Well, after over 40-odd years of probably nigh-on a hundred or so cars and bikes, of all makes and sizes, i can well understand the Japanese cars coming out on top.
Ok, in the 60's and 70's, they certainly had a reputation for rotting before your eyes (Datsun 120?), although the engines and gearboxes seemed to be very reliable, it was just the bodywork and chassis that turned to dust around the engine.
I never have really got on with Fords, same way as i was never really a fan of BSA bikes, although i did have the odd Bantam and a 350 B31 but i didn't like the twins at all, i was more a Norton/Triumph fan back then, with a smattering of Jap bikes along the way.
These days, i ride a 2008 Triumph Thruxton 900, although the new models are really built around Japanese technology, the Triumph name is not much more than a brand name, in reality, i'm probably riding a Kawasaki 900 twin, seeing as they provided the technology and tooling for manufacturing the engines, most of the cycle parts are made in Taiwan!
The car i bought a few months back, is a 1995 Mazda MX5 soft-top, loosely based around the Lotus Elan two-seater, of the 60's/70's, I've always fancied one, so i though i would get one while i can still get in and out of the beggar.
The bottom line, for me anyway, is that the Jap cars and bikes are very reliable and the engines are pretty much bullet proof.
I think the report also states that second-hand BMW cars are the most problematic.
G ; )
