@@RussEdgar445y7tlfj Those vents in the rear parcel shelf may well have been a rear defogger. We had the same on our 72 Dodge Dart. They were fairly common before the grid type defroster became the norm.
@@michaeltutty1540 You had a Dodge Dart? Same thing as a Valiant. Have you never been followed by a big old rusty truck?😀. P.S. : There was a Spanish version of the Dodge Dart, the Chrysler 3700.
Very bold design from Toyota there. Love it! I drove down to Lorne for a weekend when I was briefly working in Melbourne. I got to the high crash rate area when it was dark, I was getting tired and the road was covered in thick smoke from local (planned) bush burning. That was... Fun. Still, I gained great respect for the handling and comfort of my hired last gen Hyundai i30.
Greetings from America! Retired from a Toyota dealer after 30+ years, seen them all...the first ones were the Corona Mark 2...we were getting our allotment of 20 cars a month! Had to argue with the customers to keep our demo! All the cars were shipped in HEAVY condolence (a thick wax) and it took 4 hours to get it all off. They came with a cute little tool kit and a pint of paint. They were beautiful little cars, far better than the Opel Rekord I was driving at the time. When they started making the Camry in the states..('92) O.M.G. Massive problems. The complaints from customers were high, and it took almost 5 years to get the quality back. Thanks for a great video (as usual) keep up the good work! ✌😁
I used think these were the bees knees when I was about 7. Our neighbour had one. It made our Holden look very agricultural (which it was). I think it might have been that silky smooth 6 and the first air conditioned car I experienced. Thanks Hub Nub.
The ashtray in the E21 Bmw 3 series was huge. Even a heavy smoker would take a month to fill it up. Only fault was there were no indentations to jam a cigarette in to stop it from falling over. There were cutouts or squarish slots but they seemed to have been designed for big fat cigars 😄 Edit: Thought you meant the proper ashtray. Then I saw Hubnut 😌
I like the unique character that the older cars have, unlike today with many cars looking so much alike, it's difficult to tell them apart from a distance
A lot of older cars also look alike, such as the Hillman Avenger and Morris Marina and there are modern cars that stand out (for the wrong reasons) like the Nissan Juke.
@@arunparkin2552 Not really true. Is there a bigger difference between an Autobianchi and a Cadillac Eldorado Coupe de Ville Long wheel base 6.3m long, with wings longer than the whole Autobianchi and a completely different styling. No, the differences were enormous then.
These were Assembled by AMI (Australian Motor Industries) in Port Melbourne, they assembled AMCs, Ramblers, Toyotas, Mercedes, Triumphs and a couple of other makes. Toyota brought out AMI sometime in the 70s/80s and converted it to a Toyota factory, then they built the new factory in Altona North in the 90s and used the Port Melbourne site as their head office. My dad used to work across the road from AMI in the 70s and then around the corner from Toyota in Altona in the 2000s.
I find it funny that I'm watching something on RUclips that is uploaded from Wales that features a road not far from me in Australia and has one of my workplaces Coaches (205) tagging you on the way to Lorne. 🤣
I've driven the GOR for 30 years in all manner of conveyances including about 700 fire responses but the V-Line coachees are still considered the kings of the road, bit like German post buses.
I owned two of these in the 80s, both Jaffa orange in colour. In 1986 drove our 74 model from Melbourne to Perth and back. It didn’t miss a beat. In auto form it was slow, but very dependable.
This is, in fact, my childhood car. My dad used to own this car from my grandparents. I still remember how it sounds and feels like, especially its turning indicator sounds
@@Luke-PlanesTrainsDogsnCars I had it for thirteen years and sold it to the wreckers when the clutch went. It had no rust from the firewall back but had some on the inner front guards from accident repairs that weren't rustproofed.
I know of a local bloke who was a paint sprayer he restored a Toyota crown, stood it up for years never used it then sold it for scrap in the end. If I’d have known at the time I would have had it off him. Nice retro car🙂👍
These Crowns look brilliant, especially with the chrome strip along the bonnet. The estate/wagon versions offer some hot double rear wiper action!! I watched an episode of 1970s British sitcom 'Man about the House' where Chrissy (Paula Wilcox) learns to drive and in two outdoor scenes there's the same red Crown coupé in the background. I just adore 1970s coke bottle style cars. Glorious!
Great look around and drive of the 1974 Crown - excellent. Many plaudits also to the owner for the condition of the car. Interesting listening to your commentary on the vague handling and ride of Japanese cars of the time - quite correct - and the Crown; whereas Toyota (admittedly with Yamaha) had earlier built the lovely Toyota 2000GT in 1967 - which was (and is) lauded for its handling and ride - and whose twin-cam 2-litre engine with 3 twin-choke Mikunis, was based on a six-cylinder Crown engine. Plus there was a great 5-speed gearbox. Best wishes.
The Toyota Crown (Estate version) was possibly the 1st car I ever drove. My father hired one (around 1974-75) and, decided to let me gain my first driving experience with it - I was 9 or 10 years old. It was a huge car (compared to anything I'd been in before) and my father took me to an area off the public highway in Surrey (very close to the house that he still lives in to this day) which the army used for tank driving and exercises..... I remember grappling with the size of the car, and its power-steering was the only thing that prevented me (by only a cm or 2) from slamming one of the front corners of it into a concrete anti-tank bollard)
My dad had a 1975 metallic blue crown deluxe saloon 2600 4m engine with 3 speed toyoglide auto. It was a most beautiful car and had an amount of extras unheard for the time such as a foot operated remote radio tuner in footwell and I believe a fridge in the boot. If you turned the ignition key backwards, the boot opened. According to my dad, it was, although not so high on the top end, it was very torquey and would pull a caravan effortlessly. I'd have one tomorrow (now I'm old enough!)
