This Japanese stalwart deserves every accolade thrown its way. It is one of the longest-running nameplates in the world and impressively, has been in continuous production after the first model rolled off the production line in January 1955. It was also the first car to be completely built and assembled in Japan by a Japanese carmaker. Toyota refused to ally with foreign car companies like some of its Asian competitors: Nissan, Isuzu, and Hino. The success of the Crown served as a big inspiration for the entire Japanese car industry at the time. Today, the Crown continues to help consolidate its market share as one of Toyota's luxury sedans and is sold mostly in Japan and other Asian markets.
10 The History Maker
The Toyota crown is currently absent from the American market but this was interestingly the first car the carmaker ever officially imported to the United States for sale. It was in the late '50s and the car was then known as the Toyopet Crown.
Unfortunately, that first foray ended in disaster as the car was just not suited to the driving style of the Americans. Toyota did learn its lessons, successfully applied them for future products and the results are quite clear for all to see today.
9 Another Wears The 'Crown'
This Japanese sedan is the rightful holder of the title for the longest-running production sedan in the world having been in production for well over 6 decades now. Interestingly though, it is still a few years shy of the longest-running nameplate within the Toyota family.
That honor belongs to the legendary Toyota Land Cruiser. The SUV had its debut in 1951 and is still going strong today; having evolved in design and capabilities through several generations.
8 Long Live The Crown
The fact that the Crown is still in production today says a lot about the car's appeal and practicability in the sedan segment. It has outlived several worthy Asian rivals, all of which had lengthy production runs before they sputtered and ran out of steam.
There were cars like the Mazda 929 and the Mitsubishi Debonair with runs that spanned 24 and 34 years respectively. Then there was also the Nissan Cedric that lasted for over 40 years in the market before it too slipped under the horizon.
7 Not Available In America
Today, you will find the Crown in mostly Asian markets where it is marketed as a mid-size luxury sedan offering. The car might have kick-started Toyota's journey in the United States but it's been absent from the country's market for decades now.
One of the possible reasons for that is the fact that Toyota already sells the Lexus LS sedans in America and these vehicles have pretty much everything the Crown has to offer. The Lexus LS cars are also about 12 inches longer than the Crown; an advantage in the American market.
6 That May Change Soon
In May 2021, a report claimed that Toyota recently filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It was filed under the 'Crown' name for 'automobiles and structural parts thereof'.
That understandably fuels the speculation that the Automobile behemoth may be seriously considering bringing the car back to America in some form. There are a few scenarios here; such as a Crown hybrid or the newly unveiled Toyota Crown SUV. They might also just want to protect the 'Crown' name in the American market. Whatever the case, filing the patent does create room for some interesting possibilities.
5 The Crown Connection
The Crown name apparently holds deep significance at Toyota and this extends beyond the company's long-running nameplate. The Toyota Corona which debuted as a smaller sibling to the Toyota Crown actually means 'crown' in Latin.
The number one best-seller in the world, the Corolla, also means 'small crown' in Latin. That's not all. The Camry has its roots in the Japanese phrase "kanmuri" which means - you guessed right - 'little crown'. That essentially means all the brand's mainstream sedans that connect to one word.
4 Customized Insignia
Today, only two vehicles in the vast Toyota model lineup carry their own insignia in addition to the Toyota logo; the Crown and the Century. For the Crown, the insignia debuted with the first models and has consistently evolved with each generation.
The insignia is prominently displayed and is visible on the front grill, steering wheel, and the C pillars. It is another clear illustration of the special place held by the Crown within the company vehicle lineup.
3 The 'Discover Crown Spirit' Project
This is a special program run by Japanese Toyota dealers that helps reinforce the image of the Crown as one that's literally indestructible. Under this program, the dealers will fully restore early generations of the Crown mainly to demonstrate the fact that even the oldest versions of the car can still run today.
It is quite an undertaking especially when you consider that the first generation of the car was introduced in 1955. Some of the restored cars even participated in a 430km run from Nagoya and Tokyo.
2 The Crown's Early Exploits
The first Generation Crown was well received in Japan but Toyota was already looking beyond the domestic market and had its sights set on introducing the Crown to the rest of the world. That led to the participation of the Crown at the 1957 10,000-mile Rally in faraway Australia.
It was the first fully Japanese-built car in the prestigious tournament at that point. The Crown gave a great account of itself, and not only completed the rally but also came in third out of all the foreign entries in the competition.
1 No Plans To Slow Down
Yes, it may have been around for 66 years but don't expect the Crown to yield its throne anytime soon. The 15th generation vehicle debuted in 2018 and for 2021, the car has received a big interior upgrade in the form of a 12.3 infotainment screen.
Of course, the car comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities and also packs a host of tech goodies that you would expect in any modern luxury sedan. It may not be sold in America but that does not mean the Crown does not have much to offer its customers in markets where it is still quite popular.