Thursday, September 11, 2008

First generation

The Toyota Hilux, and Toyota Tacoma, are compact pickup trucks built and marketed by the Toyota Motor Corporation. The Hilux name was adopted as a replacement for the Stout in 1969, and remains in use worldwide. In North America, the Hilux name was retired in 1976 in favor of Truck, Pickup Truck, or Compact Truck, until it was renamed the Tacoma in 1995. One popular option package, SR5 (Sport Rally), also became synonymous with the truck, even though it was used on other Toyota models as well. In 1984, the Trekker, the camper version of the Hilux, was changed to the Toyota 4Runner in North America and Australia, and as the Hilux Surf in Japan. The 4Runner, now a full SUV, shares few visual cues with its brother Tacoma in more recent models.



As the Hilux name was dropped in the US in 1976, any details listed here purporting to relate to the Hilux from that date may not be entirely correct when applied to the vehicle that continues to be marketed by Toyota as the Hilux throughout the rest of the world.

The product lines for the US and elsewhere diverged at that point and in many cases on a year for year basis the vehicles sold in the US only resemble the Hilux, with major mechanical/chassis differences.

1935
The original Toyota pickup was the 1935 Type G1 Truck. It shared many components with the company's Type A1 sedan, and was a 1.5 ton stake-bed commercial truck.


[edit] 1947
After World War II, Toyota returned with a compact pickup truck, the Toyopet Model SB. This was the true ancestor of the Hilux, and remained in production from 1947 through 1963.

Engine:

995 cc I4, 27 hp (20 kW)

[edit] 1964
Toyota entered the American market with the 1964 introduction of the Stout. It was larger than the similar Datsun and Mazda compact trucks, and looked like a Chevrolet C/K.

Engine:

1964-1968 - 1.9 L (1897 cc) 3R I4, 85 hp (63 kW)

[edit] 1968
The Hilux started production in March 1968[1] as the RN10 in short wheelbase form with a 1.5 L engine. This was upgraded to a 1.6 L I4 engine in February 1971.

Non American markets:

1968-1971 - 1.5 L (1490 cc) 2R I4[1]

source : From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia