Toyota’s first exports to the US were with this Crown sedan in 1958, and it flopped. Too expensive, too heavy, too slow; it wasn’t what the US market was looking for: a better VW. That came along soon enough.
But it’s interesting to see these ads and their emphasis on traditional and modern Japanese qualities.
I like the cameras in the upper left corner. Look, America! The Toyopet has precision too! Back to the drawing board, Mr. Toyoda!
I like the camera, too. In fact, I have one of that exact camera. It is a Canon VI-T with a Canon 50mm f/1.2 lens. Mine was handed down from my Dad who had a friend at American President Lines pick it up for him on a voyage to Japan. A couple of years later, the same way, he got a Nikon F, one of the first year’s production of that camera that over the next while took over photojournalism. When I got into photography, though, it was with the Asahi Pentax line, which was smaller and lighter and felt better in my hands, so the Canon and Nikon have remained in nearly unused condition and function perfectly to this day. There must be a few Toyopets that loving collectors have likewise maintained.
Nikon, Canon, and Asahi/Pentax were probably the first of the big Japanese companies that changed the American image of “made in Japan” from cheap junk to desirable, high-quality merchandise; it’s not surprising Toyota wanted their image to rub off on them. Others like Sony and Seiko would soon further that high-quality image, as would Toyota itself of course.
Sparked by my father’s Slant-sixlike Honeywell Pentax H1a (“Asahi Pentax S1a” elsewhere in the world), I amassed a fine collection of screwmount Pentaxes. The oldest was a Heiland-Honeywell H2 (Asahi S2) from 1961 or ’62, which was pretty close to the beginning of the range (its predecessor was the H3/Asahi S3). The newest was a final-model ESII from 1982 or so, with advanced metering and other goodies. There were some absolutely terrific Pentax Takumar lenses made in that M42×1 screwthread mount, including the acclaimed 50mm ƒ/1.4 and a truly weird 17mm item (I never owned one).
Had to let the whole collection go in 2019. Hadn’t used them in years, but they were quite a delight to use, as film cameras went.
I detect styling hints from the 1956 Packards and Studebakers. I occasionally find them for sale here in California. I don’t think I’ve found any outside of the Golden State. They are usually pretty dried up and it seems that the only reason they are still around is that someone forgot to junk it. I like them because they were always in so many great Japanese Sci-Fi and Monster movies from “Toho Films” like “The Mysterians” and “The H Man”.
The front end of a 1955 Packard, the rear quarter panels of the 1955 Studebaker, the roof line of the 1955 Studebaker sedan, and “suicide” doors. Yep, that just screams “Modern, Jet-Propelled, Space Age!” doesn’t it? Actually, I kind of like it, in a weird way. It’s a more sensible approach to moving passengers from Point A to Point B than the 1960 Chevy or the 1960 Plymouth of the 1960 Mercury. Homely, yet kind of appealing in an honest sort of way.
While not directly related to these ads, I read recently that the Toyopet was the first car to debut what is now an expected feature – that the gas cap was tethered to the car body by a cord, so drivers wouldn’t leave it behind at the gas station.
Also, I think these cars had a warning light that would illuminate if one of the doors wasn’t closed all the way.
I’m not positive that the Toyopet offered the first examples of these in the automotive world, but it jumped out at me that it was exactly that type of thinking – little touches that made a lot of sense – that eventually propelled the Japanese to the top.
Somewhere in my extensive collection of automobilia I have a 6″ long gold plated cigarette holder and lighter in the form of the Toyopet seen here. To access the cigarettes you take off the roof and window assembly. On the underside it’s got Japanese writing.
In 1997 I moved my restoration shop to a former DeSoto-Plymouth dealer that was located between Baltimore and Frederick, in a small town called Poplar Springs. After moving in, I found out that when Chrysler decided to pull the franchise because the dealer wasn’t selling enough cars, he went with Toyota, and was said to be the first Toyota dealership on the east coast [1965?].
The building had sat unused for decades and was involved in a major bankruptcy case. I had been able to make a deal with the Trustee to lease it with an option to buy. All the stuff in the building was considered trash, except for the 2 mid 1960s UNSOLD Toyota Corona 2-door sedans, they were part of the bankruptcy, and had to remain in the building. As we cleaned up the place, one of my mechanics came to me with this cigarette holder. He found it behind a cast iron radiator in the former showroom. The parts department still had Toyota parts on the shelves, but most of the “goodies” had already disappeared. So I ended up selling the remaining parts in a bulk sale to a Toyota parts guy in California.
About 2 years later I was able to reach a deal to buy the property, however when my mortgage company sent out a property inspector, he discovered the 1930s underground gasoline storage tanks for the old ESSO pumps [now long gone]. The tanks were under the 1948 portion of the building, and were leaking gasoline. He discovered this when he checked the cracks between the foundation and the concrete floor in the showroom, and the sensor picked up the gasoline fumes.
That’s when I learned 2 very important things:
1. The real reason why the property was in bankruptcy. It was because of the gasoline leaking underneath, and the plume went under the state highway and into the neighboring farmland. Estimated costs for remediation: over $1.5 million.
2. A US Bankruptcy Court trustee is not obligated to disclose any problems or deficiencies with the property, his only responsibility to the court is to maximize the $ amounts for the creditors! The court cannot be held responsible for any failure to disclose problems!
