Oct. 04, 1976

TOYOTA INTRODUCES TOWN-ACE:
NEWLY DEVELOPED CAB-OVER TYPE LIGHT TRUCK

 

TOKYO―Toyota Motor Company, Ltd., and Toyota Motor Sales Company, Ltd., jointly announced today the sale nationwide of the Town-Ace, a newly developed cab-over type light truck. Sales initially will be limited to the domestic market.

The Town-Ace will fill the gap between the 1-ton cab-over and the popular-size cab-over trucks by having about the same loading capacity and other functions of the former and the easy maneuverability of the latter. It has been designed to meet the increasingly diversified demands for popular cab-over trucks, now selling at 2.5 times the volume of the market five years ago.

Nine variations of the Town-Ace go on sale today: four variations are vans with 1200cc engines and a loading capacity of 600kg; two variations are vans with 1600cc engines and a loading capacity of 750kg; and three variations are 8-seater wagons with 1600cc, TTC-L engines which meet 1976 exhaust standards for passenger cars.

Popular-size cab-over vans usually have a loading capacity of about 600kg, but the Town- Ace vans can carry between 600 and 750kg and have outstanding running performance and easy maneuverability. Moreover, the Town-Ace van contains interior amenities that provide comfort fitting enough to have it called a top-class popular-size cab-over van.

The Town-Ace wagon has been designed to meet a wide range of demand, from the need for limousine service, collections and deliveries, to individual leisure needs. It provides close to the comfort and running performance of passenger cars.

The main dealers handling the Town-Ace will be Toyota "Corolla" Dealers, although Toyota "Auto" Dealers will handle part of the line, the five types of 1600cc vans and wagons. Initial monthly sales targets for the Town-Ace van and wagon are 3,000 vans and 1,000 wagons, a total of 4,000 vehicles per month.

General features of the Town-Ace models are outlined below.

Engine, and Exhaust Control Features

  • Vans are equipped with either 3K-J (1200cc) or 2T-J (1600cc) engines, both of which meet 1976 exhaust regulations for small trucks.
  • Wagons are equipped with 12T (1600cc) engines which meet exhaust regulations for passenger cars. These engines employ the TTC-L (Toyota Total Clean Lean Air-Fuel Mixture Combustion) system, and they are equipped with an improved radiator and a wide-blade cooling fan for greater cooling capacity.

Safety Features

  • All Town-Ace variations have tandem master cylinders equipped with boosters as standard equipment, thus assuring excellent braking capabilities.
  • All Town-Ace front seats have webbing-type three-point safety belts which have been made easier to fasten, adjust and unfasten. Town-Ace wagons also have two-point safety belts in their back seats.
  • Town-Ace "Custom" wagons have front-wheel disc brakes, radial tires (165 SR 14), rear window heat element defoggers and an LSPV (a device that automatically adjusts the action of the rear brakes according to the size of the load carried) as standard equipment for maximum safety.

External and Interior Features

  • The Town-Ace has a wide tread (front: 1,430mm; rear: 1,345mm) that compares favorably with the tread of 1-ton trucks, thus permitting a spacious interior and a stable running performance.
  • The 1200cc Town-Ace van can carry a 600kg load, and the 1600cc van can carry 750kg, the greatest loading capacity among popular-size cab-over vans.
  • The Town-Ace has two doors in front, one sliding door on each side (wagons and 4-door vans have sliding doors on only one side) and a lift-up door at the rear, for a total of five doors. Goods are loaded and unloaded easily, and the driver and passengers are provided easy access and egress.
  • Town-Ace wagons usually carry eight persons, but both rows of back seats can be collapsed for sleeping space, or only the back row can be folded down for additional cargo space.

Other Features

  • One lever on the steering column contains all switches for easy operation of windshield wipers, window washer and lights.
  • Steering wheel lock to prevent car theft.
  • Special walk-in construction for easier boarding and alighting.
  • AM-FM radio is standard equipment in Town-Ace "Custom" wagons and optional in all other models.

Downloads (Images)

  • TOYOTA TOWN-ACE Van 1600 4-door Deluxe
    TOYOTA TOWN-ACE Van 1600 4-door Deluxe
  • TOYOTA TOWN-ACE Wagon Custom (car-stereo as optional)
    TOYOTA TOWN-ACE Wagon Custom
    (car-stereo as optional)
  • TOYOTA TOWN-ACE Wagon Custom
    TOYOTA TOWN-ACE Wagon Custom