Online reservations for admission are now available for the public
The Fuji Motorsports Museum is set to open this October 7 but snippets of what to expect to see are already on their website. This includes the Nissan R382, the Toyota 2000GT, the Hino Contessa rally car, the Sunbeam Grand Prix, the Cisitalia Coupe, and the Toyota 7. These cars represent a spectrum of technologies in each of their eras and an expression of performance in different kinds of tracks and races.
The website says it is “Presenting the Exciting History of How Motorsports have Developed and Driven the Evolution of Automobiles.” This history–about 130 years of motorsports in all significant places all over the world–is seen through a display of forty remarkable racing cars. The display is designed to immerse the viewers in the world of motorsports through “inspiring episodes from the lives of racing’s most influential people.”
Motorsports emerged in the wake of a major shift in motive power. It was essentially horse racing with horsepower, not just horses. This explains why in its history too, a lot of races were run inside horse racing tracks during the off-season. Events like trails and endurance races also evolved from horse power to horsepower.
The Fuji Automobile Museum describes a time when “early automobile manufacturers worldwide were vying for dominance, there was no advertisement more effective than winning races. As such, many automobile manufacturers committed to racing, staking their reputations on success at the track. The relentless competition that ensued yielded remarkable breakthroughs in automotive technology.”
According to the Fuji Automobile Museum website, many international car races be it on road, off-road or multi-surface, with rallies that call for superior driving skill, instantaneous speed, and navigational accuracy over difficult terrain, as well as endurance served as a test bench to evaluate a vehicle’s robustness and fuel efficiency.
“Japanese automobile manufacturers are eagerly participating in some of the toughest and most prestigious races in the world, encouraging the rapid growth of motorsport culture in Japan,” the FAM said which explains the inclusion of three Japanese iconic race cars in the initial line-up of vehicles highlighted.
