Man goes to car meet and is left baffled as to what the Mustang-looking car is as it's one he's never seen before
Published on May 30, 2026 at 6:06 AM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on May 30, 2026 at 6:06 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
This Redditor went to a car meet and found a Ford Mustang that wasn’t a Ford Mustang at all.
In fact, it wasn’t even a Ford, and it wasn’t even American.
The car you see here is the great-grandfather of a relatively popular sports coupe that sold well in Japan and Europe, but practically never existed in the US.
And there’s a huge giveaway.
The Mustang that’s not a Mustang is actually from Japan
A Redditor named gajendra_01 took to the aptly called Whatisthiscar sub-reddit to ask a question about a car he saw at a car meet.
Painted yellow with chrome wheels, the vehicle looked shockingly similar to a Ford Mustang, especially from the back.
In reality, this is a second-generation Toyota Celica Liftback.
Introduced in 1973, the Celica featured C-pillar louvers and vertical bar tail lights that are clear homages to the Mustang.
It was never sold outside of the US and it’s super rare, especially where this Redditor saw it.
“The car meet was in Riga, Latvia,” he told Supercar Blondie.
In general, Japanese icons from the 1970s are already difficult to find in car-centric countries like the UK, Germany or perhaps Italy or France, let alone Latvia, where there are only 424 cars per 1,000 inhabitants.
“This was the only 1970s Japanese car I’ve ever seen in this country, and I’m not surprised,” he said.
Japanese cars from the 1970s looked remarkably muscle car-like
Most of these cars never left Japan, which is why they’re not easy to spot in Europe or the US.
But, amazingly, most if not all Japanese sports coupes from the 1970s and (in part) 1980s looked like what you’d call a muscle car.
Even the Skyline started out like this.
The fourth-generation Skyline in particular – pictured below – looked surprisingly similar to a Chevy Chevelle or a Charger from the same era.
The biggest giveaway, by far, are the side mirrors.
No American car has ever had its side mirrors placed on the hood but, in Japan, that was the norm in the 1970s.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
