Haha, thats a cool model.

But like someone said earlier on, this car needs to be boso'd up! Not hot-rodded

Using those two pictures u can just see the grease lines which are pretty identical too the replicas

These cars where handmade weren't they? so bound to have imperfectures between all of them, yet alone 50years later.
I read through that beetle thread, and the only reason they figured out it was #6 was because of its imperfecture lol

It gets curioser and curioser.

Clearly from the pics above, if it is indeed a Toyota, the lower part of the body work has been surgically removed, some of the differences, inconsistencies are too big to make sense, but the similarities are too close to make it not worth looking further.

Now here's another bit that may clear up some more confusion.

Found this old photo taken in 1936 of a group of Japanese Toyota dealers and the then new AA sedan. No big deal you may think.

Well, take a closer look at both cars. Note one has the flat single pane windscreen and the other has a two pane windscreen with a centre post.



The screen in the Russian car is still clearly not what it had originally, but it may have been done like this because that's how it has been all it's life.

Considering that Toyota's first vehicle, the G1 truck had a split windscreen, that the first versions of the AA also had a similar design.

Only thing is, that the AA prototypes, in all the pics I have, had a one piece screen as do all the cars pictured on the production line.

nice picture!

The AC had a split rear and front screens.
But the grille doesn't match. So still a mystery i suppose.

And the next model, the AE (there's no AD, mos likely because there is no symbol in the Japanese alphabet that denotes the letter or sound of D) was a completely different car, having a hump on the back with no C pillar window.

Hot Rodder, very cool model!

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Yup they do and sometimes they decide it's time to participate.

AB is a Pheaton or 4 door open touring car.


There was no separate side trim, the two 'swage' lines were pressed into the sheetmetal with the lower (wider) one being highlighted by a gold 'coachstripe' being painted on.


You may be surprised who read our forum.


Don't believe everything you read in Wickepedia, as fast as theose who really know correct the wrong information, those who don't know didly squat replece it with even more incorrect rubbish.

It's a long story but during the '30s Kiichiro Toyoda travelled to the US and spent time learning about the manufacture of motor vehicles. On his return to Japan he set up the Automobile Department within the Toyoda Aitomatic Loom Works. He liked the style of Chrysler and the technology of General Motors Chevrolet. He had also studied the life and philosophies of Henry Ford recommending that his people read Henry's biography 'My Life And Work'.

His first car mimicked the avant guard styling of Chrysler's advaced Airflow models and the chassis/drivetrain technology of GMs Chevrolet division. There was nothing taken from Ford other than Henry's never give up approach and strong work ethic.


The Toyota Automobile Collection has two restored ABs, a black one and a peach coloured one.

"Toyota wanted to use an AA for its 50th birthday in 1987 but couldn't find any surviving examples. Toyota decided to build a replica but even for that there were no complete and consistent plans. Plans that could be found were from various points during the car's development process and in any case were often incomplete and lacking by today's standards. However, a single replica was built that is believed to be representative of the AA." - wiki

no complete or consistent plans... i know how wiki can be but...?

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Projects: 71 Corona MK II, 85 Cressida, 86 Cressida, 89 Cressida
Battle Mode & Zip Tie Mafia: Drifting, Clothing, Bosozoku, & GooD Music.
WTB: x81 or x90 1jzgte (x2), x73 5 speed stuff (w58), x83 5 speed stuff (r154), and x90 mounts.

From the book "Toyota Automobile Museum" published by the Toyota Motor Corporation (1st edition 1989 and 2nd edition 1997):

"This replica is not only an accurate representation of the original exterior, but a faithful reproduction of the vehicle down to the very last bolt."

"...our Model AA is identical to the original model. An original blueprint, from which the necessary parts for this project were identified, was found and then enlarged. Because in the original designs for the Model AA and A1 the same reference numbers were used to identify the same parts in the two vehicles, the plans were difficult to follow. Without any record of the changes that had been made, it took almost half a year to determine the differences between the two cars."

The text goes on to briefly explain how "people who actually contributed to the making of the original Model AA" were consulted to reproduce interior trim features.

Also, "the head-lights, tires, carburetor, plugs, and meters were all reproduced in cooperation with each car parts maker."

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Michael - Collector of Toyotamobilia ~ www.toyotageek.com
Tomica Fan Club ~ www.tomicafanclub.com

According to the Toyota Archives the plans are complete and the replicas are 99.9% accurate.

Note I said replicas, as there are more than one. There's two of them pictured in this thread, the one at The Toyota Automobile Museum in Toyota City and the one at The Toyota Heritage Centre in Nagoya, there's another displayed in Tokyo and I believe a spare for display as required at special events.

Additionally Toyota already owned an original AB Phaeton that was used as a reference to confirm details for the replicas. The cars in the prototype body shop at the Nagoya Heritage Centre are accurate replicas of the original A1 prototypes and there's even a chunk of the original production line there with another half dozen or so cars displaying how the AA was assembled.

I agree, and that's something that bugged me about the Russian car. It would be interesting to see some under carriage shots of the other cars mentioned for comparison.

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Michael - Collector of Toyotamobilia ~ www.toyotageek.com
Tomica Fan Club ~ www.tomicafanclub.com

according to my toyota world car guide book, the wheelbase of an AA is 2850mm, so if the guy can measure it we may be onto something

Love this. I'm assuming it's a customized model? Maybe from a 1/43 Kyosho?

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Michael - Collector of Toyotamobilia ~ www.toyotageek.com
Tomica Fan Club ~ www.tomicafanclub.com

Isn't that model of Toyota Classic (hilux mitsuoka-style remix)?

Well after seeing this car, i'm thinking Russia made a copy of the AA.
Can't be coincedence thats theres two in russia

Uh oh, you might be onto something there. Do you have any more info on this 2nd car?

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This second car is much more like a Toyota AA, the exception being the hump back.

Note how the back lilte windows is shaped differently to the other car.

It has all the right parts and shapes, yet the grille appears to have been with the car for a long period.

A modified original or a very old copy?

The cowl mounted wipers, bright moulding around the door windows, hump back and filled nose panel suggest maybe the latter.

The model is a 1/24th scale die cast made by Toyota for their '50th annniversary celebration.

The hood on the car from Russian truck ЗиЛ-130 and the dash panel from
another Russian car ГаЗ-24.