You have the MS85, which is the next generation up from this. Early 1974 was the last of these (MS65) then the 85s came in at the end. 85s were the ones with the cooler box, and the super saloon had the power windows and power locks. They also had power steering. This 65 never came out with power steering, it has been fitted to this aftermarket, most likely from a 85.
Wow, I had the hots as a nine year old lad, for a girl at my primary school who's parents had the Crown Custom estate version of this car in 1973/4. It made a change from my father's rusty Morris Oxford Traveler and his "written off" Hillman Super Minx estate. Pure class and the girl was quite cool too!
I had a 71 model Australian assembled version with the mighty 2M engine. 2.3 Litres of raw as in under cooked power. Being Aussie built it had a Borg Warner 35 Auto and Banjo rear axle, to compensate for the low power it had a deep diff which gave it very respectable launch but a top speed of about 70mph ish. Even the standard steering was very light, and with 5 turns lock to lock and a huge wheel was great for a workout in a multi deck carpark. Mine handled quite well, very wafty with moderate body roll, but it never felt disconnected or in any way unstable.
The 1970 crown 2300cc, was the best in terms of styling . Looks really classy. Wish someone can do a road test.. Anyway enjoyed your video.. hope to see some more..
I do so enjoy riding along with you on these drives. I too love the styling. Lots of early/mid 60’s American and European car influence I’m noticing at the front. The turn signal relay sounds like a GM car from the 70’s. Even with overboosted steering and body lean it looks to handle better than many American cars of the period. I lived in the North Carolina mountains in the 70’s. Similar curvy roads (minus the ocean, of course). My father sold Buicks and Pontiacs. Always had some kind of demo or other to drive. “Mid size” to “full size” cars of the time were huge lumbering things just peeling the tires off the rims when cornering at anything over 20 mph. It was a revelation to my dad the first time he drove a Jaguar XJ6 in the late 70’s. About the same time he became an independent used car dealer. After that it was pretty much all European cars for us.
I own several of these. Alot of people buy them and the next gen ones for the chassis as hot rodders love them for the early ford resto's. I have an original 4speed 4m one and a converted 253 V8 converted one. The engine bay on these is huge, you can slot almost anything in them. I grew up in the back on of a 65 as my father loved them and bought a 65 (same as this one but in mustard yellow) new from Adelaide. These cars were known to be ahead of their time.
That colour is called Bamboo. Was used across the Toyota range in the 70s. I have driven ithe road a few times. One of those in a brand new Toyota Avalon and again in a Toyota Hi Ace SBV camper van. Fun times and Thankyou
I think we only got those with the Toyomatic in the UK. They were certainly an eye full in terms of styling, but most of them were very rusty before the end of the '70s. There used to be one parked outside my infant school, which couldn't have been more than 10 years old then, and there was more fresh air than metalwork left even then...
Remember that it's running on BBQ gas which means that straight away you've lost about 15% of the power already. Then, it's also lost probably 1 of those Buff Horses each year since it was new. So realistically it only got about 65-70 hrsprs left to drag itself around. Definitely crying out for some Mo Power Babeh!
Australia has stunning views on those sea side roads you filmed on. Wonderful drive in that 1974 Toyota Crown. I see some styling cues from 1969 Ford Thunderbird 4 door. Mainly in the Front and back. Great review!
I think Ian sums it up: Most Japanese cars of the day were solid, reliable, frugal, and light on the controls. But from a car enthusiast's point of view their handling was bad, steering was vague, and the very simple suspension setup (often leafsprung rear axles) was harsh. But that's what most people wanted. The Toyota Corolla (leafsprung, recirculating-ball vague steering) outsold the Datsun 100A (frontwheel drive, rack-and-pinion steering), because it was much easier to maneuver in the carpark and in city traffic, and it "looked bigger".
I remember my dad had an old one of these when we were ex-pats in PNG in the late 70’s. It was a 1974 car in white with air conditioning. The vents were on the rear parcel shelf.
I like funky styling as well. My second go at working for a Mazda dealer was in 1974, and we had the RX4. This car kind of reminds me of that. I hadn't seen one of those for years, but now there's a coupe that drives by my house once in a while in seemingly perfect condition. If we were still having car shows, I'm sure the owner would be entering it. In line sixes are very smooth... perfect primary and secondary balance.
Lovely to see you on the Great Ocean Road. Having been born and raised in Geelong I traveled the road lots for holidays and weekend trips. My first car, a Mazda Capella, went down to Lorne many times. As did my second car a Renault Virage and from there on many others on holidays when moved and married to Melbourne. I got driven home in a Toyota Crown by the parents of a girl I took to the movies many moons ago. That biscuit/mustard/burnt yellow was a common Toyota colour on all Australian models of the time Corona, Corona Mark 2, Corolla, Celica as well as Crown.
My father had one in the seventies in Tasmania, auto, same bamboo paint, had a cream/white interior though. Had a perpetual unique vinyl smell! Stronger after sitting in sun with windows up. Great to see inside one again after 40 years, I now remember staring at that dash as a boy studying all its features. Nice cars.
From the second the video started you could hear the quality of a Toyota at work! A dream car for me, maybe one day (or if I keep my Yaris long enough it may become a classic lol)
Yeah, these were available in the U.S. in all three body styles: 4 door, 2 door hardtop, and wagon. Here in Florida they were "saddled" with contrasting vinyl roofs that DIDN'T cover the roof completely as were all Toyotas sold in this part of the country. All were sold with 6 cylinder engines. This "facelift" model improves on the styling of the original model, but that odd looking stepped hood/bonnet remained as I assume changing it would also require different fenders. These look somewhat like the contemporary Dodge mid-sized sedan (the 2 door and wagon don't share that resemblance) and the domestically built Dodge was probably cheaper...or at least had the "advantage" of a V8 option. So few were sold here that they are almost never seen.
That rear end is so amazingly like a U.S. 1967 Ford Torino fastback, it is actually shocking. Love the Crown. We had a new '65 when I was a little kid. Brilliant controls. I remember the turn signals were activated by simply ticking the horn ring spoke clockwise for right, or anti-clockwise for left. No lever! and the switches just poked straight in, and to release you just pushed the thing straight down, and they popped out again. As a kid that stuff sticks in your head. But I don't recall the wiper pattern. ;-)
I live about 40 minutes from the great ocean road and quite regularly go from Geelong to lorne, sometimes to Apollo bay.. but when I go on holiday at port fairy I always take the great ocean road the whole way back from Warrnambool to Anglesea.. it’s an absolute blast in my 79 corona, not something to blast around the bends in, but it just cruises along there nicely and it’s not fast enough to be bothered by the slow drivers that are sight seeing 😂
Another fine bit of Hubnuttery !!!!! I recall Custom Car magazine testing a top of the range Crown in the early 70s laden with every gizmo that existed back then including a fridge in the boot, a hilarious read as I remember, fast forward 10 years and I nearly bought a Crown Coupe (for £120) to go on honeymoon in (which also involved towing around my autocross Mini) but chickened out, bad move !!!
I had the coupe version of this in a nice metallic factory green some years ago which I sold. Always regretted it to be honest. Very smooth and quiet and had a bit of getup and go even with being an auto, loved the fuel though. I'd buy it back if I had the chance. ☺
“What the.. front wheels are doing.”, joins the list of non- expletive expletives, along with “ Shut the front door ! “, and “ For five minutes ! “. Joking aside, another very handsome older vehicle, surprisingly well equipped, if a little disappointing in the handling department but wonderful to see.I’m sure I’m not the only one who has found the Australian/New Zealand car industry absolutely fascinating. Many Thanks.
Love the styling, the colour and the Alleycat style alloys, it all just looks right. It'd be a car for a nice gentle cruise somewhere, not point in pushing it, just relax and enjoy the drive.
@@steved3702 Thanks for that, you're likely to be correct with it being an Australian. Here in the UK we have a very similar wheel called the Alleycat, a very popular wheel in the 70' and 80's but can still get them now. I mate of mine is getting a set for his '84 Mini.
11:56. The smoothness of a six was very valued by the Australian market for a long time so dominated. V8s never more than a small niche despite recent nostalgia from gear heads,
A local random mum had one of those in New Zealand. It had a bench seat and "4? on the tree" (most Australian cars were 3 on the tree at that time). Back in the day when it was pc for mum to give other kids rides in one's car... I often wondered if it was an Australian assembled because it had Australian features like the words "disk brakes" on the pedal, They had to warn the drivers that the car had good brakes. (decent brakes were often an optional extra in those days) I even remember asking random mum what that fan knob did.
My uncle had a 1972 LHD white crown, quite similar to this one with the exception of backlights and front parking lights which were different in design. it was also on LPG but it could run on petrol also. It had a unique backlight design with a glowing red rectangle encompassing brake light and turn indicator, much like the backlight of Honda N-One but wider or more horizontal instead of being taller or vertical. It's front parking lights were on extreme ends on both sides of the upper chrome garnish. From outside it looked huge but from inside it had an average cabin space. Unlike modern cars, it had a very strong and solid body.
My family had one in that colour growing up in Australia, it wasn't a common car even then and I honestly didn't appreciate just how good it was at the time.
Great video Ian, really glad you got to travel around while you were here and check out the countryside as well as the cars. Unfortunately that poor old Crown isn’t sure if it’s supposed to be vehicle or a cooker, now that it’s running on camping ⛺️ fuel, but it sure explains the hammock styling of the drivers seat. It would have had a lot more 🐎 power running on “Super” back in its hay day, especially in warm weather, 10-15 more 🐎 🐎 🐎 Gotta love all the wires wrapped around the handbrake mechanism, just waiting for 🔥 to start there.
Nice road test, and coastal scenery! I recall an Australian auto magazine road test of one of these, ca. 1975, and the editors pretty well echoed your sentiments concerning rather leisurely acceleration, mediocre handling, but a very smooth engine, in spite of (IIRC) it performing like "it had a sock stuffed down one choke of the carby". As someone below mentioned, we did get these in the States, tho I cannot honestly recall seeing any newer than a 1970 model a friend's Dad had (sedan, in light tan, black vinyl interior, 4-speed), and they were rare, even in Seattle. I think they offered a "Corona Mk II" model, which had either a 2M or 4M engine. A friend had a 1975 Corona wagon in that same, sort of Grey Poupon mustard shade, w/ a brown vinyl interior, 20R engine and 3-speed auto...
