Today’s title may feel a bit odd, considering that the Crown never quite took off in the US market. But elsewhere, particularly in Asia and South America, early generations of the Crown paved the way for buyers of those regions to consider Toyota as a viable provider of accessible luxury. While the ’64 Corona and ’66 Corolla were the models that brought legions of faithful consumers to the brand, the Crown made a case for Toyota being more than a purveyor of mass-market cars.
In those markets, the Crown showed that Toyota could offer a refined vehicle with luxury touches at discount prices, offering a nice alternative to semi-premium European and US models. An international trajectory that rose on the inroads done by the ’62-’67 Crown (S40), and on which the ’67-’70 S50 generation built upon. So, when excluding the US market, we can say mission accomplished.
