The
Toyota Crown is a line of full-size luxury sedans by Toyota. The range was primarily available in
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and some other Asian countries, originally designed to serve as a
taxiA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
. Throughout the Crown's production, there has always been available a minimal content Crown in the sedan bodystyle platform used as a taxi, and in the mid 1990s, Toyota created an offshoot of the Crown sedan to serve specifically as a taxi, called the
Toyota ComfortThe Toyota Comfort, released in 1995, was designed for use as a taxicab in Japan. Its primary competitor was the Nissan Crew and its secondary competitor was the Cedric Y31...
. The Crown also serves as a police car nationally, as well as transporting government officials at all levels.
In Japan, it is only available at
Toyota Store dealership retail channels.The Crown is Toyota's oldest sedan still in production. It is outranked only by the
CenturyThe Toyota Century is a large four-door limousine produced mainly for the Japanese market, serving as Toyota's flagship car. Production of the Century began in 1967 and the model received only minor changes until a redesign in 1997. The Century derived its name from the 100th anniversary of the...
and the
MajestaThe Toyota Crown Majesta is a full-size premium luxury automobile. The Toyota Crown Majesta shares a stretched variant of the UZS platform series from the smaller Toyota Crown and Lexus GS/Toyota Aristo, however, it is not just a upper trim level of the Crown sedan, the Majesta is a separate car...
in social status. The Crown is used by many Japanese companies as the company
limousineA limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
. In many markets the Crown had become very expensive and was replaced by the
CressidaThe Toyota Cressida was a mid-size sedan marketed by Toyota from December 1976 to February 1993 through four generations. It was the flagship sedan of Toyota in the United States. The same chassis with slightly different bodies was available in other countries as the Toyota Mark II, Toyota Chaser...
in some international markets when it became available for export in the early 1980s. Most models are distinguishable by a unique "Crown" badge on the front grille, in place of the normal stylized 'T', but the normal Toyota badge is usually used on the rear.
It was sold in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the late 1950s and up until 1971. Exports to
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
began in 1964 with the first cars going to
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Other European countries which saw imports of the Crown included the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and
BelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
was another market until the early 1980s. It was also exported to
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for a few years—1965–68.
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
was another important export market for the Crown—to the extent that it was manufactured there from the mid-1960s until the late 1980s using many local components.
Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
was also another country where the Toyota market had a successful run, which saw some productions between 1960-1980.
The Crown has existed in some form post World War II, and Toyota uses the "Crown" name as inspiration for their primary sedans, the
CorollaThe Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, with over 35 million...
which is Latin for "small crown", the
CamryThe Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world...
a phonetic transcription of the Japanese word kanmuri that means crown, and the
CoronaThe Toyota Corona is an automobile manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota between 1957 and 2002. Traditionally, the competitor from Nissan was the Nissan Bluebird. The word Corona is Latin for "crown"...
which is Spanish for crown.
First (RS Model-S30 Model: 1955 to 1962)
The Crown was introduced in 1955 in Japan to meet the demand of public transportation in the form of a taxi, with the same 1.5 L
Type RThe Toyota R family was a series of straight-4 gasoline engines. Designed for longitudinal use in such vehicles as the Celica and Hilux and in production from 1953 through 1995, use faded out as many of Toyota's mainstream models moved to front-wheel drive...
engine used on their previous car, the Toyopet Super. The front doors open conventionally, and the rear doors open from the center
"B" pillarPillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
to aid entry and exit from the back.
Its coil and double wishbone independent front suspension was a departure from the leaf sprung
live axleA live axle, sometimes called a solid axle, is a type of beam axle suspension system that uses the driveshafts that transmit power to the wheels to connect the wheels laterally so that they move together as a unit....
front suspension used on most previous models but was similar to the independent front suspension used on the 1947 Toyopet
SAThe SA was Toyota's first new passenger car design after World War II. It was the first in a family of vehicles before the introduction of the Crown. A series of light trucks also shared the chassis and major components of these passenger cars.All of these vehicles were sold under the Toyopet...
. The live axle rear suspension was similar to that used on most of the previous models (unlike the trailing arm rear suspension used on the SA). Taxi versions were produced and commercial versions of the vehicle were also available as an estate wagon and a 3 or 6 seater
coupe utilityThe coupé utility automobile body style, also known colloquially as the ute in Australia and New Zealand, combines a two-door "coupé" cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin—using a light-duty passenger vehicle-derived platform....
