From the Classifieds: 1971 Toyota Crown Coupe
Stunning coupe could be the second-best-looking Toyota ever madeIf we did some good old vox pops in the heart of Melbourne asking people to name a classic Toyota coupe, odds are they’d name the original Celica, the stunning 2000GT, Corolla at a pinch, Supra, and maybe even the MR2.
But very few of them would single out the Toyota Crown Coupe that existed between 1967 and 1981, spanning four generations.
By far the most striking of the bunch was the second-gen Crown Coupe that debuted in 1971 as part of the wider fourth-generation Crown line-up; here was a coupe derived from an upmarket Japanese sedan that presented like the angriest American muscles cars, albeit with a few Japanese touches.
The coupes were never especially big sellers globally compared to the sedan, which makes the surfacing of this pristine 1971 example listed on carsales for $69,990 worth a look.
Cast your eyes over it now and you’ll likely pick out elements you recognise from other more famous models: the front end reminds us of the original Nissan GT-R (even though the Crown came first), the sloping flanks are very Ford Mustang Fastback, and the individual tail-lights clearly inspired those of the Dodge Dart Sport.
Occupying the engine bay is a 2.3-litre straight-six petrol engine outputting 86kW/173Nm back in the day, mated in this instance to a four-speed manual transmission.
The spotless white and chrome exterior is paired with a black leather interior, contrasted against by the wood-finish gear lever and bus-sized steering wheel.
The odometer was showing 93,119km since new when listed on carsales, while the seller is clearly very smitten with the vehicle, describing it as “a lifestyle choice” that “purrs like a contented cat but can growl into life when you press that pedal”.
“This isn't just any car; it's a time machine on wheels, ready to transport you back to an era when bell-bottoms were in vogue, and disco was king,” they said.
“This classic beauty is like a fine wine it only gets better with age.
“It’s for those who appreciate the finer things in life, like the feel of a manual transmission, the hum of a well-tuned engine, and the envious stares of those stuck in their modern-day contraptions.”
Colourful description aside, are we nuts for thinking this is the second-best looking Toyota coupe every to exist?
Behind the 2000GT of course…
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