Arizona’s “Kyusha Club” Recognizes 2005 and Older Import Vehicles

There is growing appreciation in the classic car community for vehicles from the 1980s, 1990s, and even the early 2000s as shown by the RADwood movement.

Arizona is home to a strong network of enthusiasts who own vehicles from this era, and weather this time of year is prime for spending time outdoors to kick the tires. With that in mind, the “Kyusha Club” first got its start in January with an event at Fourtillfour in Scottsdale, Arizona. This coffee shop is themed in all-things automotive and got its name from 3:56, or 356, which refers to a Porsche chassis code.  Kyusha Club founder, Keith Ross, adds that Fourtillfour has a well-attended event called “Shakedown” with a similar automotive attendee base. Fourtillfour’s complete cars and coffee event calendar is here. 

“Kyusha,” by the way, is a broadly-used Japanese term for “vintage car.” The name has been used for many years in connection with the Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS) which is held each fall in Southern California.

Following the initial Kyusha Club gathering in January, the attention for the event has grown, and organizers decided to move to a larger location. The Colony, located near the northwest corner of Missouri Avenue and Seventh Street in Uptown Phoenix, provided a perfect backdrop for the event in the months that followed. The venue houses a general store, restaurants, and a mobile coffee truck serving beverages and pastries. Eligibility for Kyusha Club events is focused on 2005 model year and older European and Japanese automobiles.

Event attendee Peter Kulikowski brought out his recently-acquired 1999 BMW 540i Touring for the occasion. Finished in stunning and rare Siena Red Metallic over Sand Beige leather, this sport wagon packs something special into the drivetrain by way of a six-speed manual transmission (which was not available on this car from the factory). “The color is my favorite thing about the car,” Peter remarked. Additional upgrades for his car included an ECU tune, a Dinan exhaust system, KW coilovers, 20-inch wheels, and Recaro front seats. The result was eye-catching.

Peter was in good company at the March show, as many other special rides rolled in throughout the morning. Some were stock, some were modified, and some were wildly custom – including a red sixth-generation Honda Civic hatchback with a 3.5-liter V6 motor that was swapped from a late-model Acura MDX sport-utility vehicle. I attended the event in my 1994 Acura Legend LS coupe alongside two other vehicles of the same body style. It was a pleasant morning with upbeat music, nice-looking cars, and quality automotive conversation.

Event organizer Keith Ross is pleased with the level of support that Kyusha Club events have received so far, and he and his team are looking forward to evolving the event in the months to come. Event details are as follows:

• Date: Last Sunday of Every Month
• Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Location: The Colony Uptown, 5538 North 7^th Street, Phoenix AZ 85012

For continued updates on Kyusha Club news, check out @thekyushaclub on Instagram. And as always, stay tuned to The ClassicCars.com Journal for coverage on this and other events.

Are there any unique car events in your area? Leave a comment below, and we’d love to get in touch!