Influence of politics: How was this back in those days?

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Although at PreWarCar.com/ PostWarClassic.com we do like cars, not politics, there is no denying that politics have affected the vehicles we still ride today. The new POTUS, Mr. Trump, wants to protect the American automobile industry. Trump has threatened tariffs of up to 45 percent on cars exported from Mexico and China to the U.S. The directors of the German carmakers have already expressed their concern about more protectionism for the US market. How was this back in those days?  The US and the EU have maintained a cooperative partnership since the beginning of the EU in 1958. (Republican) president Dwight D. Eisenhower praised the formation of the EU, claiming that it could only strengthen US-European relations. One year after the formation of the EU, American companies like Ford International were opening offices in Europe, prepared to take advantage of the new market. Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler and other American brands were soon adopted by many in Europe. Opposingly, in the late 1950s, the United States found itself in the midst of a sharp recession, which caused a market shift towards small, less expensive and more fuel efficient imported cars. Volkswagen sold two Beetles in the USA in 1948, before its U.S. run ends in 1979, they sold more than 5 million Beetles only in the US. Another company who noticed this trend in the United States was Toyota Motor Corporation, a then-small Japanese automaker that marketed its products under an odd-sounding nameplate: Toyopet. Spoken about the Beetle: the first Toyopet looked like a Beetle, but was never imported into the US. Here you can read more about the Toyopet SA. In an effort to tap the potentially huge US-market, Toyota imported in 1957 the successor of the SA as the first Japanese car to be officially sold in the United States: the Toyopet Crown. The Toyopet Crown was designed for the small but growing Japanese market, which was still recovering from the devastation of World War II. Private cars were still rare in Japan, because they were too expensive for the average citizen. The infrastructure in Japan was still very poor, with mostly unpaved country roads and narrow streets in the cities, where it was impossible to achieve high speeds. Therefore the focus when designing the Crown, was on efficiency and sustainability, whith a conventional set up with a front engine and rear wheel drive. Initially the car was delivered with a 1.5 liter engine, which produced a modest 60 hp and gave the car a top speed of 65-70 miles per hour. The Crown was provided with a bodywork with American influences on the styling, with a lot of chromium and small fintails at the rear. The interior was surprisingly spacious and accommodated up to 6 adults in reasonable comfort. With 2,668 pounds, the Crown was exceptionally heavy for a small car.   In 1958, the first cars were delivered to their US customers. Unfortunately for Toyota, the car did not do well in the US market. Firstly, the car was not suitable for the American roads. With too much weight and too little power, the Crown could not handle the long, demanding roads in the US. In addition, the Crown was too expensive, with a $ 600 higher price tag than the 1958 Volkswagen Beetle, the best-selling imported car in the US. Finally, the name of the Toyopet was not well understood in the US. People thought of toys and pets when they heard the name "Toyopet". Although the Crown was criticized heavily, the positives were also noted by the automotive critics of that time. Thus, the Crown was praised for its build quality and the high level of fuel efficiency. Eventually Toyota sold only 2.137 Toyopet Crown's in the United States between 1958 and 1960, untill it was replaced by the Toyota Tiara in 1961. However, the experience with the Toyopet Crown have well helped Toyota to become very successful in the US market several years later. As other European and Asian carmakers, they even opened factories in the US. In a closed market would never have been possible. Text: Marius Hille Ris Lambers Photo's: Toyota USA      

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