. The "Crown" name was previously in use by the Imperial limousine manufactured by
Chrysler Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
in the early 1950s.
The Crown was designed to replace the Super but Toyota was not sure if its independent front coil suspension and its suicide type rear doors were too radical for the taxi market to bear. So the Super was updated, renamed the Master and sold alongside the Crown. The commercial models (utilities, wagons and vans) were known as the
Master Line. The body panels were altered slightly in style as well as function but were otherwise the same as the rest of the Crown range. When sales of the Crown proved worthwhile, the Master was discontinued in November 1956 and production facilities for the Master were transferred to the Crown. A six door wagon known as the Airport Limousine was shown as a concept car at the 1961
Tokyo Motor ShowThe is a biennial auto show held in October-November at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association , it is a recognized international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs...
. It did not go into production. The initial RS model received a cosmetic update in 1958 to become the RS20. In 1961 the 1.5 L R engine was replaced with the similar 1.9 L (1896cc) 3R engine to become the RS30.
Exports of the first Japanese car to the United States began in 1957 and ended in 1960. The reception of the car was horrible. As a publicity stunt to demonstrate the car's reliability, Toyota did what many American automakers had done earlier; they staged a coast-to-coast endurance run from Los Angeles to New York. As things turned out, the Toyopet was barely able to limp into Las Vegas before the project had to be called off.
Since the car was designed for the muddy, slow, unpaved Japanese roads, it failed the mass urban landscape of the US because of its inability to keep up with traffic on the faster interstate highways. Unknown to Toyota, they just designed a very high quality sedan on a truck like chassis. The overbuilt heavy body was no match for the original 1.5L 4-cylinder. To try to remedy this, a newer, more powerful engine was expected to be the solution, but the improvements did little to help. A total of 287 Crowns were imported to the US with only five known to have survived.
In 1960 the first generation Crown stopped being imported to the US market. Many unhappy dealers were left with unsold Crowns. The Tiara and
Land CruiserThe is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corporation. It is not related to the Studebaker Land Cruiser car produced in the US from 1934-1954....
would be the only cars imported until the second generation Crown was available five years later.
In November 2000, Toyota released the
OriginThe Toyota Origin is a limited edition Toyota automobile released in Japan. It was made available for sale in November 2000. It features a distinct new retro style modeled from the original "Toyopet" Crown and built on the same platform as the Toyota Progrès. The price was 7,000,000 yen...
, a retro version of the RS series Crown to celebrate 100 million vehicles having been built in Japan.
Second (S40 Model: 1962 to 1967)
Due to the introduction of the
CoronaThe Toyota Corona is an automobile manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota between 1957 and 2002. Traditionally, the competitor from Nissan was the Nissan Bluebird. The word Corona is Latin for "crown"...
, the dramatically restyled and enlarged Series S40 was launched in 1962, and saw the introduction of the
Custom model. According to the Japanese Wikipedia article for the Crown, the styling was said to be influenced by the recently introduced Ford Falcon in 1960. The front grille approach has a similar appearance to the 1960 Imperial Crown (Chrysler), which speaks to Toyota's aspirations that the Crown be a large, comfortable sedan. The station wagon body style first appeared with this model. Headlights were integrated within the boundaries of the greatly enlarged grille, providing a clean, modern appearance. A 2-speed automatic transmission was introduced, called Toyoglide, with a column shift. A bigger and better car than the previous S30 series, it initially had four-cylinder R-series engines before the addition of the "M" six-cylinder engine in 1965.
Deluxe and
Super Deluxe models were available with added features. The sedan and wagon were known simply as the Crown while the commercial vehicles (pick-up, double cab pick-up and van) were known as the Masterline. There was also a limited run of the sedan known as the Toyota Crown S (MS41S) which featured a twin carburettor intake manifold on the 2.0L M in-line-six engine and disc brakes on the front.
The MS41L sedan was available in the US for $2,305.00 poe while the MS46LG station wagon was available for $2,525.00 poe. Some optional features include an automatic transmission for $160 and a radio for $60.
A 2-door Crown Convertible was displayed at the 1963
Tokyo Motor ShowThe is a biennial auto show held in October-November at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association , it is a recognized international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs...
, based on the Crown 1900 sedan. It was not put into production.
