Fan Ride: A Love Story from Hondaland

There are many people out there that love cars, but not a lot of those people love just one car.  Even from those who do just love one car, not a lot of them have a relationship with them.  When I say relationship, I'm referring to the things that happen that take ownership to the next level.  The long washing sessions, spending lots of money on accessories, long drives, the turn-around looks, peaking out of buildings to see the car, not letting people eat in the car (if you actually let people in it), constantly bringing it up in conversation... you get the idea.  When a lifestyle becomes wrapped around the car, it's no longer an ownership, its a relationship.

In the first geneneration CRX community, this relationship between man and car is perfectly exemplified in Takahiro (from 'Hondaland' - Japan) and his pristine, black, 1985 Ballade Sports CRX.  I had seen several images of his car that he had shared on various Facebook groups, and I was really impressed by how well kept his car was.  So I contacted him to see if he would be interested in having his car featured on the blog.  Sadly, the shortcomings of the computer-base language translators that we were using made it almost impossible for us to communicate.  However, he was able to communicate his interest in having his car on the blog, and to get around the language barrier, he simply directed me to his blog. ( http://minkara.carview.co.jp/en/userid/350219/blog/ )

As I went through page after page of postings on his blog, it did not take me long to realize how much Takahiro loves the first generation CRX.  I didn't even need to read the loosely translated captions and text in his posts because his photographs communicated so much more.  Just the quantity of images that he takes of the car is enough to show his level of appreciation, but it's the care and attention that he puts into them that really extenuates his feelings.  The close-ups, the odd-angle shots, and the unique locations where he takes the car to capture the perfect shot.  They are a window into his love story.

With Takahiro, the first generation CRX has crept into many facets of his lifestyle.  His down-time consists of driving through the mountains of Japan, meeting other first gen owners for tinkering sessions, car shows and long drives, and riding his mini-bikes that sport CF-48 wheel covers that he installed himself.  Then when it comes to wheels, he has them all.  He could almost have a different set for each day of the week.  They are more like shoes than wheels.

Takahiro's relationship with his car is really something special, and I'm very thankful that he gave me permission to step into his world; a world that completely surrounds the first generation CRX.  You thought you loved your first gen, think again.  The care and attention the he gives his car is something I wish all first gens could receive.  That is why I share Takahiro's love story, to inspire us to truly appreciate what we have and not to hold back.

Join me on a pictorial journey into Takahiro's love story from Hondaland:

Photos taken by Takahiro