TOYOTA REDESIGNS CROWN SERIES

TOKYO―A comprehensive redesigning of the entire Toyota Crown Series―the first in the 3 years and 9 months since February 1971―has been announced by the Toyota Motor Sales Company.

A phased introduction of the advanced cars started on Friday October 25th, when the Crown sedan and hardtop were released for nation-wide sale.

The new Crown Series comprises 5 body types―sedan, 2-door hardtop, custom station wagon, van and a newly added 4-door pillared hardtop. These will be available in 63 variations. In line with the company's production program, the sedan and hardtop were marketed on October 25th, with the other models being introduced after the middle of November.

Nearly 20 years have passed since the Toyota Crown made its debut in 1955 as the nation's first full-fledged domestically-produced passenger car. In carrying out the 4th major remodeling of the Crown Series, Toyota has made improvements in quality and reliability, as well as in safety and comfort features.

Engineering of the Series has taken into account the step-by-step measures necessary to comply with Japan's scheduled 1975 exhaust gas emission regulations. A systematic effort has been made during the designing stage to reduce the unnecessary or wasteful use of critical raw materials. For this reason, the number of models has been reduced. Further, the number of color variations offered has also been diminished.

The outstanding features of the redesigned and re-engineered Crown Series are

1. An improved body, including better engine accessibility and a change in floor structure. In this restructuring, cooling performance has also been bettered.
2. Various safety devices, including a special braking system, a seat belt control mechanism, a unique fuel tank, and warning systems such as the "OK Monitor System" (Electro-Sensor Panel), have been newly adopted or improved so that safe driving in the new Crown models is even more certain.
3. Comfort and "driveability" of the Series have been increased through expanded interiors, a further reduction in vibration and noise, and improvement in switches.
4. A 4-door pillared hardtop has been added to the Series. Further, a topmost level "Royal Saloon" has been added as a 2600cc deluxe model.

On the other hand, the sports-type SL and the twin carburetor model have been dropped. As a result, the total of the new Crown Series models available has decreased from 98 to 63. This reduction is in conformity with a policy to do away with decorative items or motifs and a proliferation of color combinations.

The new 4-door pillared hardtop combines the "easy-to-use" character of a 4-door sedan and the sporty styling of a hardtop. This model has been added to the series to satisfy the increasing demand for personal-use-oriented vehicles.

This design achieves the advantages of a 4-door hardtop, while retaining the structural sturdiness that improves safety.

Toyota Motor Sales Company's initial domestic sales target for the entire Series is 7,000 units per month.