Yahoo Autos Learn About Mr. Miyagi’s Classic Cars
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The karate master was also a gearhead…
One of the most memorable scenes from The Karate Kid was when Mr. Miyagi had Daniel do different chores, including waxing all his classic cars. What most people didn’t fixate on at the time was the martial arts master was actually a gearhead. He had a pretty impressive collection going in his yard. Instead of favoring vehicles from his homeland of Japan, Miyagi only owned Detroit steel. Each of his cars looked excellent, showing the immigrant from Okinawa meticulously cared for them.
1941 Chevrolet Light Delivery
The most featured of all the vehicles in Mr. Miyagi’s collection, this Chevy truck was also the most utilitarian and oldest. He used it to transport Daniel to the different places for training, including when the older man first showed off the infamous crane kick on the beach, then broke some beer bottles two guys left on the fender.
Anytime an old workhorse like this one is featured in a movie, it recalls feelings of pride in how America was built. During its heyday, this half ton light commercial truck might have been the beast of burden for a small business as part of the lifeblood of the community. That role made these pickups absolutely iconic, a symbol which very much resonated with audiences back in 1984.
1959 Nash Metropolitan 1500 Coupe
A car many younger viewers might not recognize, the Nash Metropolitan 1500 coupe is far smaller than the other vehicles in the collection, so it often is partially hidden in shots. Still, it gets some nice screen time as the first car Mr. Miyagi has Daniel wax.
Nash was ahead of its time, creating vehicles which were small and fuel efficient when gas was cheap and Americans wanted big cars. Perhaps that’s what attracted Mr. Miyagi to a Nash, since it felt familiar compared to the Kei cars of his homeland. While that’s one theory of why it was in the collection, nobody seems to know for sure.
