストコース). Many of these turners would come from a background of building kaido racers.

Vintage red sports car parked on a sloped driveway with trees in the background.
Nissan Skyline with Speed Star Racing MK1 and MK2.

By 1979, the Super Silhouette (Group 5) class joined the Fuji Grand Championship race as a supporter. This would then inspire what Holiday Auto considers the 2nd generation of kaido racers between 1979 and 1983. Since I have many more magazines from the 1980s, I will review each year individually, pointing out important cars and popular trends.

Vintage dark green sports car parked on a city street, showcasing classic design and sleek curves.
Nissan Violet SSS (1978 example) with over fenders and home-made chin spoiler

The most popular bases for these modifications in this era were vehicles with a history in motorsports, including the Hakosuka (GC10/KGC10 series), the first Fairlady Z, and the Savanna GT. Cars such as the C130 Laurel and the C110 Kenmeri 4-door sedans also gained popularity for their edgy and rebellious vibes.

Vintage black sports car parked, side view showcasing sleek design against brick wall background.
Datsun Bluebird 610 with long nose, over fender, half cage, square headlights and racing slicks
Vintage sports car parked at a gas station, showcasing a retro design with a dark exterior and stylized fenders.
Mitsubishi Galant GTO with gold knuckle line, rear spoiler, and chin spoiler
Vintage Japanese sports car with sleek design and dark paint, featured in a retro magazine article.
Datsun Bluebird 610 with Work Equip 01
Vintage lavender sports car parked on a street, showcasing classic 1970s design and retro styling.
Mazda Savanna GT RX-3 with chin spoiler
Vintage red car with Japanese license plate, parked in front of a striped building.
Datsun Bluebird U with over fender and racing tires
Vintage red coupe car parked in a lot, side view with retro design elements.
Nissan Violet on Speed Star Racing MKII
Vintage Nissan car with racing decals and Japanese license plate on a wet road. Classic design from the late 20th century.
Nissan Sunny with oil cooler, chin spoiler, works over fender, Speed Star Racing MK2 wheels.
Woman poses with a classic yellow sports car from the 1970s, showing vintage style and automotive history.
Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste GSR
Vintage white sports car with retro design and distinctive front bumper parking in sunlight.
Nissan Skyline GT-R
Vintage car with flame decals and bullhorns, showcasing custom art and design on the hood.
Mazda Savanna RX-3 (1976 Example)
Red vintage sports car parked outside a building, showcasing classic design and sleek curves.
Nissan Fairlady Z (1976 Example) with g-nose and works kit
Red classic sports car parked by a wooden fence, featuring angular design and retro styling.
Datsun Bluebird 610 (1976 Example) with over fenders and chin spoiler
Vintage sports car with louvers, custom leopard print paint, parked near roll-up doors on a sunny day.
Nissan Fairlady Z (1976 Example) with over fenders
Vintage yellow and red classic car with racing stripes parked outdoors.
Mazada Savanna RX-3 (1976 Example)
Vintage purple car parked on a street, surrounded by trees, in a sunset setting.
NIssan Cherry GL (1977 example) with over fenders
Vintage compact car parked on street, showcasing retro design and classic curves.
Subaru 360 (1977 example) with over fenders and racing tires
Vintage classic car with a sleek design, parked outdoors against a backdrop of trees and bushes.
NIssan Skyline (1977 example) with over fenders and custom front end
Vintage red sports car with black hood, classic design, parked outdoors.
Toyota Sports 800 (1977 example)
Vintage yellow and green Mazda race car parked in front of a stone wall, displaying number 25 on the door.
Mazda Savanna RX-3 (1978 example) with works over fenders.
Vintage car with custom front plate and chrome bumper in a driveway, featuring dual headlights and unique grill design.
Mazda Savanna RX-3 (1978 example) with custom chin-spoiler
Vintage blue and yellow classic car with custom body kit, parked outdoors.
Toyota Celica 1600GT (1978 example) with works kit and cage
Vintage yellow sports car parked on a road, showcasing its classic design and sleek curves.
Nissan Fairlady Z (1979 example) with g-nose and works/g-nose over fenders
Vintage modified car with retro design and colorful stripe details, parked on gravel with another vehicle in the background.
NIssan Cherry (1979 example)

Popular bases for this era:

Nissan Laurel C130″Butaketsu”
Nissan Skyline C10 “Hakosuka”
Nissan Skyline C110 “Kenmeri” and “Yonmeri”
Nissan Fairlady Z S30
Mitsubishi Galant GTO
Toyota Celica (A2/30 A40/50)

Source: Holiday Auto 1993-4, Holiday Auto 2016-8

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *