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Even though the first Toyota Model AA rolled off an assembly line in Japan in 1936, the first Toyota automobile wouldn't roll down an American street until 1958, when a small dealership in Los Angeles tried to crack the U.S. market with its...
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Even though the first Toyota Model AA rolled off an assembly line in Japan in 1936, the first Toyota automobile wouldn't roll down an American street until 1958, when a small dealership in Los Angeles tried to crack the U.S. market with its inventory of just 287 Toyopet Crown sedans and a single Land Cruiser. Those underpowered and overpriced Toyopets quickly took a back seat to the Land Cruiser, which became the flagship for Toyota in the United States until 1968, when the Corolla ("small crown") arrived as a two- or four-door sedan, a two-door coupe, and a three-door wagon. The sportier Celica expanded Toyota's U.S. automobile line in 1971. While Corollas of the early 1970s had small 1.1 -and 1.2-liter engines under their hoods, Celica engines were almost double that at 1.9 liters. That gave the relatively light import a lot of pep for its size, making it a viable alternative for some customers to American muscle cars such as the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro. As it turned out, another Japanese auto manufacturer, Honda, would prove to be a tougher competitor. Honda had introduced its Accord in 1976, and promptly became the best-selling Japanese car in the United States for more than a dozen years running. Toyota responded with the Camry, although not until 1982. Like the Accord, the Camry was a front-wheel drive, but it had a bigger engine (1.8 liter instead of 1.6 liter) and it was longer, with a wheelbase of 102.4 inches rather than the Accord's 93.7 inches. If Toyota was playing catch up with Honda when it came to sedans and luxury brands—Honda's Acura was doing business in 1985, whereas Toyota's Lexus didn't get going until 1989—Honda was behind Toyota in the minivan sweepstakes. So, while the Toyota Previa was years behind American minivans, its introduction in the U.S. in 1990 was still four years ahead of Honda. Vintage Toyota Previas are perhaps best remembered—or forgotten, depending on your taste—for its front windshield, whose radical slope...
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