RIP Yutaka "Mr. K" Katayama, 1909-2015

[URL="http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/2015/02/21/rip-yutaka-katayama-1909-2015/"]The "Father of the Z" died yesterday at 105.[/URL]

Mr. K was one of the few in the big automobile corporations, it seems, who got it and got us. He understood the nuances of our passion from the simian thrills of acceleration and braking to the more cerebral appreciation of design and engineering and through sheer force of personality helped plant the seeds of some of our favorite Nissans and Datsuns. Collectors finally seem to be giving Japanese cars their long-deserved due thanks, in no small part, to his efforts half-a-century ago. He will be missed.

I read about it too- seems like Nissan has quite a lot to owe to Mr. K for being where the company is today.

RIP Mr. K!

Seeing him pass gave me much the same feeling as watching Carrol Shelby die. Although new icon's of the automotive community are rising. Nothing will replace the torch these titans held during periods when performance could not be achieved from behind the bureaucratic desks of the top CEOs.

Rest in Peace Mr. Katayama, and let the legacy you have bestowed upon us fill our roads with the screams of six wild and furious aria's.