109-402: The Holden Commodore (VN) is a full-size car that was produced by Holden from 1988 to 1991. It was the first iteration of the second generation of this Australian made model , which was previously a mid-size car , as well as the first Commodore available as a coupé utility . The new range included the luxury variants, Holden Berlina (VN) and Holden Calais (VN) and, from 1990, introduced
218-516: A homologation special , created specifically so a racing optimised version of the Commodore could be utilised for Group A touring car motor racing. In fact, the regulations set down by the international governing body FISA at the time required a minimum of 500 road-going versions. HSV produced only 302 units in total. This shortened production run did not affect the SS Group A SV's homologation thanks to
327-478: A 2.6 L V8 engine. However, it had a different model designation, G10 (VG10 when fitted by 2.6 L V engine). The car was first introduced at the 1963 Tokyo Motor Show and introduced for sale on April 20, 1964, nine days before Emperor Showa 's birthday and the beginning of Golden Week in Japan. While it was essentially a wider S40 Crown, it was branded as a "Toyota" and not "Toyopet". The Toyota Crown Eight
436-601: A SV3800 body kit and Momo steering wheel. It was available only painted in Alpine White . It was part of the long-running Sydney-only Opera House models. An unrelated version, known only as LE, was released in April 1991 with a limited number of cars available nationwide. This limited edition was released in July 1991 and totalled 300 sedans for Australia (sold for $ 28,990) plus 130 sedans and 20 wagons for export to New Zealand, powered by
545-459: A body kit, 5-spoke alloy wheels and FE2 sports suspension (with upgraded springs and stabiliser bar for the front end and gas filled shocks absorbers at the back), larger front brake discs and master brake cylinder. The front suspension geometry was also modified to lower ride height by 35 mm for improved road handling. Inside, the car had power windows, central locking, electric antenna and four speaker radio cassette sound system. Suggested retail
654-473: A double-hinged tailgate, as the next generation converted to an overhead-lifting hatchback door. Crowns that were equipped with the 2,253 cc 2M engine were no longer classified as compact cars under Japanese vehicle size classification regulations , even though the length and width were still in compliance. Toyota offered the larger engine so that buyers who were traditionally served by the Crown could now choose
763-708: A longer wheelbase with the VN Commodore wagon and VG Utility. Changes in the relative values of the Australian dollar, the Japanese yen, alongside the US dollar made it impractical to continue with the well-regarded Nissan engine of the VL. Instead, Holden adopted and domestically manufactured their own variant of the Buick LN3 V6 which was adopted from US market GM vehicles, although initially it
872-474: A lower cost. Into the 1970s, the same vehicles could transport up to six occupants comfortably (or eight in a station wagon), at the expense of high fuel consumption. The sales of full-size vehicles in the United States declined after the early 1970s fuel crisis. In response to the 1978 implementation of CAFE , American manufacturers implemented downsizing to improve fuel economy, with full-size vehicles as
981-632: A star pattern with recessed center HSV badge and wheel nuts. This limited edition of 50 sedans was available between June 1990 and June 1991 exclusively for the Holden dealer group in Canberra. Codenamed "8VK19 A9W", it was based on a Commodore Executive but upgraded to the S pack. In addition to body-coloured wheel covers, bumper bars and bonnet garnish the car also featured the HSV 8 Plus grille, SV3800 red and silver pin stripes and Challenger decal pack on driver's side of
1090-527: A taxicab. While a base Crown was available for many years aimed at the taxicab market, the increasing opulence and price of the Crown line led to the creation of the Comfort in 1995 as a more affordable alternative. Outside Japan, the larger Lexus LS took over the role of Toyota's flagship sedan in 1989 in the company's global lineup. Toyota's "Discover Crown Spirit Project" is a program in which Japanese Toyota dealers fully restore instances of every generation of
1199-509: Is MS70 (2.0-liter), or MS75 (2.6-liter). The Japanese market Crown Custom (Wagon) was classified as a seven-seater. This generation was the first Crown marketed as a Toyota in Japan, as previous models were marketed as Toyopets. Also, in Japan, this model was known as the " whale " or "kujira" Crown. In 1973, Japanese television commercials introduced Japanese actress Sayuri Yoshinaga as a co-spokeswoman, joining Satoshi Yamamura, and together they appeared in commercials until 1983. Crown's for
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#17328545263331308-523: Is also marketed in North America as the sole Crown model. The remaining three models: Sedan, Sport, and Estate, will be released in 2023 and 2024 respectively, and will be available in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell powertrains depending on the model. Introduced in 1955 as the Toyopet Crown , it has served as the mainstream sedan from Toyota in the Japanese market throughout its existence and holds
1417-617: Is primarily a line of mid-size luxury cars that is marketed as an upmarket offering in the Toyota lineup. In North America, the first through fourth generations were offered from 1958 through 1972, being replaced by the Corona Mark II . The Crown nameplate returned to the North American market in 2022, when the sixteenth-generation model was released. The Crown has also been partially succeeded in export markets by its closely related sibling,
