Tokyo Autosalon 2023: Exploring the Privateer Entries and Our Favorite Smaller Stands

Tokyo Autosalon 2023 is one of the biggest international car shows of the year and this year didn't disappoint. While we didn't have a trade stand this year, we did send our media team over to capture some snaps and meet up with all our friends and business partners at the show.

While most people come to the show to see the big names & manufacturers like Toyota, Nissan, Liberty Walk and Work Wheels, there are also a number of privateer entries and smaller stands that are often overlooked but bring their own flavour to the event. We'll look at some of the most exciting entries and explore these smaller stands and brands you may not have heard of.

Each year, the show sees a number of privateer entries which often take the form of heavily modified classics. This year we saw some great examples, such as a 1967 Ford Mustang with a custom air suspension and bright blue paint job, and a 1965 VW Beetle with all sorts of modifications including a turbocharged engine and an extreme wide body kit. Not only do these privateer entries provide interesting talking points at the show, but they also push boundaries in terms of design and engineering. We also noticed that many of the smaller stands were showcasing their own unique takes on classic cars; whether it be performance upgrades or restorations, there was something for everyone. One stand in particular had some stunningly restored Japanese classics from the 70s and 80s that looked fresh off the production line!

Another standout for TAS 2023 was Sung Kan's (Han from Fast and Furious) veilside 400z. It certainly caught everyone's attention as they walked past, featuring a paintjob and wheels to match his veilside Rx7 from Tokyo Drift not to mention the veilside promo girls!

Veilside have done an impeccible job with this car and it will be seen in the next Fast and Furious movie, so we were incredibly lucky to view this in the flesh prior to filming.

Garage Marine is one of those new brands that is looking to make an impression, focusing mainly on modified car sales, repairs, upgrades and custom metal and fibreglass work, they are based out of Nagoya so will definately be keen to check out their HQ next time we are in the city. 

We had never seen them at Autosalon before but their stand left a lasting impression with two amazingly well presented and incredibly detailed show cars - a 180SX(240sx) and an S15 Silvia with a 2JZ. 

Rotory Specialists RE-Amemiya are one of those Japanese brands that has reached legendary status. While they only had a couple of their own cars on display, there was a large amount of customer cars also on display in front of the stand.

One of the more unique brands at the show this year was L-Tide. A VIP Tuner that focuses on ground-up heavily modified show cars and styling, reminiscent of Australian Sex-Spec style from back in the day each car featured ultra-detailed paintwork, lighting setups, custom upholstery everywhere, and crazy sound systems.

BN Sports is one of the names that have been around since the early 90s - most famous for their mega wide body kits, which are still hand shaped and hand made from scratch. While their stand was small, the two cars featured this year were quite cool. The first was a white A90 Supra with the classic BN Sports style sides and rear and a mild over fender that compliments the existing curves rather than trying to add to much. The second was a bright metallic yellow S2000 which was distinctively classic BN-Sports. We were in agreement between the team that it is probably one of the best S2k kits we have seen for the model. 

Tokyo Autosalon Winning Shoji Inoue and the team at House Star Road are best known for their incredibly detailed Hakosuka and 240z restorations. This year they only brought two cars, but the level of quality was distictively Star Road.

Renowned for their aggresive wheel nuts, accessories and unique wings and wheels, 326 appeared at TAS 2023 in style with 3 gorgeous yellow Nissans. 2 S14's and a 400z all in the unique 326 style!