Last Saturday, January 5th at Julian B Lane Riverfront Park in Tampa, FL; Motor Vice made it's inaugural appearance in the area with their Vice Coast gathering. The premise of Vice Coast and the company behind it, Motor Vice; is to showcase 80's and 90's car culture. Harnessing the look and feel of that bygone era included not just the cars but the people attending and participating in the fun event.
Taking place at such a spacious outdoor location on the water during Florida's cooler months, plenty of people wore vintage wind breakers, track suits, and Miami Vice gear that would make Crockett and Tubbs jealous...if not maybe the break dance moves from the dance battle. The automotive landscape is what really brought everyone together however, while the food trucks provided a feast for your stomach; the vintage selection of cars in attendance provided a feast for the eyes.
Although plenty of cool cars showed up consisting of all different makes and models like a Ferrari 348, BMW M1, C4 Corvette, and a wicked cool RHD Mitsubishi Delica; our focus was on the Toyota vehicles in attendance.
This interesting Toyota Tercel or Sprinter Carib as known in other markets, had some flash as the owner dressed it up to make it a fun little cruiser. The small wagon had a clean engine bay which showed attention to detail as well as some bass out back that I'm sure turns heads when the radio's on.
This very clean Toyota Corolla 1.8 Wagon was in attendance just showing off it's straight body and unmolested nature. A TE or KE sitting on a set of Kouki Corolla SR5 wheels is never a bad thing for that understated look.
Of course Ron of LowKee Old School Car Club was in attendance with his own Corolla Wagon. As a staple of the car scene in the Tampa area, Ron makes sure to bring his trusty vintage Toyota to every meet and car show possible, it is the work horse that is also a show horse.
While not as flashy as some other cars in attendance, this completely stock SW20 Toyota MR2 showcases restraint from an owner that truly loves this car. Known usually for it's punchy turbo 3SGTE and great handling characteristics, the car shown here has a very underappreciated 5SFE; a motor that to a lot of enthusiasts is a fun option that will last forever.
I'm sure most of us had that friend or maybe was that friend with the 3rd Gen Toyota Supra who was constantly tinkering under the hood to get their car up to snuff, but this vehicle has been guided by the right hands. It's a rare sight these days to see such a well kept for MK3 Supra, with a working 7MGE straight six and every emblem and trim still intact. Perhaps the next wave of rising prices is for the remaining unmodified Supras that predate the MK4 and soon to come MK5 variants.
With a bumper mounted oil cooler, the MX73 Toyota Cressida seen here is given that rough street style seen in car sub cultures like bosozoku. The style started by gangs in Japan is a mesh of functionality and expression, this Cressida tells me it's ready for war if needed...kamikaze style.
I guess I saved the best for last with this pristine 1974 Toyota Celica, it's just simply beautiful. This RA22 is an ST model equipped with an 18R-C, with the C denoting California emission standards which can also be identified with the sticker on the valve cover. This detail given to maintaining originality can be seen in the interior, the seats are just perfect as is the dash board; even the stock radio is present! The exterior of course is very pleasing to the eyes, it has a slim spoiler out back, blue stripes crossing the doors and fenders, and a very clean set of Celica-Supra wheels.
I hope everyone enjoyed a quick glimpse of some cool Toyotas in attendance at this show, stay tuned for more event coverage and features!
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