1526-470: The Chevrolet Corvair , Ford Falcon and Plymouth Valiant ), the "full-size car" designation came into wider use. In the 1960s, the term was applied to the traditional car lines of lower-price brands, including Chevrolet, Ford, and Plymouth. As a relative term, full-size cars were marketed by the same brands offering compact cars, with entry-level cars for buyers seeking the roominess of a luxury car at
1635-585: The Chrysler LH cars (Dodge Intrepid, Eagle Vision, Chrysler Concorde/New Yorker/LHS). The same year, the Buick Roadmaster was introduced, becoming the first rear-wheel drive GM model line adopted outside of Chevrolet and Cadillac since 1985; the Chevrolet Impala was returned for the 1994 model year. The 1989 Lexus LS400 luxury sedan was the first Japanese full-size car sold in North America. Following
1744-562: The Closer Economic Relations agreement. The Commodore Executive was the base model of the VN Commodore range and was priced from A$ 20,014 when new. Its standard features included: Optionals included: The VN Commodore S was the entry sports variant of the VN Commodore range and was priced from A$ 21,665 when new. Its features (in addition to or replacing those of the Executive) included: Optionals included: The VN Commodore SS
1853-507: The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) giving Holden special dispensation, in the hope of bolstering thinning grids in the 1991 Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC). The VN Series HSV Clubsport was released in June 1990 and was based on the VN Commodore. It was offered as a four-door sedan with a 180 kW (245 PS; 241 hp) 5.0-litre Holden V8 engine. In addition to
1962-569: The Dodge Monaco ). Developed by AMC before its acquisition by Chrysler, the Premier was a version of the front-wheel drive Renault 25 adapted for North America. The Saab 9000 took a special position at the end of the 1980s, as for a long time it was the only imported car to be classified as a "large car" by the EPA. From the 1980s to the 1990s, the market share of full-size cars began to decline; along with
2071-718: The H and C platforms . Only station wagons, the Chevrolet Caprice , and the Cadillac Brougham remained. Initially developed to replace the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, the 1986 Ford Taurus was produced alongside it as the Ford mid-size model line. After largely abandoning the full-size segment for compact cars and minivans, Chrysler gained reentry into the full-size segment in 1988 with the Eagle Premier (also produced as
2180-492: The Imperial limousine manufactured by Chrysler in the early 1950s. In 1958, it introduced a ball joint suspension. Production of the double-cab Masterline pickup (RR19) started in April 1957 by the former Central Motors . In August 1957, three Toyota delegates with the intent to establish a sales company in the United States introduced a white and black Crown and Crown Deluxe at a public relations event attended by dealers and
2289-617: The Lexus GS , which since its debut in 1991 as the Toyota Aristo has always shared the Crown's platform and powertrain options. Later models of the GS and Crown have taken on a very strong aesthetic kinship through shared design cues. In 2022, Toyota unveiled four different Crown models to replace the fifteenth-generation model. The first model that is available is the Crossover-type Crown, which
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#17328545263332398-576: The Masterline , continued to be offered (utilities, wagons and vans) until 1959. A six-door wagon known as the Airport Limousine was shown as a concept car at the 1961 Tokyo Motor Show . It did not go into production. In December 1955, the Crown Deluxe (RSD) was introduced, a posher model equipped with a radio and heater as standard. The initial RS model received a cosmetic update in 1958 to become
2507-518: The Masterline . There was also a limited run of the sedan known as the Toyota Crown S (MS41S) which featured twin SU style carburettors on the 2.0L M in-line-six engine, sportier camshaft, sports instrumentation, sports suspension, four-speed floor shift, bucket seats, 14 inch wheels, disc brakes on the front and larger drum brakes in the rear. This Crown became the first Toyota to be exported to Europe, after
2616-508: The R-series four-cylinder engines. Crown vehicles meant for commercial use had received the Masterline nameplate until the introduction of this generation; they were now badged "Crown" as well. However, this generation was the last to be offered in an entire line of commercials - from the next generation on, the only commercial-use model available was the Crown Van, whose bodywork was also used for
2725-673: The button car plan was put into effect. Exports to New Zealand began in 1968 and local CKD kit assembly of the Deluxe sedan started in 1973 (under contract at Steel's Motor Assemblies in Christchurch alongside the Corona). The model was replaced in NZ assembly by the Cressida in 1979 though limited imports of Japanese assembled cars continued for several more years. The island nations of Aruba and Curaçao in
2834-510: The eighth-generation Hyundai Sonata , is classified by the EPA as full-size despite being marketed as a mid-size model. In 2018, the three highest-selling cars in the full-size sedan category in the United States were the Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Impala, and Chrysler 300. The large car segment has been declining in the United States accounting for 3.6% of new vehicle sales in 2021, down from 6.6% in 2016. The models in this category included
2943-451: The 1920s to the 1950s, most manufacturers produced model lines in a single size, growing in size with each model redesign. While the length and wheelbase varied between model lines, width was a relatively constant dimension, as the American federal government required the addition of clearance lights on a width past 80 inches. In 1960, following the introduction of compact cars (such as