Don't think I have actually seen a saloon but I remember the estates from a long time ago. Love the colour of this one and would very much enjoy the "handling" if given a go in one!
I had a 1971, very basic. The luxuries were automatic, heater and center arm rests. It was built by AMI (Australian Motor Industries). It was upgraded for Australia with a Torana diff & HQ Kingswood breaks. The 2.3ltr motor was very gutless and it would rev around 6500rpm doing 100kpm. The previous owner re-calibrated to speedo from miles. My sister-in-law put a rod through the block so it was time up throw a 2.6 in it. Still reved high so replaced the 3spd auto with a 4spd auto out of a Supra. Sadly it was rusting away with the chassis almost rusted through on the passenger side so sent it off to be scrapped 2 years ago.
The Great Ocean Rd gets better between Lorne and Apollo Bay then up through the hills of Cape Otway. Usually lots of tourist traffic these days though. You wouldn't want to go much faster than the speed limit, someone drove off the side just the other day.
Beautiful looking car. I've always found the Toyota MS60 Crown the best looking car Toyota has ever produced. For some reason, it was never sold here in the USA.
Around 1982 my younger brother was looking for a cheap and roomy daily driver for him and his band ('Black Rock', yeah, they never became famous), with enough storage room for their stuff. I drove him way down to the South of the country, where a garage in Eindhoven (you know that town) had it advertised. It was an 8/9 year old white estate version; quite a rare beast in the Netherlands at the time. Also had LPG, but refused to run. Switched to petrol, but still refused to run. Garagist sprayed some 'quickstart' in the carburator, but still to no avail. And then the battery gave up. However, they also had a grubby beaten down Ford Transit diesel van for sale at about the same price. And this did run, after just one quick starting attempt. Guess what he went home with.
Lovely looking car. Unusual stying but I like it a lot. Makes you wonder if those front seats were assembled by the apprentice on a Friday afternoon - uprights on backwards but sod it, the covers still fit. Jag steering feedback with 2CV body roll, what could possibly go wrong...? Nice vid 👍🏻
I like all generations of Crown, but these "odd-looking" ones are my favourites, and estate have even more interesting design and what a colour 😎 Movie-tyres 😄
This brings back memories… Nippondenso air conditioning and the electric aerial were extraordinary luxuries in 1974.
Geez! I think this is the first HubNut road test I have seen with no wiper test!
I dare say I'm in a minority but I loved them and the Datsun 280C. From the point of view of a 10 year old in 1974. :)
@@RussEdgar445y7tlfj Those vents in the rear parcel shelf may well have been a rear defogger. We had the same on our 72 Dodge Dart. They were fairly common before the grid type defroster became the norm.
@@RussEdgar445y7tlfj
Yes that's correct....my father had the Toyota Corona from the same year and it had the modern type rear demist.
@@michaeltutty1540 You had a Dodge Dart? Same thing as a Valiant. Have you never been followed by a big old rusty truck?😀. P.S. : There was a Spanish version of the Dodge Dart, the Chrysler 3700.
Yes we had a 2 door Coupe version, with electric windows. The epitome of luxury in 1974 :) I think it was a 260C
@@eddybulich3309 You're talking about Datsun, I suppose!
Very bold design from Toyota there. Love it!
I drove down to Lorne for a weekend when I was briefly working in Melbourne. I got to the high crash rate area when it was dark, I was getting tired and the road was covered in thick smoke from local (planned) bush burning. That was... Fun. Still, I gained great respect for the handling and comfort of my hired last gen Hyundai i30.
Greetings from America!
Retired from a Toyota dealer after 30+ years, seen them all...the first ones were the Corona Mark 2...we were getting our allotment of 20 cars a month! Had to argue with the customers to keep our demo!
All the cars were shipped in HEAVY condolence (a thick wax) and it took 4 hours to get it all off. They came with a cute little tool kit and a pint of paint. They were beautiful little cars, far better than the Opel Rekord I was driving at the time.
When they started making the Camry in the states..('92) O.M.G. Massive problems. The complaints from customers were high, and it took almost 5 years to get the quality back.
Thanks for a great video (as usual) keep up the good work! ✌😁
As a kid, my next-door neighbour had a second-generation Corolla (E20). It still had the plastic on the door cards!
I used think these were the bees knees when I was about 7. Our neighbour had one. It made our Holden look very agricultural (which it was). I think it might have been that silky smooth 6 and the first air conditioned car I experienced. Thanks Hub Nub.
That ash tray is massive! I call them a glove box but what do I know?
@Tone. so did the world
It was a convenient feature which enabled Aussie smokers to only empty the ashtray biannually.
The ashtray in the E21 Bmw 3 series was huge. Even a heavy smoker would take a month to fill it up.
Only fault was there were no indentations to jam a cigarette in to stop it from falling over. There were cutouts or squarish slots but they seemed to have been designed for big fat cigars 😄
Edit: Thought you meant the proper ashtray. Then I saw Hubnut 😌
I like the unique character that the older cars have, unlike today with many cars looking so much alike, it's difficult to tell them apart from a distance
A lot of older cars also look alike, such as the Hillman Avenger and Morris Marina and there are modern cars that stand out (for the wrong reasons) like the Nissan Juke.
I think many cars from the Thirties and Forties look the same.
Agree, cars have become extremely homogeneous.
@@arunparkin2552 Not really true. Is there a bigger difference between an Autobianchi and a Cadillac Eldorado Coupe de Ville Long wheel base 6.3m long, with wings longer than the whole Autobianchi and a completely different styling. No, the differences were enormous then.
