History of Toyota cars

Ever wondered how Toyota became what it is today? Use the links below to take a tour through the history of some of our most memorable vehicles and discover how they have developed in the years that followed their launch.

History of the Toyota 2000GT
History of the Toyota Camry
History of the Toyota Carina
History of the Toyota Celica
History of Toyota’s compact MPV models
History of the Toyota Corolla
History of the Toyota Hilux
History of the Toyota Land Cruiser (Station Wagon models)
History of the Toyota Land Cruiser (Heavy and Light duty models)
History of the Toyota MR2
History of the Toyota Previa
History of the Toyota Prius
History of the Toyota RAV4
History of the Toyota Sports 800
History of the Toyota Supra
History of the Toyota Starlet
History of the Toyota Yaris

History of the Toyota 2000GT
We take a closer look at the history of Japan’s first and most collectible supercar, the phenomenal Toyota 2000GT.

History of the Toyota Camry
The Camry was Toyota’s second ‘world car’ after Corolla. Viewed from a UK perspective, this history charts its progression from trim designation to record-setting standalone model.

History of the Toyota Carina
We chart the history of the Toyota Carina, the mid-size family car that not only made the Celica possible but went on to spearhead Toyota’s manufacturing campaign in the UK.

History of the Toyota Celica
We chart the seven-generation and 35-year history of Celica, Toyota’s remarkable go-anywhere, do-anything sports car.

History of Toyota’s compact MPV models
We delve into Toyota’s varied history within the compact MPV segment and, true to the definition, discover a broad range of models for multiple purposes.

Toyota Corolla: Foundations of a world-beater
In the first of a new series focusing on the history of the Corolla, we look at the events that led to the introduction of Toyota’s world-beater.

History of the Toyota Corolla (Generations 1970-74)
We take a closer look at the second-generation Corolla, which offered greater competence and enhanced performance for the world’s new high speed era.

HIstory of the Toyota Corolla (Generations 1974-1979)
The third-generation Toyota Corolla was developed to meet tightening emissions regulations and in doing so brought many innovations to the entire car industry.

HIstory of the Toyota Corolla (Generations 1979-83)
The fourth-generation Corolla continued Toyota’s tradition of appealing to the masses by redefining class benchmarks and setting new production records. Here is the story of its development.

History of the Toyota Corolla (Generations 1983-87)
The fifth-generation Corolla was the most comprehensive and revolutionary new model in its history, ushering in front-wheel drive and widespread use of computer technology. This is the story of its development.

History of the Toyota Corolla (Generations 1987-1991)
Now fully converted to front-wheel drive, the sixth-generation Toyota Corolla continued its worldwide success with a focus on luxury, quality and usability that stirred the senses.

History of the Toyota Hilux
From mobilising businesses to leading explorations to the Poles, the Toyota Hilux has proved itself to be the world’s most popular (and indestructible) workhorse.

History of the Toyota Land Cruiser (Station Wagon models)
We celebrate the six-decade-long history of the remarkable Toyota Land Cruiser, from its roots as a military vehicle in the 1950s to the diversification of the model line in 1967 into the world’s most robust and unstoppable station wagon.

History of the Toyota Land Cruiser (Heavy and Light duty models)
Our historical celebration of over six decades of the Toyota Land Cruiser, the world’s most customer-trusted vehicle and the foundation of Toyota’s development target of quality, durability and reliability.

History of the Toyota MR2
We look back at the Toyota MR2, a landmark car that’s as popular today as it was when it launched back in 1983.

History of the Toyota Previa
From the world’s first MPV with a mid-mounted engine to the epitome of people-carrying functionality, we look at the history of the Toyota Previa in the UK.

History of the Toyota Prius
We chart the history of Toyota’s standard-bearing Prius model, the first and most popular mass-produced hybrid car and one of the greatest success stories in environmental motoring.

History of the Toyota RAV4
We follow the history of the niche-defining Toyota RAV4, from its arrival as the world’s first crossover SUV to its fourth-generation guise as the ultimate go-anywhere, do-anything family vehicle.

History of the Toyota Sports 800
We take a look at the illustrious history of the tiny Toyota Sports 800 and discover a 50-year-old car that continues to inspire future generations.

History of the Toyota Supra
We chart the history of the Toyota Supra and its exciting progression from being a luxury grand tourer version of the Celica to a standalone sports model that embarrassed supercars.

History of the Toyota Starlet
We take a close look through the 25-year history of the Toyota Starlet, charting its beginning as a trim designation in Japan to being one of the most highly regarded and reliable models in Toyota’s history.

History of the Toyota Yaris
Small on the outside but spacious inside and large-hearted in personality, we take a look at the history of the highly successful Toyota Yaris supermini.