3052-546: The 1950s, and have become increasingly common since the downsizing of full-sized cars in the 1980s. The lineage of mass-produced full-size American cars begins with the 1908 Ford Model T . In 1923, General Motors introduced the Chevrolet Superior , becoming the first vehicle to adopt a common chassis (the A-body ) for several brands. Compared to the cars of the 21st century, these vehicles are small in length and width. From
3161-660: The 1980s and 1990s including in Australia , New Zealand , Great Britain , Japan , Italy , Germany and the European Touring Car Championship as well as the one-off 1987 World Touring Car Championship as well as significant races like the Bathurst 1000 , Spa 24 Hours and the RAC Tourist Trophy . Full-size car Full-size car —also known as large car —is a vehicle size class which originated in
3270-487: The 1996 model year, GM ended production of large rear-wheel drive sedans. By 2000, with the sole exception of the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car, full-size cars had abandoned rear-wheel drive and body-on-frame construction. Instead of model lineage, the EPA "large car" definition of over 120 interior cubic feet was widely used. Initially developed for the midsize Oldsmobile Aurora ,
3379-519: The 2.0-liter M six-cylinder engine also available. As for the previous generation, the M-C engine (in Japanese specifications) has 105 PS (77 kW; 104 bhp), while the 5R's output increased somewhat to 98 PS (72 kW; 97 bhp). In some markets the previous 2.3-liter "2M" six remained available, in sedan or "utility wagon" forms. The Utility Wagon was a body style between commercial and passenger car, and carried chassis codes MS67V until
Holden Commodore (VN) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-510: The 2.0-liter M engine or the 2.3-liter 2M engine shared with the Toyota 2000GT sports coupe. A premium level Super Saloon joined the Super Deluxe model, and was available with the 2M engine including twin carburettors, electric windows, rear seat radio controls, air conditioning and luxury fabric on the seating including the Crown logo embossed into the vinyl. Lower specified models were equipped with
3597-569: The 3.8-litre V6 engine was exclusively made available to the Holden dealer group of New South Wales, for sale at the Sydney Motor Show in October 1989 at a price of $ 43,200. Its production ended in January 1990. Production totalled 100 units. Codenamed "8VK19 V6M", it was based on a Commodore S and was featured Sydney Opera House -inspired decals on the front guards as well as HSV add-ons that included
3706-684: The Beijing BJ6490 was produced in China under the brand Beijing Travel Vehicle Works for 1997 only. The car was powered by a 2.2 liter 4 cylinder engine and a hybrid version, the BJ6490D was shown at an Auto Show in 1998 and was priced at 140,000 yuan (US$ 20,180). The engine was supplied from the Sichuan Electric Motor Factory. The VN series was assembled in New Zealand between 1988 and 1990. For
3815-707: The Berlina's four-cylinder motor. Additionally, it is believed that there are a few VN Calais wagons in existence in New Zealand. An indigenous sports model, the Commodore GTS, was also offered to the New Zealand market during 1990. Based on the New Zealand Executive models, the GTS featured a 3.8 L V6 engine, manual or automatic transmission, bodykit (similar to that of the VN Commodore SS), alloys and FE2 suspension. It
3924-572: The Century VG20. Approx 3,800 Crown Eights were produced. Some of the items that were exclusive to the Crown Eight were climate control , automatic headlamps , electrically powered windows, electric cruise control , and a two-speed "Toyoglide" automatic transmission. Vent windows were installed on all doors, separate from the side windows, and could be opened or closed electrically. The front and rear door latches were electromagnetic and installed on
4033-518: The Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Nissan Maxima, and Toyota Avalon. They have been discontinued after the 2023 or 2024 model years. The trend in the large car market segment in United States is toward the SUV. Toyota Crown#Seventh generation (S120; 1983) The Toyota Crown ( Japanese : トヨタ・クラウン , Hepburn : Toyota Kuraun ) is an automobile which has been produced by Toyota in Japan since 1955. It
4142-520: The Crown Eight successor, the Century. Unlike a conventional door handle, the door latch would release by touching the interior switch. The front suspension used a double wishbone suspension with coil springs and the rear used a trailing arm suspension with coil springs, with shock absorbers for all wheels. The Crown Eight was available in four exterior colors: Royal Bronze Metallic, Sherwood Olive Metallic, Black, and Victoria Blue Metallic. Launched in 1967,
4251-447: The Crown spokesman for 16 years, introducing subsequent new generations of Crown products until 1983. The Crown range now included the four-door station wagon, pick-up (rare), double cab pick-up (very rare), and in October 1968, the new two-door hardtop " personal luxury car ." In September 1968 the option of power steering was added. In 1969 the Crown received a facelift for the headlight, grill and trim arrangement. The Crown S used
4360-555: The Crown to show that even the oldest Crown still works. Having been in production since 1955, the Crown is Toyota's second longest running model nameplate in Japan after the Land Cruiser , and seventh in the world after the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (1954), Chevrolet Corvette (1953), Land Cruiser and Nissan Patrol (both 1951), Volkswagen Transporter (1950), Ford F-Series (1947), and Chevrolet Suburban (1935). The Crown
4469-613: The Crown was being sold with the newer 3R engine and alongside the new smaller Tiara model with the Crown's outgoing 1.5L engine. Only the Custom sedan and wagon were offered ($ 1,795 and $ 2,080 respectively). Total sales for 1961 reached only 225 units, trailing off to 74 for 1962, and finally 28 for 1963. Total sales for the Toyopet Crown RS series in the United States is 2,240. By the end of 1960, Toyota Motor Sales USA had accumulated 1.42 million dollars in losses from lackluster sales of