@@phhu7554 Not true. Does a Ford Model A look only nearby the same as a Tatra 77, a Cord, a Buick Airflow or a Citroen 15 CV?
Gorgeous looking car , beautiful condition and I love the colour , wheels and chrome trim. Not seen one for years 👍👍👍
Neither did I see one of these on the road. Happily, once in the last 30 years I saw a Celica Mark I!
These were Assembled by AMI (Australian Motor Industries) in Port Melbourne, they assembled AMCs, Ramblers, Toyotas, Mercedes, Triumphs and a couple of other makes. Toyota brought out AMI sometime in the 70s/80s and converted it to a Toyota factory, then they built the new factory in Altona North in the 90s and used the Port Melbourne site as their head office.
My dad used to work across the road from AMI in the 70s and then around the corner from Toyota in Altona in the 2000s.
I find it funny that I'm watching something on RUclips that is uploaded from Wales that features a road not far from me in Australia and has one of my workplaces Coaches (205) tagging you on the way to Lorne. 🤣
its a connected world hey ..lol
I've driven the GOR for 30 years in all manner of conveyances including about 700 fire responses but the V-Line coachees are still considered the kings of the road, bit like German post buses.
You almost fell “head over heels” for that Toyota Crown- LOL!
I owned two of these in the 80s, both Jaffa orange in colour. In 1986 drove our 74 model from Melbourne to Perth and back. It didn’t miss a beat. In auto form it was slow, but very dependable.
This is, in fact, my childhood car. My dad used to own this car from my grandparents. I still remember how it sounds and feels like, especially its turning indicator sounds
oh for the old days when I used to flog the hell out of my Alfa-sud on this road. No limits in those days.
poor thing probably rusted away by now tho
@@Luke-PlanesTrainsDogsnCars I had it for thirteen years and sold it to the wreckers when the clutch went. It had no rust from the firewall back but had some on the inner front guards from accident repairs that weren't rustproofed.
I know of a local bloke who was a paint sprayer he restored a Toyota crown, stood it up for years never used it then sold it for scrap in the end. If I’d have known at the time I would have had it off him. Nice retro car🙂👍
What a waste but it happens
Sold it for scrap? I don't understand those who can't just advertise a bit.
MrCarGuy20 Hi I had heard about it before, but at that time I wasn’t aware what a Toyota crown was (I’d never heard of one) but it’s to late now☹️
I recovered the fabric wings and repaired the undercarriage on that Tiger Moth after it crashed on landing 11 years ago.
These Crowns look brilliant, especially with the chrome strip along the bonnet. The estate/wagon versions offer some hot double rear wiper action!!
I watched an episode of 1970s British sitcom 'Man about the House' where Chrissy (Paula Wilcox) learns to drive and in two outdoor scenes there's the same red Crown coupé in the background.
I just adore 1970s coke bottle style cars. Glorious!
Great look around and drive of the 1974 Crown - excellent. Many plaudits also to the owner for the condition of the car. Interesting listening to your commentary on the vague handling and ride of Japanese cars of the time - quite correct - and the Crown; whereas Toyota (admittedly with Yamaha) had earlier built the lovely Toyota 2000GT in 1967 - which was (and is) lauded for its handling and ride - and whose twin-cam 2-litre engine with 3 twin-choke Mikunis, was based on a six-cylinder Crown engine. Plus there was a great 5-speed gearbox. Best wishes.
You can't beat a quick jump in the back ;)
The Toyota Crown (Estate version) was possibly the 1st car I ever drove. My father hired one (around 1974-75) and, decided to let me gain my first driving experience with it - I was 9 or 10 years old.
It was a huge car (compared to anything I'd been in before) and my father took me to an area off the public highway in Surrey (very close to the house that he still lives in to this day) which the army used for tank driving and exercises.....
I remember grappling with the size of the car, and its power-steering was the only thing that prevented me (by only a cm or 2) from slamming one of the front corners of it into a concrete anti-tank bollard)
My dad had a 1975 metallic blue crown deluxe saloon 2600 4m engine with 3 speed toyoglide auto.
It was a most beautiful car and had an amount of extras unheard for the time such as a foot operated remote radio tuner in footwell and I believe a fridge in the boot. If you turned the ignition key backwards, the boot opened. According to my dad, it was, although not so high on the top end, it was very torquey and would pull a caravan effortlessly. I'd have one tomorrow (now I'm old enough!)
You have the MS85, which is the next generation up from this. Early 1974 was the last of these (MS65) then the 85s came in at the end. 85s were the ones with the cooler box, and the super saloon had the power windows and power locks. They also had power steering. This 65 never came out with power steering, it has been fitted to this aftermarket, most likely from a 85.
Wow, I had the hots as a nine year old lad, for a girl at my primary school who's parents had the Crown Custom estate version of this car in 1973/4. It made a change from my father's rusty Morris Oxford Traveler and his "written off" Hillman Super Minx estate. Pure class and the girl was quite cool too!
I had a 71 model Australian assembled version with the mighty 2M engine. 2.3 Litres of raw as in under cooked power. Being Aussie built it had a Borg Warner 35 Auto and Banjo rear axle, to compensate for the low power it had a deep diff which gave it very respectable launch but a top speed of about 70mph ish. Even the standard steering was very light, and with 5 turns lock to lock and a huge wheel was great for a workout in a multi deck carpark. Mine handled quite well, very wafty with moderate body roll, but it never felt disconnected or in any way unstable.
i used to have the 75 toyota crown custom estate. beast. Had it for 3 years and covered 115,000 miles.
