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Having pioneered the luxury
car market in Japan, the Crown was fully redesigned in 1962. Anticipating the
advent of the high-speed traffic age, the second-generation model boasted superior
performance at high speeds, and a comfortable roomy interior. The exterior design
was also modernized, featuring a radiator grille shaped as a stylized letter T,
as well as the hood and trunk lid completely flat. The Crown Series further added
various features and offered a wide range of models to respond to the diverse
needs of the market. |
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Prince Motors, Ltd. (now Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.) added this
model to the second generation Gloria series in 1963. It was the first Japanese
production model with an overhead camshaft (OHC) six-cylinder engine.
The Super 6 featured a maximum speed of 155km/h, a smooth ride,
and low noise levels, which established the image of luxury and high
performance, and set the trend for 6-cylinder OHC engines on vehicles in this class. |
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Having already secured success
in the family sedan market, the Corona sought to further expand
its market share with the sporty 1600S model in April 1965. In June,
Toyota launched Japan's first hardtop model. Its attractive style
with no center pillar gave it a more airy feeling.
It became the favorite car of the younger generation. The Corona
was Toyota's first response to the increasing demand for a personal
sporty car. |
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Between the Corona and the Crown,
the new Corona MarkII was released in September 1968. Toyota adopted the naming
style common in England, as with “Jaguar MarkII”, to signal a redesign
or upgrade.including a two-door hardtop model and a 1.9-liter model. There were
11 models to choose from. By December, it was a runaway best-seller with more
than 20,000 cars sold in that month. |
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A step above
the Crown Eight with its completely new design, was an internationally
competitive luxury car, a prestige saloon. Named to commemorate
the 100 years since Sakichi Toyoda's birth and the Meiji Era's centennial,
it displayed unbelievable performance and Japan-like styling. It
weighed more than 1.7 tons, had a high-performance, 3.0-liter V8
engine and was capable of reaching speeds of 170km/h. Its weight
and smooth ride concealed the high-performance engine it possessed. |
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Diversifying needs
did not only apply to high-class car; makers were also active in
creating new models to satisfy the strong demand for a family
car. The Corolla Sprinter appeared among the many car types as a
two-door coupe with a fastback style. Its sporty style and small
1.1-liter engine achieved speeds of up to 160km/h, and it was available
at the low price of ¥587,000. It was a car capable of satisfying
even the sports car enthusiast. Sales were accordingly brisk. |
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