Holden Commodore (VN) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-622: The Crown. To prevent any further loss, all passenger car imports were suspended and new management structures were established to refocus all sales efforts on the Toyota Land Cruiser with profitability expected from selling 50 to 60 per month until the development of a new car suitable for the US market. In November 2000, Toyota released the Origin , a retro version of the RS series Crown to celebrate 100 million vehicles having been built in Japan. Due to
4687-588: The European Ford Versailles and Simca Vedette . The Toyota Patrol was a police car version of the 1955 Crown. It featured many differences from the standard car, including a more reinforced chassis with the more powerful 6-cylinder 3.4 L engine from the Toyota BX truck. In a similar way, an ambulance based on the Crown was also built. In 1956, both of these vehicles were upgraded to the F 3.9 L engine and remained in production until 1959. The Crown
4796-483: The Executive) included: Optionals included: The Calais was the top of the range luxury version of the VN Commodore range and was priced from A$ 31,265 when new. Its features (in addition to or replacing those of the Berlina) included: Optionals included: The 1990 Commodore Vacationer was a limited edition whose features complemented those of the donor Executive model and included: This limited edition of 100 sedans with
4905-778: The Five Hundred was renamed the Taurus. After the 2011 model year, Ford ended production of the Panther platform, shifting to the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS; in 2017, the latter was replaced by the Lincoln Continental . In 2011, General Motors ended production of the G-body for several chassis (with Cadillac later shifting its largest sedans to rear-wheel drive). In 2012, the Tesla Model S became
5014-433: The GM G-body chassis was expanded into the full-size segment for Cadillac in 2000 (for the Deville, later the DTS) and adapted by Buick (the Lucerne) in 2006. For the 2005 model year, Chrysler replaced the LH cars with the LX cars (returning to rear-wheel drive). The same year, Ford introduced the Five Hundred, its first front-wheel drive full-size car (the first American full-size car offered with all-wheel drive); in 2008,
5123-463: The Holden Berlina sharing an engine with the Opel Vectra A . Accompanying the changes to engines, the four-speed Jatco automatic transmission was replaced by the GM TH700 (also with four speeds) and the Borg-Warner T-5 five-speed manual gearbox. A centre high-mount stoplight (CHMSL) was introduced prior to 1 July 1989 due to regulations in Australia requiring them to be fitted to all passenger cars manufactured from this date. In September 1989
5232-473: The New Zealand market, it was equipped with an unemissionised fuel-injected 2.0 L motor (tuned to run on 96 octane fuel), essentially that of the Opel Vectra A mounted north–south, driving the rear wheels. The Berlina was available in both sedan and wagon body styles. The Calais models were also offered to New Zealand, primarily in V6 form. In fact, due to a cancelled Singapore order, twenty fully equipped VN Calais models were sold in New Zealand – utilizing
5341-415: The Opel Senator, the VN also was similarly based on the Opel Omega , but this time, the previous VL Commodore floor pan was widened and stretched. The Commodore could now match the rival Ford Falcon for size. The VN Commodore was available in Executive, S, SS, Berlina and Calais specification levels, although a more basic SL model (opt. code A9K) was supposedly offered to government and fleet buyers, as it
5450-422: The RS20, now with hooded headlights and a single-piece front windshield. In October 1959, Japan's first diesel-engine passenger car, the Crown Diesel, was introduced. Its C-series engine only had 40 PS (29 kW). In October 1960, the 1.5 L R engine was complemented by the larger 1.9 L (1,896 cc) 3R engine for a model called the RS30, originally only available in the Deluxe version. The 1900
5559-415: The RS32L series Crown with the larger 3R engine and other improvements for high-speed driving in July 1960. For 1958, Toyota introduced the Crown in sedan form only (Standard and Deluxe) with a base price of US$ 2,187 (equivalent to about $ 23,096 in 2023). Options included $ 94 AM radio and $ 75 whitewall tires. By comparison, an optioned up Crown was $ 32 more than the base Chevy Del Ray and $ 10 more than
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#17328545263335668-459: The Rambler Rebel V8 sedan. Total sales for the initial year were 287. For 1959, sales were again limited to only sedan models and despite a price boost to $ 2,329 for the Deluxe model, sales more than tripled to 967 units. For 1960, Toyota added a wagon body style ($ 2,111 for the two-door, $ 2,211 for the four-door) but in the midst of Detroit's Big Three compact cars (Ford Falcon, Chevy Corvair and Plymouth Valiant), sales fell to 659 units. For 1961,
5777-421: The Series II of the VN Commodore was released with the EV6 engine. Some of the changes included a new cast exhaust manifold, new camshaft sprocket profile and timing chain, improved air and fuel distribution to combustion chamber, recalibrated ignition and injector firing within the engine management computer, wider conrod bearings and revised throttle uptake. The automatic transmission was also recalibrated to match
5886-490: The Southern Caribbean also imported the Crown starting from the second generation (S40) in 1965 in Curaçao up until importation of the tenth generation (S150). It was discontinued in 1998 due to the high price and low demand combined with the introduction of the Lexus GS series. In 2019, a small number of fifteenth-generation Crowns were exported to Indonesia for use as an official vehicle by cabinet ministers and other government officials. The sixteenth-generation Crown that
