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Nobukazu Tanaka Is Not Just Another Car Enthusiast; He Is a Golf MkII Aficionado Since His Student Days. Now, He Is the Owner of Spinning Garage, Located in Sagamihara City on Honshū, Japan’s Main Island.
He and his dedicated team keep the passion for this iconic Volkswagen model alive. Tanaka was once an avid racer on tracks and performed all the vehicle maintenance and tuning himself. His love for the Golf has always been so great that he decided to open a shop specialized solely in this model. The dream became a reality in 1998.
At first glance, the place may seem like a junkyard. However, upon further inspection, it becomes clear that the more than 200 cars that occupy the space, mainly the Golf MkII, are far from being scrap. “It’s more of a sanctuary for Golfs than a storage for abandoned cars,” explains Tanaka.
The Community Behind the Golf MkII
But what truly makes Tanaka’s work special is not just his deep technical knowledge about the Golf. It’s the warm and welcoming community of owners, collectors, and enthusiasts in Japan. “Customers often bring family and friends when they come to pick up their cars, which are practically rejuvenated here at Spinning Garage,” comments the enthusiast.
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This passion and dedication to the restoration and maintenance of Golf MkII makes Spinning Garage more than just a business; it is a legacy that Tanaka and his team are building for the next generation of enthusiasts. In a world where cars are becoming increasingly generic, it is refreshing to see such genuine devotion to a model with such a rich history.
The History of the Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf was born in a very particular context: the oil crisis of the 1970s. The world needed a compact, efficient, and economical car. Launched in 1974, the Golf was a game-changer for Volkswagen and the automotive industry as a whole.
The Golf was conceived as the replacement for the Volkswagen Beetle. Unlike the Beetle, with its rear engine and iconic but dated design, the Golf featured a modern design and a front-mounted transverse engine. The car was an immediate sales success, especially in Europe.
Over the years, the Golf has gone through various generations and updates, each adding something new to the legacy. The first generation, known as Mk1, was launched in 1974. The latest, the Mk8, was launched in 2019 and incorporated high-tech features, such as Level 2 autonomous driving and a range of powertrain options, including plug-in hybrids.