This Crown generation was the first to be assembled in Australia, from CKD kits, by
AMIAustralian Motor Industries was an automobile assembly firm that was significant in the early history of the automobile industry in Australia.- Start of production :...
in Port Melbourne, with significant local content. AMI, which assembled numerous brands including Triumph and, for a short time, Mercedes-Benz, was to become the basis of Toyota's current Australian manufacturing operation.
Crown Eight
The longer, wider and more upmarket
Crown Eight (トヨタ・クラウンエイト) was introduced in 1964 for the Japanese market, powered by a 2.6 L V8 engine. However, it had a different model designation, VG10. The car was first introduced at the 1963
Tokyo Motor ShowThe is a biennial auto show held in October-November at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association , it is a recognized international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs...
and introduced for sale April 20, 1964, nine days before Emperor Showas birthday and the beginning of
Golden Week in Japan.
The Crown Eight was designed primarily to replace full-sized American automobiles that were commonly used by major corporations. The Crown Eight represents the first Japanese mass produced vehicle with an 8 cylinder engine. The main rivals at the time were the Prince Gloria Super, and Nissan Cedric Special, both equipped with a six cylinder engine. It was the first Crown to exceed vehicle size classification regulations in length, width and engine displacement capacity. The width at 1845 mm (72.6 in) compares to the Century at 1890 mm (74.4 in), and as such no Crown before or since, including the
Crown MajestaThe Toyota Crown Majesta is a full-size premium luxury automobile. The Toyota Crown Majesta shares a stretched variant of the UZS platform series from the smaller Toyota Crown and Lexus GS/Toyota Aristo, however, it is not just a upper trim level of the Crown sedan, the Majesta is a separate car...
, has matched the width dimension of the Crown Eight.
The Crown Eight was considered as a possible submission for use by the Japanese
Imperial Household AgencyThe is a government agency of Japan in charge of the state matters concerning Japan's imperial family and also keeping the Privy Seal and the State Seal...
as a car to be used by the Royal Family, but it lost out to the
Nissan Prince RoyalThe Nissan Prince Royal is a limousine made for the Imperial Household of Japan.-History:The Japanese auto industry was expanding rapidly in the early 1960s, and the Imperial Household Agency sought a Japanese auto manufacturer to produce a suitable car for the Emperor of Japan...
. The Crown Eight was replaced in 1967 by the first
CenturyThe Toyota Century is a large four-door limousine produced mainly for the Japanese market, serving as Toyota's flagship car. Production of the Century began in 1967 and the model received only minor changes until a redesign in 1997. The Century derived its name from the 100th anniversary of the...
with the model code VG20. Approx 3,800 Crown Eights were produced. Some of the items that were exclusive to the Crown Eight were electrically powered windows,
cruise controlCruise control is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a steady speed as set by the driver.-History:...
, a three speed "Toyoglide" automatic transmission, and electromagnetic door latches, which were also installed on the Crown Eight successor, the Century.
Reference for 1964-1967 Toyota Crown Eight (Japanese)
Third (S50 Model: 1967 to 1971)
Launched in 1967, the mechanicals were much the same as the previous generation, but additional equipment was included. Higher specification models used the 2.0 liter M engine or the 2.3 liter 2M engine while lower specified models were equipped with the
R-seriesThe Toyota R family was a series of straight-4 gasoline engines. Designed for longitudinal use in such vehicles as the Celica and Hilux and in production from 1953 through 1995, use faded out as many of Toyota's mainstream models moved to front-wheel drive...
four cylinder engines. The range included the 4-door station wagon, pick-up (rare), double cab pick-up (very rare) and the new two-door hardtop. In 1969 the Crown received a face lift for the headlight, grill and trim arrangement. The Crown S used the two-litre 'six', but due to sportier tuning it produced more power than the larger 2M, 125 PS at 5,800 rpm versus 115 PS at 5,200 rpm.
Crown's that were equipped with the 2,253 cc 2M engine were no longer classified as compact cars under Japanese vehicle size classification regulations, even though the length and width were still in compliance. Toyota offered the larger engine so that buyers who were traditionally served by the Crown could now choose the all-new Corona Mark II in 1968. This allowed Toyota to reposition the Crown as the top level privately available luxury sedan, with much nicer interior treatments, more spacious accommodations. They were also eventually to discontinue the pick-up truck versions of the Crown.
This generation was imported fully assembled into New Zealand from 1968 to 1971. Australian models were assembled in Australia by
AMIAustralian Motor Industries was an automobile assembly firm that was significant in the early history of the automobile industry in Australia.- Start of production :...