5995-432: The Toyopet Super . The front doors open conventionally, and the rear doors are " suicide doors ", a feature also utilized on the Toyota AA , Toyota's first car. Small engine displacements were used to keep the vehicle affordable, as the Japanese government began to impose an annual road tax to help develop and maintain a national transportation infrastructure in 1950. The appearance of the Crown shows some similarities with
6104-435: The United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars . It is the largest size class for cars. In the United Kingdom, this class is referred to as the executive car , while in Europe, it is known as E-segment or F-segment . The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year (dated July 1996) includes definitions for classes of automobiles. Based on
6213-460: The United States despite known high-speed performance issues. As a publicity stunt to demonstrate the car's reliability, Toyota staged a campaign common to American automakers: a coast-to-coast endurance run from Los Angeles to New York. The Toyopet was barely able to limp into Las Vegas before the project had to be called off. Toyota's first export to the United States began with 30 Crown Deluxes in June 1958 after establishing Toyota Motor Sales USA
6322-405: The Wagon models. Crown Double-Cab pickups were produced by the former Central Motor Co., Ltd. until December 1970. When the 1967 S50 series Crown was introduced to Japan, television commercials used Japanese actor Satoshi Yamamura , who among his many roles on stage, movie, and television, portrayed Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in the 1970s movie Tora! Tora! Tora! Yamamura would serve as
6431-503: The above mainstream models, HSV also built the following special editions and prototype, respectively: Limited edition V8 model from August 1989. 110 sedans were built until September 1989, and 80 wagons until January 1990. Built in 1989 as a feasibility study—and bearing the eventual front styling of the VP series —this car never made it into production and is now displayed at the National Holden Motor Museum in Echuca, Victoria. Group A regulations governed many touring car series between
6540-402: The addition of the "M" six-cylinder engine in 1965. Deluxe and Super Deluxe models were available with added features. The ladder frame chassis of the previous generation was replaced with an X-frame to achieve a lower centre of gravity. The sedan and wagon were known simply as the Crown while the commercial vehicles (coupe utility, double cab coupe utility (pick ups), and van) were known as
6649-445: The all-new Corona Mark II in 1968. This allowed Toyota to reposition the Crown as the top level privately available luxury sedan, with much nicer interior treatments, more spacious accommodations. This was the last generation for the pick-up versions of the Crown, as load carrying was ceded to the new Toyota Hilux in February 1971. Australian market models were assembled in Australia by Australian Motor Industries . The two-door ute
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#17328545263336758-531: The base 3.8-litre V6 engine. It was the last released and cheapest VN Commodore, coinciding with the then imminent launch of the Ford Falcon (EB) . Reportedly, at least one Australian sedan was fitted with a 5.0-Litre V8 engine and although no LS wagons were released in Australia, an enhancement pack was made available as an optional on any Commodore wagon. Its interior features a Calais steering wheel, HSV retrimmed seats with matching Statesman striped velour inserts in seats and diagonal pattern door trims as part of
6867-407: The bootlid and trailing edges of rear doors below the body mouldings. It was only available in Alpine White and the interior featured a black Calais steering wheel, rear headrests and Challenger badge in dash pad. The GTS of early 1990 was a limited run of 510 units for the New Zealand market. Powered by the base 3.8-Litre V6 engine it was based on the Executive model but featured upgrades including
6976-411: The cars without headlights and installed General Electric sourced sealed beam units upon arrival which met the required standard for brightness. Since the car was designed for the muddy, slow, unpaved Japanese roads, it failed the mass urban landscape of the US because of its inability to keep up with traffic on the faster interstate highways, along with stability, noise and vibration concerns. The car
7085-507: The combined passenger and cargo volume, large cars (full-size cars) are defined as having an interior volume index of more than 120 cu ft (3.4 m ) for sedan models, or 160 cu ft (4.5 m ) for station wagons. From the introduction of the Ford Flathead V8 in the 1930s until the 1980s, most North American full-size cars were powered by V8 engines . However, V6 engines and straight-six engines have also been available on American full-size cars, especially until
7194-403: The commercial Holden Utility (VG) . The VN series was released on 17 August 1988 and it was a re-engineered hybrid of the European Opel Omega and Opel Senator - and their corresponding Vauxhall sister models the Carlton II and Senator II. This donor body was paired to a Buick V6 engine or the Holden V8 engine . The project cost some A$ 200 million . As well as being highly based on
7303-534: The distinction of being one of the longest-running passenger-car nameplate affixed to any Toyota model. Its traditional competitors in Japan and Asia were the defunct Nissan Cedric / Gloria / Fuga , Honda Legend , Mazda Luce , Isuzu Bellel and Mitsubishi Debonair . Formerly only available at Toyota Store dealers in Japan, the Crown has been popular for government usage, whether as a police car or for transporting government officials. It has also been popular with Japanese companies as company cars along with use as
7412-423: The early 1973 facelift when it was replaced by the MS68V with the 2.6 engine. While previous generations of the Crown had been marketed under the Toyopet brand, the fourth-generation model was the first version to be officially marketed worldwide as the Toyota Crown. The Sedan and Wagon (Custom) were coded RS60/MS60/MS64/MS65 and MS62/MS63, while the Van was coded MS66V with the two liter "six". The Hardtop Coupé
