Inside Japan's biggest custom-car show

Japan’s  biggest custom car show took place in Tokyo as hundreds of manufacturers from around the world gathered to show off the best and most bizarre way people can modify their vehicles.

More than 300,000 people attended the three-day festival of all things motoring, as hundreds of the biggest car brands and parts suppliers show off their wares.

While some of Japan’s leading automobile manufacturers including Mazda, Subaru and Hino maintained a presence at TAS, showcasing a number of their concept models and racing cars, the event, which started life in the 1980s under the name Tokyo Exciting Car Show, continued its celebration and promotion of aftermarket manufacturing, tuning, dressing and customization.

Among the most eye-catching examples of dressing-up at TAS 2018 was a glittering pink Lamborghini showcased by Japanese brand Lyzer from car parts and accessories manufacturer World Wing Light.

A sense of fun has always been a part of the TAS remit (look out for the Pandarghini -- perhaps a nod to a recent furry addition to Tokyo) with plenty of this to be found on display at this year’s show in the custom paint jobs and prints that included tributes to anime character Doraemon, Minions, and Hello Kitty.  The Show Up division of Signal Inc., showed how much an Audi can be transformed with one of their car paints.

Tokyo Auto Salon began life in 1983 as the above mentioned Tokyo Exciting Car Show, the brainchild of the editor-in-chief of tuning car magazine “Option.”  The name changed to Tokyo Auto Salon in 1987.  As the event has grown scale so it has expanded in the variety of exhibitors in attendance.  TAS 2018 has plenty to offer for the car enthusiast right through to the layman.