With so much motoring content online today, it’s harder than ever to know what’s genuinely worth your time. Every now and then, though, something special cuts through the noise.
‘One of One’ is one of those rare finds. The feature-length documentary follows the people behind Naito Auto Engineering—one of Japan’s best kept automotive secrets—and is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Google Play.
Created by filmmaker Ben Bertucci, ‘One of One’ is both a documentary and a companion book. Remarkably, Bertucci began the project with almost no background in cars. A self taught, independent filmmaker, he’s developed a distinctive, unobtrusive shooting style that draws out the quiet authenticity of his subjects.
Founded in Tokyo in the aftermath of WWII, Naito Auto Engineering is a three generation family business renowned for restoring high value classic cars with extraordinary artistry and precision. Masao Naito—bold, rebellious, and uncompromising—transformed his father’s small mechanic shop into a world class restoration house coveted by elite collectors. For more than 40 years he has ruled the business with an iron fist. But with retirement looming, tensions rise. Can the younger Naitos uphold the legacy and steer the company into the future? Bertucci’s film offers a rare, fly on the wall look inside a famously private family and workshop, including never before seen footage of artisanal techniques passed down from Shinichi Naito, a self taught “genius” mechanic who once worked on Japanese bomber planes during WWII.
What makes ‘One of One’ truly special is that it’s not just a portrait of a unique restoration shop—one that has barely changed its location or methods in decades—but also a story about generational pressure, identity, and the uncertain future faced by the founder’s grandsons as they question their place in the family legacy.
For a deeper dive into the film and an interview with Ben Bertucci, this Car and Driver article is well worth a read: Now Streaming: ‘One of One,’ the Story of a Tokyo Exotic-Car Repair Shop – caranddriver.com