Learning loads about all different types of cars just from watching Hub Nut! Great work Mr Hub Nut 👍
That's some properly bold styling! Love it!
The 1970 crown 2300cc, was the best in terms of styling . Looks really classy. Wish someone can do a road test.. Anyway enjoyed your video.. hope to see some more..
Yes, I always loved the 4th generation Crown, more than any other. Love the front of it, smacks of Americana in a good way!
I do so enjoy riding along with you on these drives. I too love the styling. Lots of early/mid 60’s American and European car influence I’m noticing at the front. The turn signal relay sounds like a GM car from the 70’s. Even with overboosted steering and body lean it looks to handle better than many American cars of the period. I lived in the North Carolina mountains in the 70’s. Similar curvy roads (minus the ocean, of course). My father sold Buicks and Pontiacs. Always had some kind of demo or other to drive. “Mid size” to “full size” cars of the time were huge lumbering things just peeling the tires off the rims when cornering at anything over 20 mph. It was a revelation to my dad the first time he drove a Jaguar XJ6 in the late 70’s. About the same time he became an independent used car dealer. After that it was pretty much all European cars for us.
Oh, it revs all the way up to 12 o'clock, nice
Oh Lol, "It revs All the Way up to
12 o'clock" That has made me giggle some what 🤣🤣🤣🤣
With that new rev counter/clock you could trick someone into thinking that its a time travelling Crown!
I'm of 1974 vintage & this car shares my 'furrowed brow' it's fantastic.
That rev counter in the original clock is pure genius....
Some of the GM cars in the early 70's have tachometer combined with the clock.
I have to say that is a gorgeous design in my opinion, really quite something to look at.
They were nicknamed "the whale".
"The Japanese still had to learn a lot...." And a few years later they started to kick everyone's ass. Impressive! Love the quirky styling.
I own several of these. Alot of people buy them and the next gen ones for the chassis as hot rodders love them for the early ford resto's. I have an original 4speed 4m one and a converted 253 V8 converted one. The engine bay on these is huge, you can slot almost anything in them. I grew up in the back on of a 65 as my father loved them and bought a 65 (same as this one but in mustard yellow) new from Adelaide.
These cars were known to be ahead of their time.
That colour is called Bamboo. Was used across the Toyota range in the 70s. I have driven ithe road a few times. One of those in a brand new Toyota Avalon and again in a Toyota Hi Ace SBV camper van. Fun times and Thankyou
The car design is very unique, I'm a fan of it
beautiful styling, rich engine note, superb location and great narration.
Back then the Japanese mostly used recirculating ball steering which was typically quite vague.
I think we only got those with the Toyomatic in the UK. They were certainly an eye full in terms of styling, but most of them were very rusty before the end of the '70s. There used to be one parked outside my infant school, which couldn't have been more than 10 years old then, and there was more fresh air than metalwork left even then...
Remember that it's running on BBQ gas which means that straight away you've lost about 15% of the power already. Then, it's also lost probably 1 of those Buff Horses each year since it was new.
So realistically it only got about 65-70 hrsprs left to drag itself around.
Definitely crying out for some Mo Power Babeh!
MO POWAH BABEH!
The mechanical ignition advance is most likely still set for petrol as well
🙄those bloody LPG hippies
Ray G 3:40 electronic ignition?
@@kohnjelly I missed that, It's a genuine Toyota unit as well.
Australia has stunning views on those sea side roads you filmed on. Wonderful drive in that 1974 Toyota Crown. I see some styling cues from 1969 Ford Thunderbird 4 door. Mainly in the Front and back. Great review!
I remember these being around in the UK in 1970s when I was a kid they used to rust out like crazy
This is my favorite Toyota Crown. I always loved the styling of the front end. I saw very few of them in the States.
Absolute beauty. Nice bit of scenery too :)
Lovely car, Japanese cars for me were so quiet and refined compared to rivals back in the day
Hmmmm.. to me they were shrunk american style with a good dollop of Chintz...but hey reliable at least.
I think Ian sums it up: Most Japanese cars of the day were solid, reliable, frugal, and light on the controls. But from a car enthusiast's point of view their handling was bad, steering was vague, and the very simple suspension setup (often leafsprung rear axles) was harsh.
But that's what most people wanted. The Toyota Corolla (leafsprung, recirculating-ball vague steering) outsold the Datsun 100A (frontwheel drive, rack-and-pinion steering), because it was much easier to maneuver in the carpark and in city traffic, and it "looked bigger".
@@friedjohn and of course the bourgeois class were star struck by all the standard equipment which other makes charged for like the 64 Datsun Bluebird
I remember my dad had an old one of these when we were ex-pats in PNG in the late 70’s. It was a 1974 car in white with air conditioning. The vents were on the rear parcel shelf.
Beautiful!!! I still miss my Datsun 260 C saloon.
I like funky styling as well. My second go at working for a Mazda dealer was in 1974, and we had the RX4. This car kind of reminds me of that. I hadn't seen one of those for years, but now there's a coupe that drives by my house once in a while in seemingly perfect condition. If we were still having car shows, I'm sure the owner would be entering it.
In line sixes are very smooth... perfect primary and secondary balance.