.
Notable features on the wagon were:
- 7 or 8 passenger seating (2 on front buckets or 3 on a bench seat, 3 on a rear bench seat and 2 on a fold up cargo seat),
- a powered rear window,
- a side swing tailgate.
Fourth (S60 & S70 Models: 1971 to 1974)
Launched in Feb 1971, the 4M 2600 engine was introduced with this generation, as was the luxurious
Super Saloon trim level, followed by the Super Deluxe and Deluxe. The top of the line
Royal Saloon was first introduced in the face-lifted Crown from 1973. The 2.0 liter 5R engine and the 2.0 liter M engine were also available in certain markets.
The Sedan and Wagon are coded MS60/MS65 and MS62/MS63. The Hardtop Coupe is MS70 (2.0 liter), or MS75 (2.6 liter). This generation was the first Crown marketed as a Toyota in Japan, as previous models were marketed as Toyopets. Also, in Japan, this model was known as the "
blue whaleThe blue whale is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales . At in length and or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever existed....
" or "kujira" Crown. While the domestic market Hardtop has rectangular headlights, all export models come with twin round headlights. This model sold very badly in the US, possibly related to the futuristic styling with flush bumpers that was a bit ahead of its time. Only the first 2 years were exported. This is the last Crown to be sold in the USA. The Corona Mark II, replaced the Crown in North America.
The trunk could be opened remotely by turning the ignition key to the far left, and a button on the floor caused the radio to engage the signal seeking feature. A separate signal seeking feature was installed for rear seat passengers, installed behind the front seat facing the rear seat compartment.
Australian models were assembled in
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
by
AMIAustralian Motor Industries was an automobile assembly firm that was significant in the early history of the automobile industry in Australia.- Start of production :...
. It was available in New Zealand fully imported from 1971 to 1973, with local assembly beginning at Steels Motor Assemblies - who also built the Corona - not long before the mid-life facelift, improving availability. Steels subsequently became Toyota NZ's Christchurch CKD assembly plant.
Fifth (S80 & S100 Models: 1974-1979)
Launched in 1974 in Japan, export began from 1975. Offered as four door sedan, 2 door hardtop coupe, 4-door hardtop sedan, wagon, and van. Engines are 2.0 and 2.6 liter gasoline. The 2.2 liter diesel was introduced September 1978. Trim levels are Standard, Deluxe, Super Saloon, and Royal Saloon. Minor change was given in 1978. This version of the Crown saw the introduction of disc brakes at both the front and rear axles with anti-lock brakes, speed sensitive power steering, and a 4 speed automatic transmission with overdrive.
Initially available with the "old style" 4M engine with rounded valve cover, later models switched to the new 4M engine with rectangular valve cover. This generation also saw the introduction of fuel injection on both the 2.6 liter 4M and the 2.0 liter M engines. Select models also were available with 4 wheel disc brakes and twin piston calipers on the front brakes.
The Hardtop Sedan model has a front chrome grill and square headlights, but was no longer considered a true hardtop, due to the inclusion of a
"B" pillarPillars are the vertical supports of the greenhouse of an automobile — known respectively as the A, B, C or D-pillar moving in profile view from the front to rear....
. The styling differences between the hardtop and sedan four door models was that the side windows on the hardtop were frameless, and the rear window was sloped more than the formal appearing sedan. This series Crown exceeded length regulations of 4.7 m by 65mm set forth by Japanese regulations, but Toyota continued to offer a 2.0 L engine for buyers who were looking for better fuel economy over the larger six cylinder engines.
New Zealand models were assembled in New Zealand but on an SKD basis - which meant it had more Japanese content (such as glass) than earlier CKD versions. It was the last Crown built in New Zealand built and was replaced in 1979 by the Cressida (MK II), which was available with a four cylinder engine. The oil crises of 1973/4 and 1979/80 had led the government to impose a 60% sales tax on larger engines and the Crown could no longer be priced to suit its market.
Sixth (S110 Model: 1979 to 1983)
Launched in 1979, this model had the engine upgraded from the 2.6 L to 2.8 L 5M-EU model. The 2 liter M was still on offer along with a
turbochargedA turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
version—the M-TEU. The carburated 5M engine was also available in certain markets. In this series the model designation referred to the engine size—MS110 (2 liter), MS111 (2.6 liter), MS112 (2.8 liter).
