Legends of the Rising Sun - Carrozzeria Watanabe

• 
• 
• 

This year’s theme at the Interclassics Show — taking place from 15 to 18 January 2026 in Maastricht, The Netherlands — is “Legends of the Rising Sun.” In the organiser’s own words: “We want to show visitors a new side of automotive history. Japanese sports cars are not only technically impressive, but also possess cultural value. Each model tells a story of dedication, passion and refinement. It is therefore an honour to bring these cars to Maastricht and present their story.”

Well, that means you will find a Toyota 2000GT, Datsun 240Z, Honda NSX, as well as a replica of Suzuki’s Fronte driven by Stirling Moss from Milan to Naples, and the cool Mazda 787B racer.

So far, so good. But while you won’t see any of them in your daily commute, aren’t these choices perhaps a bit — well — uninspiring? A bit too much like what the Jaguar E-Type is to the British motoring industry, or the Ferrari Daytona to Italy, the Citroën DS to France, and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing to Germany. Pretty — oh yes — but haven’t we seen them hundreds of times already at shows and events, on magazine covers and in online reports?

So let us instead introduce you to a far more obscure sports car manufacturer from the Land of the Rising Sun: Carrozzeria Watanabe. This alluring niche coachbuilder was founded by Masao Watanabe in Yokohama in 1970, and was responsible for highly underrated GTs such as the Honda S600-based Flying Pegasus and Griffon, the Ferrari P4-like, Nissan Skyline-powered Lycaon, and the later Chevrolet Corvette-powered Afghan. Production numbers rarely exceeded a few dozen examples — even when being optimistic — so survivors are exceptionally thin on the ground. That makes the chances of bumping into a Watanabe Griffon in Maastricht extremely slim, but that’s precisely why we show it to you here. Masao Watanabe passed away in 2003, but the Watanabe company — now run by his brother — is still very much in business today, manufacturing light alloy wheels for the Japanese classic car scene.

Words: Jeroen Booij
Pictures: Coachbuild

Details:

• Event: Interclassics Maastricht
• Date: 15 - 18 January 2026
• Location: MECC Maastricht, Netherlands
• Tickets: Click here>>

Make a comment, ask a question, give your opinion, share additional information or start a discussion by filling in the fields below.