7521-403: The first cars going to Finland. Other European countries which saw early imports of the Crown included the Netherlands and Belgium. The United Kingdom was another European market until the early 1980s. Australia was another important export market for the Crown – to the extent that it was manufactured there from the mid-1960s until the late 1980s using many local components. It was discontinued when
7630-438: The first few months of production it was actually assembled alongside its predecessor, the VL. This was due to the VL Commodore being slightly smaller, and offering a 2.0 L inline-six Nissan RB20E (for New Zealand only) or 3.0 L RB30E straight-six engine, also by Nissan. A unique situation of the New Zealand VN Commodore was its trim levels. Where in Australia, Berlina was of higher spec than Executive; in New Zealand
7739-513: The first fully electric full-size car sold in North America. For the 2013 model year, the Chevrolet Impala became the final American-market full-size sedan sold with a front bench seat . By the mid-2010s, full-size cars began seeing a steep decline in sales in North America, with SUVs replacing much of the full-size segment. At the end of the decade, demand for sedans (of all sizes) shifted towards vehicles of other layouts, reducing or shuttering production of sedans entirely. In 2018, Ford announced
7848-400: The first model lines to see major change. While General Motors and Ford would reduce the exterior footprint of their full-size lines to that of their intermediates, AMC withdrew its Ambassador and Matador full-size lines (to concentrate on production of mid-size vehicles). To save production costs, Chrysler repackaged its intermediates using the erstwhile full-size names, moving on to exiting
7957-501: The following models (including VQ and VG): The SS Group A SV was a race homologation special based on the VN Commodore SS, which was built at Elizabeth, South Australia (Holden) but extensively modified at Clayton, Victoria by Holden Special Vehicles (HSV). It was powered by a 215 kW (288 hp) 4.9 L HEC 5000i V8 engine , which was mated to a six-speed ZF S6-40 manual . The SS Group A SV existed primarily as
8066-596: The front seatback could be reclined horizontally to be flat to the rear seat, while the rear seat included a center folding armrest. The Crown Eight was considered as a possible submission for use by the Japanese Imperial Household Agency as a car to be used by senior members of the Imperial House of Japan , but it lost out to the Nissan Prince Royal . The Crown Eight was replaced in 1967 by
8175-682: The head of Denmark's Erla Auto Import A/S saw it at the Tokyo Motor Show. They brought in 190 of these subsequent to a May 1963 agreement. In Canada, it was introduced in November 1964 as one of the first Toyota models available in the country alongside the UP10 Publica . In the US, the MS41L sedan was available in the US for US$ 2,305 (equivalent to about $ 23,217 in 2023) PoE while the MS46LG station wagon
8284-500: The increased use of mid-size cars, vans, and SUVs grew in use as family vehicles. Between 1960 and 1994, the market share of full-size cars declined from 65 to only 8.3 percent. From 1990 until 1992, both GM and Ford redesigned its full-size car lines for the first time since the late 1970s. For the 1992 model year, Chrysler introduced a new front-wheel drive full-size car line, replacing the Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco with
8393-533: The introduction of the Corona , the dramatically restyled and enlarged Series S40 was launched in 1962, and saw the introduction of the Custom model. The front grill approach has a similar appearance to the 1960 Imperial Crown (Chrysler) , which speaks to Toyota's aspirations that the Crown be a large, comfortable sedan. The station wagon body style carried over from the previous generation Masterline, but with more attention to
8502-627: The late America's Cup yacht designer, Ben Lexcen and replaced the previous similar-sized Toyota Crown S120 offered in Australia. Subsequently, the Toyota Corolla and Camry were, similarly, badged as the Holden Nova and Holden Apollo . A total of 215,180 VN Commodores were manufactured during the model's 3-year lifespan, before production ended in September 1991. A clone of the Commodore called
8611-461: The luxurious approach used on the Crown. The stylized "crown" badge, affixed to the grille and hubcaps, first appeared with this generation. Headlights were integrated within the boundaries of the greatly enlarged grill, providing a clean, modern appearance. A 2-speed automatic transmission was introduced, called Toyoglide, with a column shift. A bigger and better car than the previous S30 series, it initially had four-cylinder R-series engines before
8720-506: The mechanicals were much the same as the previous generation, but additional equipment was included. The X-frame chassis of the S40 series was now dropped in favour of a perimeter frame that improved collision protection for passengers; this chassis design would remain in use until 1999 when the S130-series wagons were superseded by the unibody S170-series Estates. Higher specification models used
8829-428: The media. Both models were constructed with 50% thicker steel than the average American car at the time and the black Deluxe model was nicely appointed with lots of chrome and luxurious items like a radio, heater and whitewall tires which prompted the press to liken it to a "baby Cadillac". This promising initial showing along with the strong reputation of the Crown in Japan gave Toyota the confidence to pursue exports to
