News
Initial D's Signed AE86 Replica Auctioned for Charity
posted on by Egan Loo
Not-So-Daily Link of the Day: The used car dealer Carchs is offering a replica of the Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 car from the Initial D street-racing manga and anime in a charity auction on the MOBAOKU mobile-phone auction website in Japan. The auction will run from November 16 to 22 with starting bid of one yen (about US$0.01). Like other replicas, this one has the words "Fujiwara Tōfu-Ten (Jikayō)" painted on its door. Unlike most other replicas, manga creator Shuuichi Shigeno himself signed his autograph on it and its owner's manual. Shigeno also signed a set of the manga, an Initial D: Battle Stage Special Box DVD set, an Initial D Official Guidebook, and a 1/24 Initial D AE86 Trueno plastic model for charity.
Jerry Chu, a former marketing manager at Bandai Entertainment, created an Initial D AE86 replica from a 1986 Toyota Corolla and displayed it at Anime Expo 2002. He later offered it for sale when he relocated for a new position.
Toyota showcased its FT-86 concept car homage to the AE86 at last month's Tokyo Motor Show, although it has yet to officially announce any plans to mass-produce it.
Source: Carmode News-Blog, Motor Trend
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history