Early models have twin rectangular headlights, facelift models come with bigger monoblock headlights. Domestic market Royal Saloons use the large rectangular headlights. Lower grades Van and Taxi adopt round headlights. Royal Saloon features longer bumpers. The first Crown
Turbo was launched in October 1980 for Japanese market only. Offering the 2.0 L engines was for buyers who were comfortable with paying the large car tax, while offering better fuel economy than the larger engines.
This generation is the last for 2 door Hardtop Coupe, which was replaced by the
SoarerThe Soarer made its first appearance at the 1980 Osaka International Motor Show with the name "EX-8", and the Z10 series Toyota Soarer was produced from February 1981 to December 1985, with 2.0L, 2.8L or 3.0L DOHC I-6 variants. The first generation Soarer debuted with a rear-wheel drive...
. Some of the options that became available were a glass moon roof, power drivers seat, cruise control, electronic stereo tuner, and two-tone paint. Automatic climate control also appeared on this vehicle with separate controls installed for rear seat passengers as well as a rear mounted mini
fridgeA refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
cooled by the separate rear seat air conditioning unit . The 2.4 L turbo diesel appeared August 1982.
Seventh (S120 Model: 1983 to 1987)
Launched in 1983, this model used all three versions of the 5M 2.8 liter engine, the 5M carburated version, 5M-E single overhead cam (SOHC) fuel injected version, 5M-GE double overhead cam (DOHC), 1G-GE 2000 cc DOHC, M-TE 2000 cc single overhead cam (SOHC) Turbo, M-E 2000 cc SOHC, 2L-TE 2400 cc SOHC Turbo Diesel or 2L 2400 cc SOHC Diesel engines. Base versions use the new 2 liter 1G-E engine which replaced the old 2 liter version of the M series. The "van" version of the station wagon (the GS126V as well as the GS136V in the following series) used its own unique variant of this motor (the 1G-EJ). The lower grade models were available with Toyota's F292 live axle rear suspension while the rest introduced 4 wheel independent suspension on the Crown for the first time.
The S120 was available in Hardtop sedan (frameless door glass), sedan and wagon versions. The Super Saloon and Royal Saloon versions were packed with features such as dual zone climate control, front and rear stereo and A/C control buttons, parcel shelf mounted refrigerator, automatic headlights, reading lamps for all outboard seating positions, tilt & telescoping steering column, glovebox mounted courtesy mirror among many things. One distinctive styling feature of this generation was the use of a clear panel with patterned backing for the C-pillar trim on the sedans. For the Japanese market only, Toyota made the 190 hp Twincam 12-valve 3.0 liter 6M-GE available on the Royal Saloon for the mid cycle update. This engine is a popular swap for 5M-GE powered Celica Supras and Cressidas of the same period.
Eighth (S130 Model: 1987 to 1991) and Facelift (1991-1997)
Launched in 1987. Body style: Sedan, Hardtop, and Wagon, included the commercial Van. The model used 7M-GE 3000 cc DOHC, 1G-GZE 2000 cc DOHC
Super ChargerA supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
, 1G-E 2000 cc DOHC, 2L-THE 2400 cc SOHC Turbo Diesel Hi Power (AT Use), 2L-TE 2400 cc SOHC Turbo Diesel (MT Use) or 2L 2400 cc SOHC Diesel engines. The 4.0 liter 1UZ-FE, the same engine as in Lexus LS400, was only for Royal Saloon G. Although a totally different chassis and body, the S130 shares styling cues with the MX83 Cressida.
In 1991, when the Crown Hardtop was redesigned became S140 series, the Crown Sedan and Wagon was also restyled but retained S130 platform. In Hong Kong and Singapore, the Crown Sedan with diesel engine was the most common vehicle for taxi. The Crown Royal Saloon was exclusive car. Unique for large sedan was Crown 3.0 Super Saloon with 5 speed manual transmission sold in Indonesia.
Ninth (S130 Facelift and S140 Models: 1991 to 1995)
The Crown Hardtop and all-new
Crown MajestaThe Toyota Crown Majesta is a full-size premium luxury automobile. The Toyota Crown Majesta shares a stretched variant of the UZS platform series from the smaller Toyota Crown and Lexus GS/Toyota Aristo, however, it is not just a upper trim level of the Crown sedan, the Majesta is a separate car...
models were built on the 140-series platform. The rebodied Crown Sedan and Wagon still carried S130 model codes, although the exterior is rounder, and the nose is similar to S140 Hardtop. Styling was largely influenced by the newly created
Lexus LSThe Lexus LS is a full-size luxury sedan that serves as the flagship model of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota. Four generations of the sedan have been produced, all equipped with V8 engines and rear-wheel drive, although since 2006 all-wheel drive, hybrid, and long-wheelbase variants have also...
