1957 was a year when the Chevrolet 150, 210 and Bel Air models with the tail fin styling were very popular with the general public. It was also the year many Elvis fans claim was his most pivotal in propelling him to become the "King" of Rock and Roll. However, 1957 was also significant for a company from Japan. This company introduced their first vehicle to the U.S. called the Toyopet Crown. It's been nearly 55 years (officially on Oct. 31st this year) since the first Toyota drove onto U.S. streets, and quite a bit has changed for the company from their early days.
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| The original Toyopet Crown. |
The Toyopet Crowns were powered by 1.5 liter 4 cylinder engine with approximately 60 horsepower, and it simply was not able to provide enough power to maintain speed on the highways. The car had a MSRP of $2300, which was expensive for a manufacturer with no previous history. (Average vehicle prices were $2200) Needless to say, the Toyopets did not sell well, and it was not until 1965 that Toyota began to make an impact on the U.S. auto market.
