Do you remember a time when the MX83 Toyota Cressida wasn’t known for being a cheap four door Supra, when it was a means of transportation for whiny yuppies who pretended to like opera instead of always listening to Huey Lewis and the News? This campy Toyota promotional video about the Cressida is a time capsule to when Toyota was trying their hardest to break into the luxury car market.
The video is a strange dream sequence in which the protagonist is more or less forced into stealing a Cressida by a valet and goes on an adventure to get to a meeting with his boss. Cressidas are for closers, only! The visuals of this video are, like, totally 1980s sitcom with an extra helping of cheese. And more cheese on top. It may have been finally been what forced Toyota to say, “F it, let’s start Lexus.”
Oh,sweet jeebuz! How much peyote do you think the ad folks must’ve consumed?
All of it. I think after this commercial the peyote cactus was considered an endangered species.
Uhh, they were way into Lexus development at thus time, don’t have to be snarky. The Cressida was a better automobile than the Lexus ES250, which was based on the lesser Camry.
You’re right, but it was a funny line much needed after the eye-roll fest that was the video.
Haha! I watched that video in 2010 and made similar comments. It is soooo cheesy! And probably my wife would have divorced me if I would wake up uttering the name Cressida!
The video got removed and I never found it again, so thanks finding it again!
If the actor looks familiar, he was in a Star Trek Next Generation episode as “Roga Danar”. His name is Jeff McCarthy, and has appeared on Broadway in the musical “Beauty and the Beast” playing the Beast.
Amazing. I love TNG too, so this brings me untold joy!
I take it this promo video was for the dealers, this isn’t a commercial or even an infomercial.
Toyota went with Supra gear only to cut engineering costs, not to make this a Maxima competitor.
I’d think the dealer-promo stuff would’ve be more facts, and less, well, THAT… Seriously, about the worst ad I’ve seen for ANYTHING; just, I dunno – somewhere between lame and stupid. Honestly, it was an effort just watch it all the way through. Maybe it was one of those pre-movie things they do at the theatre?
How did Toyota stay in business after this?
As for the car – yeah, I like it. I thought it was more Lexus than the ES.