Lovely to see you on the Great Ocean Road. Having been born and raised in Geelong I traveled the road lots for holidays and weekend trips. My first car, a Mazda Capella, went down to Lorne many times. As did my second car a Renault Virage and from there on many others on holidays when moved and married to Melbourne. I got driven home in a Toyota Crown by the parents of a girl I took to the movies many moons ago. That biscuit/mustard/burnt yellow was a common Toyota colour on all Australian models of the time Corona, Corona Mark 2, Corolla, Celica as well as Crown.
My father had one in the seventies in Tasmania, auto, same bamboo paint, had a cream/white interior though. Had a perpetual unique vinyl smell! Stronger after sitting in sun with windows up. Great to see inside one again after 40 years, I now remember staring at that dash as a boy studying all its features. Nice cars.
The hole in the boot is probably the lowest point vent in the event of an LPG leak.
Standard there would have been a rubber grommet there as a drain point.
From the second the video started you could hear the quality of a Toyota at work! A dream car for me, maybe one day (or if I keep my Yaris long enough it may become a classic lol)
Love that stepped bonnet.
Beautiful smooth engine very understressed 7 bearing crank and extremely well balanced they are big mile motors Overall brilliant car!
Yeah, these were available in the U.S. in all three body styles: 4 door, 2 door hardtop, and wagon. Here in Florida they were "saddled" with contrasting vinyl roofs that DIDN'T cover the roof completely as were all Toyotas sold in this part of the country. All were sold with 6 cylinder engines.
This "facelift" model improves on the styling of the original model, but that odd looking stepped hood/bonnet remained as I assume changing it would also require different fenders.
These look somewhat like the contemporary Dodge mid-sized sedan (the 2 door and wagon don't share that resemblance) and the domestically built Dodge was probably cheaper...or at least had the "advantage" of a V8 option.
So few were sold here that they are almost never seen.
That rear end is so amazingly like a U.S. 1967 Ford Torino fastback, it is actually shocking. Love the Crown. We had a new '65 when I was a little kid. Brilliant controls. I remember the turn signals were activated by simply ticking the horn ring spoke clockwise for right, or anti-clockwise for left. No lever! and the switches just poked straight in, and to release you just pushed the thing straight down, and they popped out again. As a kid that stuff sticks in your head. But I don't recall the wiper pattern. ;-)
Random aside, my cat Spud gave a very shocked look of concern at that squeak from the bonnet being shut, quite hilarious... :P
I've a cat called Chester that I refer to as 'spud' !
Fascinating Japanese 70's barge. I watched twice in case I'd missed the wiper test 😕
NOOOOOOOOOOO
I live about 40 minutes from the great ocean road and quite regularly go from Geelong to lorne, sometimes to Apollo bay.. but when I go on holiday at port fairy I always take the great ocean road the whole way back from Warrnambool to Anglesea.. it’s an absolute blast in my 79 corona, not something to blast around the bends in, but it just cruises along there nicely and it’s not fast enough to be bothered by the slow drivers that are sight seeing 😂
Another fine bit of Hubnuttery !!!!! I recall Custom Car magazine testing a top of the range Crown in the early 70s laden with every gizmo that existed back then including a fridge in the boot, a hilarious read as I remember, fast forward 10 years and I nearly bought a Crown Coupe (for £120) to go on honeymoon in (which also involved towing around my autocross Mini) but chickened out, bad move !!!
Maybe not a sports car, fair enough but I like a big comfy barge to smoke about in.
That road looks spectacular!
Lovely Jubbly, just about remember these as a child Mr HubNut.
I had the coupe version of this in a nice metallic factory green some years ago which I sold. Always regretted it to be honest. Very smooth and quiet and had a bit of getup and go even with being an auto, loved the fuel though. I'd buy it back if I had the chance. ☺
Coupe gorgeous looking unit.
I have a blue 74 crown coupe, which i bought last year. Cost me 35k, but it is so rare that I am sure it is appreciating.
That road brings back memories in the 1990's, when I travelled down to Lorne in a Mk1 Honda Civic and then onto Warrnambool, where my mum was born.
“What the.. front wheels are doing.”, joins the list of non- expletive expletives, along with “ Shut the front door ! “, and “ For five minutes ! “. Joking aside, another very handsome older vehicle, surprisingly well equipped, if a little disappointing in the handling department but wonderful to see.I’m sure I’m not the only one who has found the Australian/New Zealand car industry absolutely fascinating. Many Thanks.
I do like these, especially when I saw a white Toyota Crown estate at the classic car show at the NEC.
Love the styling, the colour and the Alleycat style alloys, it all just looks right. It'd be a car for a nice gentle cruise somewhere, not point in pushing it, just relax and enjoy the drive.
Aunger Hotwires, if I recall. Someone else will know for sure!
@@steved3702 Thanks for that, you're likely to be correct with it being an Australian. Here in the UK we have a very similar wheel called the Alleycat, a very popular wheel in the 70' and 80's but can still get them now. I mate of mine is getting a set for his '84 Mini.
I've long admired the exterior styling of this model 😊
11:56. The smoothness of a six was very valued by the Australian market for a long time so dominated. V8s never more than a small niche despite recent nostalgia from gear heads,
The styling of the station version from this generation was not for everyone but looked spectacular 😍🍀🫶
A local random mum had one of those in New Zealand. It had a bench seat and "4? on the tree" (most Australian cars were 3 on the tree at that time). Back in the day when it was pc for mum to give other kids rides in one's car...
