It Is What It Is: Nelson's 1976 Celica
Looking through the catalog of cars I’ve shot over the years it's easy to spot their similarities. I shoot a lot of drift cars, s-chassis, AE86s, Hondas, and if I could have it my way that’s what I’d do for the rest of my life. These cars are commonly equipped with a gargantuan list of rare or just flat out cool parts and it’s exciting getting to see and document that. I’ve learned so much about the cars I like just from the experiences I’ve had shooting them and I’m always glad I get to catalog these cars, their cool parts and their stories. As much as I enjoy doing that, I equally enjoy being able to take a step back and enjoy a car for what it is.
The 70s Celica is something I’ve yearned for since my earliest interest in cars. During those formative years I found myself somewhat obsessed with early Toyotas and Datsuns. My first great car desires were that of a Toyota Starlet, Datsun 240Z and a Celica, much like this one. It wasn’t until I attended Vintage Class in 2016 that I was graced by my first real introduction to one. It was all black with a singular white stripe around its nose and done up in a style that resembles that shakotan look I love. Although I couldn’t regularly attend, I found myself keeping up with the meet online and through it I found a plethora of old local Japanese tin on Instagram. Arranging a shoot with anyone of the regular attendees of Vintage Class was something I’ve wanted to do for the longest time, so I couldn’t be more pleased that the first car I shot from that group was a classic Celica.
I talked to Nelson about the troubles that come with classic Celica ownership, the usual hard to source bits and the ever rising cost of parts seemed to be the main sticking points, but in spite of this, Nelson’s Celica was practically all there, which I guess is to be expected of a man who has owned this for 4 years along with a large collection of other older Japanese tin. The trim is as it should be, the American oversized safety bumpers are gone, and the body is in near flawless shape after Nelson repainted it an interesting shade of white that contains a hint of mint green. When you start with a classic Celica you don’t have to do too much to make it standout It’s not some amalgamation of collectors parts and fancy high end bits; what it is, is a remnant from an era of cars that, even in their simplest forms, have heaps to appreciate due to their unfettered design.
I didn’t approach this shoot like most others I’ve written about. I wasn’t collecting a list of parts or grilling the owner about its history and what all has been done to it, at least not too much. Personally, I don’t think the parts that help put the vehicle where it's at are really all too important. From the jump, a classic Celica is already a good enough car on it’s own to capture my attention. It’s no secret that Japanese styling of the era was referential to a wide breadth of different influences, from European to american, but in the case of these early Celicas it’s clear. The arched bulging rear quarters suggest there is a beast underneath its bowed metal form despite the humble and beloved stock 20R power plant that resides at its core. The influence of contemporary pony and muscle cars of the era is undeniable here. The recessed headlights are reminiscent of the Mopar monsters of the era, while the chin spoiler would look equally at home on a 69’ Camaro. It's this miniaturization of American muscle that makes Japanese cars of this era so endearing to me. The re-imagining of classic styling matched with the reliability of Japanese motors at the time ensured that these cars would be appreciated well after their prime. With the rarity of Celicas on the rise as stock examples get swept into the collectors market, Celicas like Nelson’s become a delicacy. Still stock enough to be enjoyed by the discerning fan, but with enough custom touches to have that character that allows me to enjoy it for what it is, one damn good looking old ‘yota.