8938-650: The model, but they were built by HSV and then sold through Holden (not HSV) dealerships. They are a standalone HSV model, recognised as such, and wear HSV ID. However, they basically a parts-bin special. DMG 90 was akin to a V6 Clubsport but was based on the Commodore S pack and featured: Alpine White paint; SV 3800 bodykit; VL Calais 15-inch alloys; Commodore SS brakes; FE2 suspension with strengthened Panhard rod and wider front track; strengthened boot; front and rear power windows and power mirrors; air conditioning; power steering with Momo wheel; 3.8-litre V6 engine with extractors and big bore exhaust system. The Commodore BT1
9047-563: The new engines torque characteristics. These revisions helped reduce initial torque levels whilst also improving the noise and vibration levels of the V6 engine. Under the Hawke government's Button car plan , which saw a reduction in the number of models manufactured locally, and the introduction of model sharing, the VN Commodore was rebadged as the Toyota Lexcen, launched in September 1989, named after
9156-546: The optional "Power Pack" (fitted as standard on the Calais). Externally, the car was available painted either Atlas Grey or Imperial Blue over Asteroid Silver two tone paint scheme, SV3800 body kit, body coloured boot garnish, smoked tail light lenses, LS decals on rear of front wheel arches, HSV logo moulded into driver side rear spoiler and Commodore LS decals on passenger side rear spoiler. The wheels consisted of HSV Sports Equipment alloy rims with 7 pairs of silver spokes forming
9265-596: The previous October, the first directly managed retail dealer (Hollywood Toyota) the previous February, U.S. wholesale and import companies, and a parts warehouse in Long Beach. Toyota also signs up 45 dealers to sell cars in its initial year, growing to 70 dealers by 1960 and 90 by 1962. In the effort to obtain certification from the California Highway Patrol for the sale of the Crown in California, Toyota shipped
9374-516: The previous models (unlike the trailing arm rear suspension used on the SA). Taxi versions were produced and beginning in March 1959 commercial versions of the vehicle were also available, as an estate wagon and a three- or six-seat coupe utility . These took over the "Toyopet Masterline" name in the Japanese domestic market, but usually received "Crown" badges in the export. The "Crown" name was previously in use by
9483-556: The roles were actually reversed. Commodore Executive was the Australian Berlina spec, while Berlina – had a similar spec to the Australian Executive models – and utilised a 2.0-litre Family II 20SE four-cylinder engine. The Berlina four-cylinder model was a unique car for New Zealand (as well as a few other export markets) and was unavailable to Australia. The four-cylinder Berlina was developed in Australia primarily for
9592-568: The sales of all Ford-branded passenger cars (except for the Mustang ) would end in North America by 2022. General Motors announced the closure of several manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada, with the production of the Chevrolet Impala and Buick LaCrosse ending in 2020. As of 2022, full-size cars from Asian manufacturers include the Lexus LS , Genesis G80 / G90 , Nissan Maxima , and Toyota Avalon . Another car from an Asian manufacturer,
9701-535: The segment in 1981. During the 1980s, manufacturers further reduced the exterior footprint of several model lines from the full-size segment into the mid-size class to comply with more stringent CAFE standards. With the 1982 model year, Chrysler exited the full-size segment entirely, with the mid-size Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury serving as its largest sedan lines. Following the 1985 model year, General Motors replaced most of its full-size rear-wheel-drive model lines with smaller front-wheel drive sedans on
9810-558: The taxi market to bear. So the Super was updated, renamed the Master and sold in tandem to the Crown, at Toyota Store locations. When sales of the Crown proved worthwhile, the Master was discontinued in November 1956 after being in production for only one year, and production facilities for the Master were transferred to the Crown. While the Master was discontinued the commercial vehicle based thereon,
9919-407: The two-liter 'six', but due to sportier tuning it produced more power than the larger 2M, 125 PS (92 kW) at 5,800 rpm versus 115 PS (85 kW) at 5,200 rpm. The commercial versions were fitted with the six-cylinder "M" engine (M-C) produce 105 PS (77 kW), while the four-cylinder 5R had to make do with 93 PS (68 kW). This generation was the only one to use
10028-466: The way for future innovations and designs. The Crown Eight was designed to replace full-sized American automobiles commonly used by major corporations. The Crown Eight represents the first Japanese mass-produced vehicle with an 8-cylinder engine. The main rivals at the time were the Prince Grand Gloria , Mitsubishi Debonair , and Nissan Cedric Special , all equipped with a six-cylinder engine. It
10137-475: Was $ 35,995 GTS and $ 37,295 GTS for the manual and automatic versions, respectively. It was available painted Vivid White or GTS Blue metallic (in Australia, Alpine White or Imperial Blue ). This limited edition of 50 units was exclusively made available to the Holden dealer group of Queensland, for sale at the Brisbane Motor Show in April 1990. DMG stands for "Dealer Marketing Group" who commissioned
10246-510: Was a limited build, available in either White or Dark Blue. The VN was the last Commodore to be assembled in New Zealand, after General Motors New Zealand closed its plant in Trentham in late 1990. The last locally assembled model was a 3.8-litre Commodore V6, which came off the assembly lines on 21 November of that year. Thereafter, Holden cars sold in New Zealand came fully built up from Australia, from where they could be imported duty-free under
10355-455: Was a significant project for Toyota, developed and assembled by their subcontracting company, Kanto Auto Works. Toyota delegated the production to Kanto Auto Works due to the Crown Eight's unique components, which could have hindered mass-production operations at the Motomachi plant. Despite its production volume of approximately 1,000 cars per year, the Crown Eight's impact on Toyota products paved