I often wondered if it was an Australian assembled because it had Australian features like the words "disk brakes" on the pedal, They had to warn the drivers that the car had good brakes. (decent brakes were often an optional extra in those days)
I even remember asking random mum what that fan knob did.
My dad had 1973 crown coupe here in the uk. It was a 2.6 auto in metallic blue,beautiful car,a real head turner.
We drove the Great Ocean Road in a Toyota in 2004, a Toyota Coaster bus! Great memories too.
Ah, glad you made it to the Great Ocean Road - takes me back :-)
My uncle had a 1972 LHD white crown, quite similar to this one with the exception of backlights and front parking lights which were different in design. it was also on LPG but it could run on petrol also. It had a unique backlight design with a glowing red rectangle encompassing brake light and turn indicator, much like the backlight of Honda N-One but wider or more horizontal instead of being taller or vertical. It's front parking lights were on extreme ends on both sides of the upper chrome garnish. From outside it looked huge but from inside it had an average cabin space. Unlike modern cars, it had a very strong and solid body.
My family had one in that colour growing up in Australia, it wasn't a common car even then and I honestly didn't appreciate just how good it was at the time.
I've traveled that road on a holiday a couple of years ago. Although it was in a modern rental car.
Great car. Beautiful surroundings.
I owned an estate version of the Crown in the same colour. I loved it.
Lovely. Dash is amazeballs and that front end! Also, "I can tell you this one has windows" pmsl :D
Great video Ian, really glad you got to travel around while you were here and check out the countryside as well as the cars.
Unfortunately that poor old Crown isn’t sure if it’s supposed to be vehicle or a cooker, now that it’s running on camping ⛺️ fuel, but it sure explains the hammock styling of the drivers seat.
It would have had a lot more 🐎 power running on “Super” back in its hay day, especially in warm weather, 10-15 more 🐎 🐎 🐎
Gotta love all the wires wrapped around the handbrake mechanism, just waiting for 🔥 to start there.
Nice road test, and coastal scenery! I recall an Australian auto magazine road test of one of these, ca. 1975, and the editors pretty well echoed your sentiments concerning rather leisurely acceleration, mediocre handling, but a very smooth engine, in spite of (IIRC) it performing like "it had a sock stuffed down one choke of the carby". As someone below mentioned, we did get these in the States, tho I cannot honestly recall seeing any newer than a 1970 model a friend's Dad had (sedan, in light tan, black vinyl interior, 4-speed), and they were rare, even in Seattle. I think they offered a "Corona Mk II" model, which had either a 2M or 4M engine. A friend had a 1975 Corona wagon in that same, sort of Grey Poupon mustard shade, w/ a brown vinyl interior, 20R engine and 3-speed auto...
Don't think I have actually seen a saloon but I remember the estates from a long time ago. Love the colour of this one and would very much enjoy the "handling" if given a go in one!
I had a 1971, very basic. The luxuries were automatic, heater and center arm rests. It was built by AMI (Australian Motor Industries). It was upgraded for Australia with a Torana diff & HQ Kingswood breaks. The 2.3ltr motor was very gutless and it would rev around 6500rpm doing 100kpm. The previous owner re-calibrated to speedo from miles. My sister-in-law put a rod through the block so it was time up throw a 2.6 in it. Still reved high so replaced the 3spd auto with a 4spd auto out of a Supra. Sadly it was rusting away with the chassis almost rusted through on the passenger side so sent it off to be scrapped 2 years ago.
Great looking car.
Like the chromework.
The Great Ocean Rd gets better between Lorne and Apollo Bay then up through the hills of Cape Otway. Usually lots of tourist traffic these days though. You wouldn't want to go much faster than the speed limit, someone drove off the side just the other day.
I’m glad you got to do the Great Ocean Road and in a cracking Car too we did it in 2003 in a Terrano from Sydney to Adelaide great times 👍
this styling has aged very well actually!
Enjoyed the gorgeous views and really impressed with that Toyota. 😀
Thanks for a great video; love these cars, electronic anti skid brakes were optional in Japan on some models, from at least 1972 onwards
Shades of Mk.1 Ford Granada in the rear end styling treatment? I love it, what a great looking car
Beautiful looking car. I've always found the Toyota MS60 Crown the best looking car Toyota has ever produced. For some reason, it was never sold here in the USA.
Around 1982 my younger brother was looking for a cheap and roomy daily driver for him and his band ('Black Rock', yeah, they never became famous), with enough storage room for their stuff.
I drove him way down to the South of the country, where a garage in Eindhoven (you know that town) had it advertised.
It was an 8/9 year old white estate version; quite a rare beast in the Netherlands at the time.
Also had LPG, but refused to run. Switched to petrol, but still refused to run.
Garagist sprayed some 'quickstart' in the carburator, but still to no avail.
And then the battery gave up. However, they also had a grubby beaten down Ford Transit diesel van for sale at about the same price. And this did run, after just one quick starting attempt.
Guess what he went home with.
Lovely looking car. Unusual stying but I like it a lot. Makes you wonder if those front seats were assembled by the apprentice on a Friday afternoon - uprights on backwards but sod it, the covers still fit. Jag steering feedback with 2CV body roll, what could possibly go wrong...? Nice vid 👍🏻
The Datsun 1600 was one vehicle the Japanese nailed in this era....some of those were built in Australia too.
That is a beautiful drive around there.
I like all generations of Crown, but these "odd-looking" ones are my favourites, and estate have even more interesting design and what a colour 😎
Movie-tyres 😄