Yasuzô Masumura's films triumph the idea of the individual versus the needs of the many, standing in diametric opposite to Japanese norms. His 1962 Black Test Car tells the story of the battle between the Tiger Motorcar Company and the Yamato Company, particularly their newest sportcars.

Tiger was planning on a new car named Pioneer to set the world on fire, but the only thing ablaze is the test car. Now, Toru (Hideo Takamatsu, Ninja In a Business Suit) must discover the spy in his company and why Yamamoto's new car looks so much like an automobile his company has lost.

There are no heroes in this film, only the relentless drive to make the company a success no matter the cost - money, love, human contact, basic decency be damned. It's a strange film for American eyes, as it somehow is closer to the noir within a subject that few would consider, the cutthroat world of industrial automotive espionage.

Arrow Video keeps succeeding in finding movies I had no idea existed and suddenly making me care deeply about their existence. This is but another of those films.

I rented this for 99p..wehay! It's a good film. Because of the nature of the storyline (industrial spying, blackmail, bribery) the storyline holds the test of time. Well acted, well cast, well directed and well written makes this a good film. 7/10

Black Test Car is the first in a series of eleven Japanese thrillers throughout the sixties that are portraying the dark sides of society. This particular movie revolves around two car manufacturers, one being the veterans with excellent reputation and the other one being relatively young but innovative. The rookie manufacturer is planning on creating a first sports car for the Japanese market. The veterans however have a spy in the opponent's company and manage to steal their construction plans. They even go further by faking an accident of the new car of their opponents upon release to harm their reputation. The rookies however don't plan on giving up. They prepare a honey trap to find out the initial price of their opponent's sports car. Furthermore, they want to prove that the veterans have stolen their construction plans. The biggest task however remains to unmask the traitor in their own ranks. In order to be victorious in this tense power battle, industrial spies from both sides have to go beyond the rules.

This tense thriller in black and white has aged very well and convinces on multiple levels. The story line is realistic to a point that it could still happen very similarly in reality nowadays. The plot nevertheless comes around with multiple stunning twists and turns that will keep viewers on the edges of their seats until the very end. The different characters played by skilled actresses and actors are truly intriguing. It's particularly interesting to follow how their actions, behaviours and philosophies are going to change throughout the story. The movie is never moralizing in that regard but viewers will automatically empathize with some characters while despising or perhaps even pitying others. The film has fast pace from start to finish and throws in some drama in form of a romantic relationship menaced by the heated conflict between the two manufacturers and even some sex appeal in form of flirts in a shady bar and a hotel room.

This overlooked thriller has recently been released on Blu-ray by Arrow Video along with its successor in the series titled The Black Report which is also known as Black Statement Book. Both films convince with very good image and sound quality and are offered in a beautiful case with excellent artwork and booklet. Anyone who likes Japanese cinema in general and thrillers with clever plots in particular should purchase this great package.