The Toyota Motor Company has come a long way since it introduced its first-ever vehicle — the AA — in the 1930s. According to the 2020 World's Most Valuable Brands report by Forbes, Toyota is, by far, the most valuable automotive brand in the world as it's worth $41.5 billion.Toyota didn't get to the top by accident. Over the years, the Japanese marque has earned hundreds of millions of customers worldwide for producing affordable but high-quality cars with unbeatable reliability ratings. The best thing about Toyota is that it excels in almost every segment of the auto industry. Whether you are interested in a cheap family sedan, a powerful off-road truck, a fast sports car, an eco-friendly hybrid, or a large SUV, Toyota's got you covered. Let's explore ten amazing models that helped Toyota become one of the greatest automakers ever, if not the greatest.
10 Supra
Let's start with one of the most popular Japanese sports cars ever built — the mighty Supra. The Supra was developed as the spiritual successor to the 2000GT and was intended to compete against the likes of the Datsun 240Z.
There's a lot to love about the Supra — it has a great design, lots of power to play around with, and fantastic driving dynamics. However, what has earned the Supra a cult following — particularly the MKIV — is its role in the Fast and The Furious franchise. Ever since Paul Walker drove the Supra in the film, gearheads all over the world have been in love with it.
9 Corolla
The Toyota Corolla needs no introduction, as it's one of the best-selling vehicles of all time. With more than 45 million units produced, there's a good chance that every gearhead reading this has been inside a Corolla, if not driven one.
Having been in production for more than five decades, there are twelve generations of the Corolla to choose from and body styles, including sedans, hatchbacks, and station wagons. The Corolla has gone through multiple major redesigns, but one thing that has remained constant is its ability to deliver practicality and reliability at an affordable price.
8 Land Cruiser
Toyota introduced the Land Cruiser in the early '50s as their version of the popular Jeep, and since then, the SUV has earned a cult following around the world. The Land Cruiser started as a pure off-roader, but now it has evolved into one of the best luxury SUVs today. ​​​​​​​
The Land Cruiser defines what a perfect all-around SUV should be like. It looks good enough to serve as a daily driver for business executives, but will still perform excellently when you encounter the toughest off-road trails. ​​​​​​​
7 Hilux
If you've been a Top Gear fan since the Jeremy Clarkson days, you've probably spotted an old red pickup truck in the studio and wondered what the story behind it was. Well, that's the Toyota Hilux that Clarkson tried to kill but failed miserably. The fact that the Hilux still ran after Clarkson drove it down a flight of stairs, crashed it into a tree, drowned it in the Bristol Channel, dropped it from a crane, and even set fire to it is a testament to just how strong the Hilux is. ​​​​​​​
The Hilux is currently in its eighth generation and still retains a high level of durability and reliability, making it one of the most dependable pickup trucks ever.
6 2000GT
Toyota started as a manufacturer of imitative and stodgily practical vehicles that were significantly cheaper than their European equivalents. However, in 1967, Toyota showed everyone that it could also build a world-class sports car when it introduced the awe-inspiring 2000GT. ​​​​​​​
The 2000GT is a gorgeous high-performance fastback coupe that is widely considered to be Japan's first supercar. It was powered by a 2.3-liter inline-six engine with 148 hp on tap, making it a joy to drive. With only 351 examples produced, the 2000GT is one of the most collectible Japanese cars. ​​​​​​​
5 Prius
Toyota employs a forward-thinking approach when developing cars, which is why it always seems to be one step ahead of the competition. A good example of this is the Prius. Introduced in 1997, the Prius was the world's first mass-produced hybrid and is one of the main reasons many gearheads have accepted that electrification is the future of the automotive industry. ​​​​​​​
The Prius hasn't always been a popular car. In fact, the second-generation variant is considered to be one of the ugliest cars ever made. However, the combination of reliability, everyday practicality, and excellent fuel efficiency has earned the Prius millions of sales. ​​​​​​​
4 Century
The Century is a luxury sedan that Toyota has been producing for more than five decades. Toyota produces the Century mainly for the Japanese market, which explains why you've probably never seen it. ​​​​​​​
Since 1997, the Century has been powered by a Toyota-designed and built V12 engine, making it the only V12-engined Japanese car in production. This car offers the finest luxury experience, which explains why it's the preferred vehicle for high-level business people, senior Japanese government leaders, the Imperial House of Japan, and the Prime Minister of Japan. The best thing about the Century is that, despite offering a similar level of luxury to European luxury sedans, it's still one of the cheapest V12-powered cars. ​​​​​​​
3 RAV4
The Land Cruiser is excellent, but it has always been a bit too expensive for many gearheads. This is why Toyota introduced the RAV4 in 1994. The RAV4 was among the first compact crossover SUVs, and it quickly gained a lot of popularity in the US. ​​​​​​​
Buyers loved the RAV4 as it offered many of the benefits of SUVs — such as increased passenger and cargo space, higher visibility, and four-wheel-drive — but in a more compact, fuel-efficient, and maneuverable body. Two decades and many redesigns after its introduction, the RAV4 is the best-selling SUV of all time, with 11 million examples sold. ​​​​​​​
2 MR2
The MR2 is a small, economical, and sporty car that Toyota introduced in 1984 to take advantage of the Japanese sports car craze that was going on back then. The MR2 was in direct competition against the likes of the Mazda RX-7, and it was a two-seat, mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car with pop-up headlights.
The first and second-generation MR2s were pretty awesome, particularly those equipped with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and a five-speed manual transmission. Unfortunately, the third generation came with a major redesign that was not well-received, eventually leading to the discontinuation of the nameplate. ​​​​​​​
1 Celica
The Celica doesn't get the respect it deserves, largely because of the disappointing seventh-generation model. However, the Supra holds a special place in Toyota's history as it provided some of the most glorious motorsports moments for the company, having won multiple WRC trophies. The Celica Supra — a variant of the second-generation Celica — is also the car that birthed the Supra. ​​​​​​​
The 1990 model is arguably the greatest Celica as it won Toyota more than 30 WRC wins and the world title. It's also a great option for collectors on a budget.