, which was later sold in Japan as the Toyota Celsior.
Trim levels for Sedan are Standard, Deluxe, Super Deluxe, Super Saloon, Royal Saloon, and Royal Saloon G. Engine choices were 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 liter gasoline, and 2.4 liter diesel. The 4.0 liter was offered for Royal Saloon G and Majesta.
The
Crown MajestaThe Toyota Crown Majesta is a full-size premium luxury automobile. The Toyota Crown Majesta shares a stretched variant of the UZS platform series from the smaller Toyota Crown and Lexus GS/Toyota Aristo, however, it is not just a upper trim level of the Crown sedan, the Majesta is a separate car...
is a car related to the Crown but is bigger, more luxurious and has a V8 engine shared with the
Lexus LSThe Lexus LS is a full-size luxury sedan that serves as the flagship model of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota. Four generations of the sedan have been produced, all equipped with V8 engines and rear-wheel drive, although since 2006 all-wheel drive, hybrid, and long-wheelbase variants have also...
and has many expensive electronic options. The
Crown MajestaThe Toyota Crown Majesta is a full-size premium luxury automobile. The Toyota Crown Majesta shares a stretched variant of the UZS platform series from the smaller Toyota Crown and Lexus GS/Toyota Aristo, however, it is not just a upper trim level of the Crown sedan, the Majesta is a separate car...
has been produced since 1991.
The Standard Sedan for Taxi and base model Wagon feature round headlights and chrome bumpers. The taxi is powered by 2.4 liter diesel engine matched to 4 speed column-mounted manual transmission.
Tenth (S150 Model: 1995-1999)
The 150-series Crown were built as Sedan and Hardtop (frameless door window) only. This was the first Crown to not use separate chassis construction. The Wagon retained the old and uninspired 130 series model until 1999. Trim levels for Hardtop are Royal Extra, Royal Saloon, Royal Saloon G, and the sporty
Royal Touring. 4WD is offered for Royal Extra and Royal Saloon. Engine is either 2.0, 2.5, or 3.0 liter 6-cylinder.
Crown Comfort (LXS10 & YXS10 Models: 1995 - current)
In an effort to return to the original purpose of the Crown, which was to serve as a taxi, the
Crown Comfort had smaller exterior dimensions but a roomier and taller interior than the Crown Royal series. To reduce unnecessary cost and weight and increase interior space, the more luxurious dashboard and fitments (including leather seats) of the Crown Royal were replaced with less bulky all-plastic versions. The Comfort is also used as an instructional vehicle for people learning how to drive.
The Comfort is powered by either the 3C diesel engine (5L for the Singapore market) or LPG. The Japanese model has fender mirrors and an automatic (driver-activated) rear door. The Crown Comfort is popular among
taxicabA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
in
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and
Hong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, but is gradually falling out of favour as better-appointed vehicles become available at competitive cost.
The new
Crown Sedan for the Japanese market only is based on the Comfort, but has wider tail lights and longer bumpers.
Eleventh (S170 Model: 1999 to 2003)
The 170-series features shorter front overhang therefore maximizes interior and trunk space. There are two different 170-series 4-door Saloon; the
Royal, and
Athlete. The
MajestaThe Toyota Crown Majesta is a full-size premium luxury automobile. The Toyota Crown Majesta shares a stretched variant of the UZS platform series from the smaller Toyota Crown and Lexus GS/Toyota Aristo, however, it is not just a upper trim level of the Crown sedan, the Majesta is a separate car...
is a separate vehicle which is larger and longer than the Crown. The 4-door Hardtop was discontinued. The 170-series
Estate was the first new Crown Wagon after the 130-series. Engine is either 2.0, 2.5, or 3.0. The Athlete V has 2.5 liter 1JZ-GTE turbo. The Royal was also offered with a 3.0 liter 2JZ-FSE
mild hybridMild hybrids are essentially conventional fossil-fuel vehicles equipped with a large electric machine allowing the engine to be turned off whenever the car is coasting, braking, or stopped, yet restart quickly...
