TOYOTA CELEBRATES FIFTY YEAR HISTORY OF TOYOTA TRUCKS

November marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the first Toyota truck. Many people have forgotten that trucks were the first vehicles sold by Toyota, and that trucks played a significant role in the Japanese economic recovery after the war. While today Toyota is perhaps better known for passenger cars, production of trucks is still a very important element of its business.

The first Toyota truck was the G1, introduced fifty years ago in November 1935. Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. proudly introduced this truck, which had a 3.4-liter 6-cylinder Type A engine with 65 hp output. The G1 had a load capacity of 1.5 tons and also had the honor of being Toyota's first production vehicle. Although Toyota had introduced a prototype A1 Passenger Car in 1935, the G1 truck was the first vehicle to actually be marketed. The G1 also predated Toyota Motor Co., which was not created as a separate business entity from Toyoda Automatic Loom Works until 1937.

The range of Toyota trucks expanded in the prewar period with the introduction of the improved GA Truck in 1936 and the 2-ton GB Truck in 1938. During the war, some odd variations were produced due to shortages of materials. Most interesting of these was the KC, dubbed the "one-eyed truck" because of its solitary headlight.

In the aftermath of the war, car production was banned in Japan until 1947 and truck production was restricted by the Occupation Forces to 1,500 units a month. In this period of rebuilding there was an urgent need for public transport and trucks.

The first new Toyota trucks after the war were the BM Truck, a 4-ton model which went into production in 1947, later becoming the improved BX Truck. In response to the demand for larger-load trucks, the 5-ton capacity FA-5 Truck was also introduced.

A major innovation came with the SB Truck, introduced in 1947. This truck was designed for flexible use as a small truck or as a passenger car. This was partially due to the regulations which initially restricted passenger car production after the war. The SB, a 1-ton vehicle with a newly designed Type S engine, was later improved in 1952 to become the New Toyopet Truck SG. This was followed by the "people's truck," the Toyopet Light Truck SKB, in 1954.

As the Japanese economy grew through the 1950s, so did the range of Toyota trucks. The odd-looking tri-wheel trucks were gradually phased out and new types emerged to meet the burgeoning market demand. Toyota introduced the Toyo-Ace cab-over truck in 1954. This was a revolutionary development, and a new marketing channel was created for it in 1956. This was followed by the first use of the Dyna name for a truck in 1959, it had an increased load capacity of 1.5 tons.

The mid-1950s also saw the debut of the 0.75-ton Toyopet Masterline Pickup and the 0.5-ton Toyopet Masterline Light Van, both of which used the chassis from the Toyopet Master, Toyota's taxi of the time. These products opened up a new market for "commercial cars" which grew rapidly.

The 1960s saw the introduction of the expressway road system in Japan, and this new era demanded a more varied line of trucks with increased performance. Toyota began to plan a car for the common man and, in 1966, Toyota introduced the Corolla, opening the way for the phenomenal success of Toyota as a maker of passenger cars.

On the commercial vehicle side, some highlights around the 1960s included the introduction in 1959 of the Toyopet Micro-bus, which can carry 15 people. The Toyota Light Bus, with a capacity of 25 people, was launched in 1963.

The 1970s were marked by the trend towards diversification of demand and the effects of the two "oil shocks.". Customers began to require a wider range of faster, special-use trucks with greater load capacity, while the "oil shocks" prompted concerns about fuel-efficiency and a trend towards diesel engines.

In the latter half of the 1970s, Toyota trucks began appearing in greater numbers on roads around the world. The trend towards product diversification also continued apace, and "Just-low" models (a low-bed configuration) were added to many lines. In 1976, the Town-Ace van and Town-Ace wagon were introduced. The Town-Ace Wagon, in particular, was provided with interior comfort and running performance comparable to that of a passenger car. The Town-Ace opened up another new market, the cab-over wagon market, in which it enjoyed a virtual monopoly until competitors rushed in to follow Toyota's innovative lead.

During this period, Toyota trucks increased in popularity in export markets, winning popular acclaim with their superior performance and wide variety of types. In particular, the Land Cruiser achieved great popularity around the world both as a workhorse and as a recreational vehicle. In the U.S. the Hi-lux, a multipurpose light truck, became popular both as a commercial and recreational vehicle. In 1978, the Hi-lux had become the best-selling import truck in the U.S. with 95,000 unit sales. In Asia, Toyota developed its "Asia Car," the BUV (Basic Utility Vehicle), designed for low price and local production. BUV production began in the Philippines in 1976 and in Indonesia the following year.

The '80s have seen the maturing of the small-truck market and the increasing popularity of 4WD vehicles for leisure use. To meet these new trends Toyota has introduced new 4WD models including the Hi-lux 4WD, the Blizzard, Town-Ace, Master-Ace Surf and Lite-Ace. The Land Cruiser was totally remodeled and new models such as the van-type Hi-lux Surf have been introduced.

The 50 year history of Toyota trucks proves that TMC has consistently met customer demand and quickly adapted to changing circumstances―supply difficulties and regulations in the 1940s, growth in the market in the '50s and '60s, the "oil shocks" of the '70s, and the market diversification of the '80s.