HOW JAPANESE CARMAKERS won the West. “California weather is kind to tin cars. Its twisty mountains and coastal roads were best driven with manual transmissions. Californians could choose between freeway cruisers idling in traffic jams under smog clouds, or break away in little four cylinder, manually rowed, cheap little Japanese cars. Always striving to be different, and tiring of the ancient Volkswagon Beetle’s commonplace shortcomings, Californians fell in love with Toyotas, Hondas, and Datsuns. What Californians did in 1973 was watched by every American from Bangor to Battle Creek. . . . The Japanese cars, except for the FWD Civic, the Datsun Z and the Toyota Celica, were not exceptional cars. This Corolla was as dull as they come. But to America, these cars were new, different, cheap and dependable.”