So sad; Christopher Bell announces sudden withdrawal from the NASCAR team due to lack of proper contract agreement.
Toyota’s are as pervasive in the United States today as apple pie and, well … Chevrolet. NASCAR is about as American as you can get, yet the Japanese automaker is one of only three other manufacturers (along with Chevrolet and Ford) currently running on the acclaimed stock car racing circuit — with great success.
As recently as July 2024, Toyota vehicles accounted for three of the top 11 best-selling cars in America so far (RAV4 at #3, Camry at #7, and Corolla at #11), with the Camry claiming the title as the top-selling passenger car in the U.S. In 2021, Toyota Motor Corporation finally jumped ahead of General Motors for the first time to become the top-selling car company in the U.S.
All that prestige started when Toyota introduced hundreds of the Toyopet Crown four-door sedan (and one lone Land Cruiser) to the American market in 1958. While the Crown looked very much like a miniature version of other luxury American cars of the day, Toyota failed to consider U.S. roads and highways when designing the vehicle. In fact, the Crown lacked power (top speed was a mere 75 mph), was unstable and vibrated at high speeds, parts broke, and interior noise was off the charts.
All of these problems, combined with a higher price tag, made sales a certified disaster. That didn’t deter Toyota, though, because it came back with a redesigned vehicle in 1964 called the Corona (meaning “crown” in Latin).
Today, the word “Corona” more likely triggers thoughts of the Pandemic or the Mexican beer, but between April 1965 and December 1967, it was known for being Japan’s best-selling car. Toyota’s goal with the Corona was to make a quality vehicle bigger and roomier than the Volkswagen Type 1 — and it delivered. While it’s considered one of the best cars Toyota’s ever designed today, it hit a few speed bumps in getting there.
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