It goes without saying that I walked away from that deal! Rather than go thru another huge move, I decided to close the shop and hold a big auction. I also called the State EPA and found they had never been notified, so they sent another inspector who confirmed the problem. They immediately condemned the building and ordered the electrical meter to be removed. A week later the electrical power was cut at the pole.
About a year later I found out a local landscaping and construction company bought the place really, really, cheap from the trustee, and he paid cash, as-is, no inspection. He was ordered by the county to tear down the building and begin remediation. During the teardown he found that feral cats had been living in the ceiling. This was discovered after he was hospitalized with a lung fungal infection from breathing in the dust as he tore down the building with his bulldozer. Seems for years the cats were using the cellulose insulation as a litter box, and the poo was covered with fungus. He wasn’t wearing a respirator, not even a dust mask. It almost killed him.
Last I heard, his property insurance company was trying to get out of paying for the remediation. I don’t know how that turned out. Just glad it wasn’t me.
Thanks, Bill, for sharing a fascinating story.
“the first Toyota dealership on the East Coast [1965].”
I don’t know whether the above statement is literally true, but it was around 1965 that Toyota began to aggressively expand its presence in the U.S. beyond the tiny West Coast toehold it had been limited to for the previous several years. So the first Toyota dealers in many areas likely first appeared right around that time.
I like how it looks in red….
I wonder how long I’d like the frumpy 1954 Packard looks though….
-Nate
I’m intrigued about how the perception of Japan by most Americans back in 1960 (in terms of both quality and war resentment) might have harmed their sales, and if it wasn’t somewhat counterproductive to highlight the Japanese origin on the brochures.
And what’s with the Toyopet name, come on!
That was an issue in other early export markets: Australia and New Zealand. Australians in particular abandoned their loyalties to Mother England’s products in not much more than a decade.
I remember the sony trinitron tv was a big game changer in consumers opinion of japanese products. my dad had an early one and it worked flawlessly.
Toyota thought enough of these to issue a retro version of it in 2000-01 called the Origin. Had suicide doors, reverse C pillar and fishbowl rear window, and a convincing take on ’50s front and rear styling. The interior unfortunately wasn’t even remotely retro, looking more like it was out of a Lexus SC300 or something.
I would very likely happily buy a LHD Toyota Origin.
It has the face of the guy on the can of Pringles!
As I understand it, these first Toyotas were not very reliable (at least not in the U.S). In addition to being pricey for what you got at the time, they were a rust-prone and, being designed for the narrow and crowded roads of Japan where speeds didn’t usually get above 45mph, their engines didn’t hold up well to American driving conditions. (Sort of like many English cars of the time.)
But Japan (and Toyota and the Japanese auto industry in general) learned from their failures. Toyota became the maker of the reliable (although usually somewhat boring) cars we take for granted today. And England the the English auto industry, well, we all know what happened to them.
Your understanding does not correspond to mine. The issue with the Crown was that it didn’t sell in the first place, due to being too expensive, mainly. Americans were mainly interested in imports at the time that were smaller and cheaper and more economical than American cars.
I have never heard anything about the very few Crown that were sold here being unreliable. And since they were almost all sold in California, rust would not have been an issue. Do you have some sources for your understanding?
What Toyota learned quickly is that Americans wanted a car priced in VW territory, so they brought over the Corona, which became a massive hit. And the Corona had an excellent reliability reputation from day one.
Yes, all Japanese cars had rust issue when they started to be sold in the Rust Belt. But that wasn’t mostly until the 1970s.
Well ;
I was here in So. Ca. in 1970 and so was at ground zero when all those used ’67 + Toyotas began showing up as cheap high schoolers & college students cars .
The 3R and 3RB engines revved nicely and made acceptable power but failed at freeway driving in droves, mostly getting rod knocks .
The under license Chevy powerglide tranny’s reverse band was too small for the job so slipping it into reverse as the car was rolling forward *instantly* snapped it causing even more of these (IMO) fine cars to become dirt cheap as a rebuilt tranny was $500 + and no one wanted to $pend any $ on a car that cost less than $2K new .
The nice reclining seats also had delicate gears in them and often collapsed when the car was lightly rear ended .
The gas tanks were terribly thin steel and completely raw steel so they tended to rust out from the inside, pin holes every where .
I, personally think these were terrific cars and would love to own one but these facts are simply facts .
I’d especially love a light blue or red (Maybe pale yellow) two door .
-Nate
Shifting from reverse into drive, or from drive into reverse,without completely stopping the car. That’s the my indicator that the driver is a person with no appreciation or respect for mechanical devices! Not a person that I would like.
I know that it can happen by accident, but would you try that in a vehicle with a manual transmission? My Dad bought a four year old Honda C110 50cc. motorcycle in 1969, that had the owner’s manual. It displayed illustrations of their entire line up as well as of their factory. Pretty impressive even to a member of a GM family.
Jose ;
Shifting from drive to reverse or vice-versa whilst underway is just a thing many (? most ?) American driver’s do .
I knew it was wrong when I was a little child but I was yelled at for mentioning it .
Just like “milk stops” where the vehicle never _quite_ stops moving before accelerating through a stop sign or red light when turning right on red .
Just this afternoon I watched a dipshit on a Harley bagger miss getting creamed by a car when he breezed a right on red…
-Nate