The Toyota Crown turns 70 and looks to a hydrogen future

When the Toyota Crown debuted in the 1950s, it marked a breakthrough. The regal and reliable model was one of the first successful cars developed and manufactured entirely in Japan postwar – an accomplishment that put rivals on notice at a time when the easiest way for the nation’s automotive brands to get ahead was through partnerships with US or European manufacturers.

In the seven decades since, the Crown has earned a reputation as a versatile but also stylish model – it’s admired for the original’s rear-hinged back doors and curvaceous grille, as well as for its various incarnations as sporty two-door coupés or stately saloons. The different takes on the Crown have all had their own personality but the designers have always preserved a sense of continuity as technology and tastes have shifted. Over the years, the Crown has also been adapted for a variety of fuel types, from petrol and liquefied petroleum gas to petrol-electric hybrid.

For the Crown’s 70th anniversary in Japan, Toyota has broadened the utility of the flagship model even further. Besides the saloon, there are now three new versions: a station wagon, a mid-sized SUV and a sporty “crossover” saloon (pictured). For the first time, Toyota is also selling a version of the saloon that runs on hydrogen, emits no greenhouse gases and makes barely a whisper of noise. Tokyo’s metropolitan government has already started adding these to its taxi fleet as part of a plan to put 600 hydrogen-fuelled cabs on the city’s streets by 2030.
global.toyota