July 12th was National Collector Car Appreciation Day, and in honor of this year's National Collector Car Appreciation Day, our Toyota of Plano team wanted to highlight some of Toyota’s most “collectable” vehicles. Whether a Truck, SUV or a sports car, Toyota has a number of cars that have only gotten better with age. Let's face it there’s some cars that never lose their charm. Join our Toyota of Plano team as we take a deep dive into some of the classic Toyota vehicles that we have come to know and love.
Toyota Land Cruiser
Our team wanted to start off with a crowd favorite, the Toyota Land Cruiser. Toyota began production of this iconic vehicle in 1951, making it Toyota’s longest running series of models. According to Toyota Global Newsroom, as of 2019, the Toyota Land Cruiser surpassed 10 million units sold. This model known for its extreme reliability and longevity has been produced with various body styles including convertible, hardtop, station wagon, and cab chassis. A lesser known fact about the Land Cruiser is that Toyota extensively tests this model in one of the toughest operating environments in the world, the Australian Outback. From Down Under to the US, the Land Cruiser has made a considerable name for itself as a durable vehicle that can withstand the toughest of terrains and maintain its family-car appeal.
So what was the origin behind this iconic vehicle? The origin of the Toyota Land Cruiser dates back to 1941. The imperial Japanese army occupied the Philippines, and they found an American military vehicle, a Willys MB Jeep, which they sent back to Japan to begin production of a similar Military vehicle. Fast forward to 1950, the United States Government tasked Toyota with manufacturing 100 vehicles with the then Willy Jeep specifications, and the Toyota “Jeep” BJ Prototype was developed by 1951. These vehicles were much larger and more powerful than the original WIlly MB Jeep, so much so that the next generation of these vehicles set groundbreaking records by successfully making the journey to the sixth stage of Mount Fuji. The Toyota Land Cruiser, still named the “Toyota Jeep BJ” at the time, was the first vehicle to ever reach such an extreme elevation. In 1954, the Toyota Jeep BJ was renamed and officially reintroduced as the Toyota Land Cruiser.
Toyota 4Runner
In the 1980s, Toyota introduced a smaller SUV extremely capable of off-roading, the Toyota 4Runner. The 4Runner got its name from the term “forerunner”, a play on the 4Runner being the first in Toyota’s lineup to have an emphasis on its 4x4 capability. Like the Toyota Land Cruiser, the 4Runner is well known for its extreme reliability and longevity. In a 2019 study, the 4Runner came in fifth position as one of the longest-lasting vehicles sold in the US consumer market.
The original 4Runner was initially designed using the Toyota Hilux Pickup Truck with a fiberglass shell placed over the bed and a few additional body adjustments, and it has since undergone development to become its own unique body configuration. The 2023 4Runner 40th Anniversary Special Edition, marks four decades of this iconic Toyota Model. While the Land Cruiser often gets a lot of attention from Car Collector Enthusiasts, the 4Runner is a notable contender, and more recently, this model has proven to garner the respect and praise of the consumer market.
Toyota 2000GT
The first supercar that Toyota introduced into its vehicle line up was the 2000GT. A car that was intended to compete with other notable sports car competitors, and that’s exactly what it did. There were only 351 copies produced, and when it debuted in 1967, it was truly the peak of Toyota design and engineering of the time. This was the result of Toyota Engineering’s extensive research into the most impressive and appealing features of competitor sports cars, including the Jaguar E-Type - one of the most sought-after vehicles of its time. The 2000GT proved that Toyota was no longer a young, low-budget carmaker. Instead the functionality of the innovative double-Y spine frame, the ingenuity of the limited-slip differential, the power of a six-cylinder engine, and the addition of a particularly elegant-looking, aerodynamic body helped to elevate Toyota’s brand name.
In an article comparing the 2000GT to the Jaguar E-Type, Frank Marcus, the Technical Director at Motor Trend said “the world at large may not have gotten the 2000GT’s message at the time, but it served the auto industry with fair warning of what was to come from the land of the rising sun”. Markus is suggesting that the 2000GT served as a preview of the impressive innovation to come from Japanese automotive manufacturers, which at that time were relatively new to the industry. Inline with Frank Markus’ sentiment, the 2000GT has been referred to as “a superb example of what motoring is supposed to be about”. It’s safe to say that the stunning 2000GT made a name for itself as an absolute showstopper of a sports car, but it was eventually discontinued in 1970.
Toyota Supra
The Toyota Supra would not be the vehicle we know it today without the innovative features developed for the Toyota 2000GT. The inline-6 layout, interior aspects, and engine(in the first few generations offered, which has since been updated) were a direct nod to the impressive 2000GT. While this sports car’s predecessor was the Celica, the Supra made a name for itself as an undeniably powerful and fast sports coupe.
Making its mark in history, a 1994 Toyota Supra MK IV was the hero vehicle in the massively successful film franchise Fast and Furious, one of the highest-grossing film franchises in cinematic history. The Orange Gladiator Supra driven by Paul Walker’s character helped thrust the Toyota Supra into the mainstream, which previously had remained more well known among sports car enthusiasts. When Craig Lieberman, owner of this iconic vehicle and technical advisor for the fast and furious franchise, was asked why he chose to purchase a Toyota Supra, he replied “In 1997, I was in my Mustang GT. And I got smoked on the freeway by a Toyota Supra, and I said, that’s it, I’m buying one.” The rest is history, and today, this iconic Sports Coupe is still one of the most sought-after sports cars in the industry.
While there are several more cars worthy of a mention, our Toyota of Plano team chose these impressive few to highlight how Toyota’s lineup has evolved over the past several decades. For instance, despite its discontinuation, the 2000GT’s legacy remains constant in every new generation of Supra. Stop by Toyota of Plano today to ask about our most collectable vehicles available on the lot. Toyota of Plano has a number of car enthusiasts among our talented sales team who are standing by ready to help a fellow enthusiast or even an aspiring one.
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