Fifty-one years ago, a Toyota Crown De Luxe Coupe represented unabashed, conspicuous consumption to the average British motorist. At a time when the bottom-of-the-range Ford Cortina had an interior as welcoming as a bus shelter, a car with a remote-controlled boot lock was an utter extravagance. Today, LPK 645 K and ALJ 788 K, owned by Clive Lewis and Darren Neilson respectively, are two of the only six surviving examples believed to remain on the road in the UK.
Toyota launched the Crown family in 1955 as a 1.5-litre saloon. By the time of the fourth generation S60/S70 arrived in 1971, it was a more substantial machine that was most famous for its common usage as a taxi, police car or transport for government departments.
The 1965 London Motor Show marked Toyota’s first official presence in the British car market, and imports of the third-generation Crown began three years later. By 1971 Toyota offered Japanese buyers an elaborate line-up, with a choice of four power plants. Only the 2,563cc six-cylinder engine in the UK was available in the saloon, coupe and estate we wrote about in 2019.
Toyota GB issued a detailed brochure, but the Crown range seemed too Pan-Pacific for the average Surrey business executive. Meanwhile, Ford offered the more practical and conventional-looking Ford Granada 3000 GXL at £2,091.82, compared with £2,436.96 for the Crown Coupe.
Instead, the sales copy emphasised the luxuries awaiting the fortunate buyer. As well as the aforementioned electro-magnetic boot opening, there were also cigar lighters fore and aft, a felt-lined cigarette box holder in the dashboard, tinted glass, central locking and electric rear windows. Your local Toyota dealer might also point out the three-speed ‘Toyoglide’ automatic transmission and the electric radio aerial.
Best of all, your new Crown Coupe offered a sound system with separate controls for the rear passengers and a foot pedal for the driver to change the FM/AM radio frequency. To put such fittings into a historical context, in the early 1970s, a base-level Hillman Avenger De Luxe lacked a water temperature gauge. Even the Crown’s hazard warning lights were still a novelty to many drivers. The fifth-generation version replaced the S60/S70 arrived in 1974.
It’s believed that Toyota GB imported 1,200 Crown Coupes as they were, after all, something of a niche model. Yet, the grand tourer with “elegant fastback coachwork” would undoubtedly add lustre to a dealership. Any potential Corolla, Carina or Corona buyer would surely be inspired by the sight of a Crown Coupe, complete with a “sporty wood-type rim” steering wheel, on the showroom floor.
During the 1980s and 1990s, too many British classic enthusiasts regarded Japanese cars with disdain, but today Crowns are much sought after. Toyota devotees prize them for their smoothness, comfort and distinctive style. Lewis has recently completed the restoration of LPK for his father. He remarks: “My dad undertook about 80% of the work, and I carried out the remaining 20% while he was abroad.”
Neilson’s Crown is the oldest in the country. “There is slightly different frontal treatment compared to the Lewis’ Crown, which is six months younger. Toyota liked to continually improve its specification, so the other car has a buzzer that sounds when you open the driver’s door if the key is still in the ignition. My car has a Webasto roof, which the original owner installed six months after taking delivery.”
Today, both Neilson and Lewis find that driving a gleaming white Crown Coupe is to feel like Tony Curtis in The Persuaders! Nielsen recalls on one occasion, the police stopped ALJ as, in his words, “they just wanted to look at the car. Another time, we were in Stevenage when a coachload of Japanese tourists pulled up next to the Crown, and they all got out and started taking pictures.”
Such reactions are wholly understandable. In 1972, the arrival of a Crown Coupe at a transport café or Golden Egg could potentially cause a sensation among the clientele. Plus, it is rumoured that, in remote parts of Wessex, the locals regard the foot-controlled radio as some kind of witchcraft…
With Thanks To: Clive Lewis, Darren Neilson and The Toyota Enthusiasts Club
There will be a display of the UK’s rarest cars, as featured in this series, at the family-friendly Silverstone Festival from 25-27 August
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