When I first glanced at this shot by Roshake77, I thought somebody had just slapped a VW badge on their Toyota pickup. Well, that’s essentially what VW did with their Taro, but they actually built them too, in their Hanover plant in Germany. True confessions: I’d rather forgotten about that. Well, the 1989 joint venture to give VW a one-ton truck to round out its line wasn’t exactly a hit, and it petered out in 1997, due to low sales.
VW only built regular cab 2×4 diesel versions, from 1989 to 1994. That year VW showed an extended cab 4×4, but it was built by Toyota in Japan. Presumably they wanted to expand into the growing recreational market from the strictly utilitarian one.
These were one-ton trucks, with a payload rating of 1125 kg, or 2480 lbs. This one looks to be still in front line service in scenic Sarti, Greece. It is a Toyota, after all.
Those pickups were built for scandinavian markets where Toyota was less present and where were strict rules regarding pickup trucks, which VW couldn’t fulfill at reasonable costs. This one might have spent its life at swedish forrestal service as you can see by the color, and methinks I can even spot the “Sveaskog” label. (Could also be german forrestal sevice, as they have nearly same colors).
Politics makes strange bedfellows, indeed!
That one is chewed up pretty well. Nothing that’d keep it from running, but cosmetic damage to every surface. The thankless life of a true work vehicle.
These must be so rare! What a spot.
Saw alot of these when I went to Greece in 2006. The first time I saw one, I assumed the owner had put a VW emblem on a Toyota.