As for mega shoppers, they’ll enjoy soothing retail therapy in the “Euro Sports” shop which, as its name suggests, stocks mostly European merchandise that includes F1-themed collectibles and clothes. Another shop, called Grease, sells car-related souvenirs, scale models, books, periodicals and DVDs.
Right behind Grease is real grease, in the Restore Pit where old-hand mechanics work on equally old cars to keep/make them roadworthy. If you ask politely, they’ll let you enter the glass-windowed workshop to touch the vehicles, sit inside, take pictures, check out the tools and maybe get some grease on your elbows.
Plenty more of these “veterans” are parked in the History Garage, a three-minute walk from Toyota City Showcase via the Venus Fort shopping mall atrium – 30 minutes if you get distracted along the way by the arcade games in Kawaii Paradise and the ultra-cute “JDM” puppies in Aeon Pet Pecos.
The permanent exhibition is a heartwarming tribute to iconic vintage cars from the 1950s to the 1970s, parked in a nostalgic diorama with small-town facades, period signboards and gasoline kiosks. It’s like stepping back in (drive) time, but in air-con comfort and on a squeaky-clean floor. The classic Toyotas in the “garage” include the 2000GT, Celica, Soarer, Sports 800 and several Toyopets.
These share the (artistically dim) limelight with other Jap stars from the past, such as Nissan’s first Skyline GT-R, Mazda’s rotary-powered Cosmo Sport, Subaru’s 360 and Honda’s S500. There are also significant historical models from Europe, including the Porsche 356, Lotus Elan, Alfa Romeo Spider, Jaguar E-Type, Citroen 2CV and the VW Beetle. Americana is represented by some of yesterday’s greatest American heroes-on-wheels, such as the Chevy Corvette, Ford Mustang and DeLorean DMC-12.
Whether it’s back to the future, here and now in the present, or reversing down memory lane, pay a visit to Toyota’s “Disneyland” for drivers and make your Mega Web dreams come true.
2018 Singapore Motorshow saw over 20 new car model launches
This showroom is designed to resemble a “car vending machine”