10464-496: Was a special pack for the VN Commodore that was available to the Australian and New Zealand police forces. They were based on the Executive and were fitted with either the 3.8 V6 or 5.0-litre V8. The features of this model superseded and added to those of the donor Executive model. Although the pack varied by police force, they were commonly fitted with: The enhanced performance VN range sold by Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) comprised
10573-587: Was also assembled in Australia, but not the coupé model. This generation was imported fully assembled into New Zealand from 1968 to 1971. This generation was still sold in the United States; 1970 was the most successful year for the nameplate in the US with 6,528 being sold. Notable features on the Crown Wagon were: Launched in February 1971 for the Japanese Domestic Market, the fourth generation Crown
10682-431: Was also available with the new two-speed Toyoglide automatic transmission. In April 1961, a Crown Standard 1900 was added. Its coil and double wishbone independent front suspension was a departure from the leaf sprung beam axle front suspension used on most previous models but was similar to the independent front suspension used on the 1947 Toyopet SA . The live axle rear suspension was similar to that used on most of
10791-411: Was also very rigid and heavy for its size at 2700 pounds. Motor Trend reported "The Toyopet is so rigid that jacking up one wheel at the rear bumper quickly lifted the other rear wheel". They also observed an average of 23.5 mpg combined city/highway for 407 miles. To remedy the performance issues along with the resulting breakage of parts from being overly stressed, Toyota introduced the newer RS22L and
10900-416: Was available for US$ 2,525 (equivalent to about $ 25,433 in 2023) PoE. Some optional features include an automatic transmission for US$ 160 (equivalent to about $ 1,612 in 2023) and a radio for US$ 60 (equivalent to about $ 604 in 2023). A two-door Crown Convertible was displayed at the 1963 Tokyo Motor Show , based on the Crown 1900 sedan. It was not put into production. This Crown generation
11009-481: Was available in ascending trim levels, including Deluxe, Super Deluxe and Super Saloon. Another trim, Royal Saloon, introduced with the Crown's 1973 facelift, added luxury features from the Century limousine. The first two model years of the fourth generation Crown were marketed in North America; subsequently replaced by the Corona Mark II . The 4M 2600 engine was introduced, with the 2.0-liter 5R inline-four engine and
11118-404: Was first exported to the United States from 1958 to 1973 as the first model Toyota exported to the country. In 1960, Toyota temporarily suspended exports to the region as the Crown was not capable of speeds needed on American freeways, before introducing an improved model. The Crown was also exported to Canada from 1964 to 1972, and Mexico from 1959 to 1964. Exports to Europe began in 1964 with
11227-463: Was imported. The 5.0-litre V8 remained optional and received a power boost to 165 kW (221 hp). Both these engines used multi point GM EFI and the V6 using 3 coil-packs for ignition. Although not known for its smoothness or quietness, the V6 was nevertheless praised for its performance at the time. A fuel-injected, 2.0-litre four-cylinder VN Commodore model was offered for some export markets including New Zealand and Singapore, which were sold as
11336-401: Was introduced in 2022 will be exported to about 40 countries with an expected annual sales volume of around 200,000 units. The Crown was introduced in January 1955 in Japan to meet the demands of public transportation. The Crown was intended for private purchase, while the Master served in a commercial form as a taxi, both with the same 1.5 L Type R engine used on their previous car,
11445-422: Was much more popular than the Master due to the more compliant suspension of the Crown, and while the Master was intended for taxi service, the Crown was more accepted by the market over the Master, and more Crowns were sold into taxi service than the Master. The Crown was designed to replace the Super but Toyota was not sure if its independent front coil suspension and its suicide type rear doors were too radical for
11554-468: Was not officially listed as part of the Commodore range. The VN Commodore was also awarded Wheels Car of the Year for a second time in 1988. For the first time since 1984 , Holden again offered a commercial coupe utility with the first-Commodore based VG Utility sold from August 1990. The Holden Statesman and Caprice (VQ) models, which were introduced in March 1990, were also VN Commodore based, but shared
11663-409: Was released in March 1989 and was the top of the range sports model of the VN Commodore range and was priced from A$ 25,375 when new. Its features (in addition to or replacing those of the S model) included: Optionals included: Colours available: The Berlina was the entry luxury version of the VN Commodore range and was priced from A$ 24,781 when new. Its features (in addition to or replacing those of
11772-408: Was the first Crown to exceed vehicle size classification regulations in length, width, and engine displacement capacity. The width at 1,845 mm (72.6 in) compares to the Century at 1,890 mm (74 in). The width was so that the front and rear bench seats, upholstered in silk brocade, could accommodate six passengers. The front seat could be electrically adjusted in six directions, and
11881-462: Was the first to be assembled in Australia, from CKD kits, by AMI in Port Melbourne, with significant local content. AMI, which assembled numerous brands including Triumph and, for a short time, Mercedes-Benz, was to become the basis of Toyota's current Australian manufacturing operation. The longer, wider, and more upmarket Crown Eight was introduced in 1964 for the Japanese market, powered by
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