.
Twelfth (S180 Model: 2003 to 2008)
The S180 model of the Crown was based on the
Zero Crown concept car. The engine was changed to a V6 for the new Royal and Athlete models, while the
Crown MajestaThe Toyota Crown Majesta is a full-size premium luxury automobile. The Toyota Crown Majesta shares a stretched variant of the UZS platform series from the smaller Toyota Crown and Lexus GS/Toyota Aristo, however, it is not just a upper trim level of the Crown sedan, the Majesta is a separate car...
used the V8 only, now in 4.3 liter form with 4WD optional. The new engines gave more performance while also giving better fuel economy.
G-BOOKG-Book is a telematics subscription service currently provided by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan for its Toyota- and Lexus-branded vehicles. G-Book allows users to link with cellphones , personal digital assistants 's, personal computers and G-Book equipped cars across Japan...
is introduced in May 2006.
Compared with the previous model, this model was increased by 70 mm (2.8 in) in the wheelbase and 15 mm (0.590551181102362 in) in body width. These changes gave it the largest interior size among its contemporaries, more than the
Mercedes-Benz E-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a range of executive-size cars manufactured by Mercedes-Benz in various engine and body configurations. The E initially stood for Einspritzmotor, ; a new feature in volume production vehicles at the time that the E-Class first appeared, with the E as a suffix to the...
or BMW 5-series.
The S170 series Crown Estate was continued alongside the S180 sedans. It continued using the older
inline 6-cylinderThe straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
engines.
Thirteenth (S200 Model: 2008 to present)
The new Crown is available in 5 different trim levels: the basic Crown Sedan; the Crown Royal series which is a more comfortable and luxurious car; the Crown Athlete series which takes the luxurious aspect of the Royal series but has more aggressive styling and sporty features; the
Crown MajestaThe Toyota Crown Majesta is a full-size premium luxury automobile. The Toyota Crown Majesta shares a stretched variant of the UZS platform series from the smaller Toyota Crown and Lexus GS/Toyota Aristo, however, it is not just a upper trim level of the Crown sedan, the Majesta is a separate car...
series which is larger and has more luxurious features than the Royal series; and the Crown Hybrid series which is a trim level designated for the hybrid V6 drivetrain. The Crown is one of the first vehicles to have a
3 Dimensional Satellite Navigation System coupled with
G-BOOKG-Book is a telematics subscription service currently provided by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan for its Toyota- and Lexus-branded vehicles. G-Book allows users to link with cellphones , personal digital assistants 's, personal computers and G-Book equipped cars across Japan...
and boasts many features that have not been developed by other luxury car makers. This system can adjust the damper firmness for corners based on map data and change transmission gear shift timings and engine braking for merging on and off highways and approaching tollbooths. The Crown Hybrid also features Night View with a pedestrian detection system. The Crown is set to rival the European
BMW 5 seriesThe BMW 5 Series is a mid-size / executive car manufactured by BMW since 1972. The car, now in its sixth generation, is sold in sedan and touring body styles....
, Mercedes E-class,
Audi A6The Audi A6 is an executive car marketed by the German automaker Audi AG, now in its fourth generation. As the successor to the Audi 100, the A6 is manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany – and is available in saloon, and wagon configurations, the latter marketed by Audi as the Avant.All generations...
and the Japanese
Honda LegendThe Honda Legend is a mid-size luxury car made by the Japanese automaker Honda. It was the result of Project XX, a joint agreement started in November 1981 with the Austin Rover Group of Great Britain and was mechanically related to the Rover 800 series....
&
Nissan FugaThe Fuga is a full-size sedan, rear wheel drive with optional all wheel drive, produced by Nissan of Japan since October 2004 and now in its second generation. It is built on a wider, stretched wheelbase version of the Nissan FM platform. After the Nissan Cima and Nissan President were...
. This is the longest and widest Crown to be built.
The Crown hybrid concept was exhibited at 2007
Tokyo Motor ShowThe is a biennial auto show held in October-November at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba City, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association , it is a recognized international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs...
. In television commercials in Japan a song was written by composer
John HarleJohn Harle is an English saxophonist and composer.-Biography:John Harle - SaxophonistJohn Harle is one of the world’s leading saxophonists, and the most significant performer of the saxophone in the concert hall today...
titled
"How should I my true love know?"
External links
Toyota Crown Lineup (written in Japanese)