The NFL will be running a series of tailgate party-themed ads in the upcoming season, and some classic Toyotas are about to get prominent placement. Here are some behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot, courtesy of the JCCS. In one a poor, checker-trousered pigskin fan gets his finger caught by a Toyopet Crown’s trunklid.
This is an actual commercial from Toyota in which they encourage you to crush your classic Land Cruiser in exchange for a Cash for Clunkers voucher.
Obviously a two-door FJ60 is a nonexistent beast, so was Toyota USA just creating a generic SUV from one of their own models in order to avoid using another automaker’s product? Or is the marketing department so far removed from Toyota’s heritage that they think nothing of slapping the Toyota faithful across the face with this suggestion?
This clip was put up under Toyota USA’s own YouTube account, so you can click on the video above and let them know what you think.
As a side note, if any real FJ60 owners are considering this, it’d be a pretty stupid idea since all but the most rusted out hulks can fetch more than the $4500 C4C rebate.
Remember the Jack Safro collection we told you about last month? One of the cars at the Mecum auction was an original 8,769-mile 1966 Toyota Corona so new the plastic wrap was still on the door panels. Back in 2007 when JNC was only a month old this exact car sold for just $16,740, a record price for its time. But when the gavel dropped this time the highest bid was a whopping $36,000. With the economy the way it is, a better deal than AIG stock! The value of nostalgics is really going up. (more…)
If you happened to see a blue Cressida wagon and blue AE86 pulled over on the 710 by the California Highway Patrol on the way to Toyotafest last Saturday, that was yours truly at JNC. We were running late and, shall we say, briskly, but an irate Officer Poncharello thought we were street racing. Somehow, we were able to convince him we weren’t and made it to the show to take the photos in this gallery. Unfortunately, each of us still got one of these: (more…)
On a trip to California in the late 60s, Jack Safro was introduced to the RT40 Toyota Corona, a car then unheard of in his native Wisconsin. But everyone in California seemed to know it, and a dealer told him the quality was so good customers weren’t even bringing them in for the 1000-mile service. Before long, Safro had his own Toyota dealership back in Milwaukee.
According to this article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, his franchise sold just 42 Coronas their first year, but it was enough to make Safro Toyota the midwest’s largest Toyota dealer. (more…)
We’re still not finished with coverage from Japan. During our visit we had the privilege of visiting Kanagawa Prefecture’s S&A Auto Create. The owner has been doing modern engine swaps in older cars and fabricating the parts needed for almost two decades. As usual, there were several works in progress scattered around the premises. (more…)
Some sad news on the new car front. Automotive News (subscription required) is reporting that Toyota is making some changes to its long term plans thanks to the high cost of gas. The company sees this as a permanent change, with prices firmly pegged at $5.00 or more by 2015. Also, the Big T intends to make offer hybrid powertrains in all of its models.
One of our readers needs to get this, right now, and share the wealth. It’s a huge collection of NOS (new old stock) 1960s to early 80s Toyota parts from a closed dealership. The seller says it consists of a little bit of everything for old Corollas, Crowns, Land Cruisers, Starlets, Coronas, Carinas, Hiluxes and Cressidas. The actual mountain of parts includes taillights, headlights, exhausts, service manuals, relays, switches, trim, and sheetmetal. In other words, all the hard to get stuff. For anyone who has ever tried to restore an old car, you know this is a once in a lifetime chance. We already know we’ll be kicking ourselves in the future for passing on this opportunity. Someone buy this, please!
Someone over at this T-shirt site must love Land Cruisers because they have at least 3 shirts dedicated to the old Toyota workhorse. Our favorite one is this one pictured, even though we’re not really sure what it says. The second of the big words on top is “kuruiseru” (though the actual Japanese should read クルーザー) but we’re at a loss for the others. We were simply sold by the tag line “Which way to Mt. Fuji?” The creator sure knows his Cruisers, which in 1951, were the first vehicles ever to reach the sixth stage of the famous Japanese mountain.
UPDATE: We got an email from the T-shirt’s maker, Tim McGrath, who writes that the shirt is meant to say “Fuji Cruiser” and “Japan” but found out later that the Japanese was wrong. He laughs it off, though, telling us, “Oh well. I thought it was kinda funny like those bad English shirts you would see in Japan.” There’s more coming too, including the FJ45 short bed, and FJ43. Thanks, Tim!
On a trip to California in the late 60s, Jack Safro was introduced to the RT40 Toyota Corona, a car then unheard of in his native Wisconsin. But everyone in California seemed to know it, and a dealer told him the quality was so good customers weren’t even bringing them in for the 1000-mile service. Before long, Safro had his own Toyota dealership back in Milwaukee.
