This rare example of a Toyota Crown De Luxe was the
brand’s most luxurious offering in the UK market back in 1972, making it an
even more special discovery. The car’s original owner bought it new from a
Toyota dealer in Surrey, UK for £ 2,303 which is equivalent to around £ 29,500
(US$ 36,800 in current exchange rates) in today’s money.
The car was delivered to Percy Cole on February 1,
1972 and from then on lived a pampered life. Its owner never really pushed it
beyond 30 mph according to his grandson, and it was always dry-stored when not
in use. It even retains the dealership’s original running-in sticker in the
rear window as an excuse for driving slowly.
The 1972 Toyota Crown De Luxe is powered by a
four-cylinder 2.6-litre petrol engine with 140 hp and 164 lb-ft of peak torque. A
three-speed automatic gearbox was mated to the engine, adding to the relaxing
nature of the big Toyota.
The Cole family decided to try and
recommission the Crown in preparation for sale, taking the car to a nearby
garage. The garage then found a number of minor issues such as blown bulbs,
binding rear drum brakes and a hole in the original exhaust system but the
family wasn’t too keen of spending too much money on it. So the car was parked
outside the shop while they decided what to do next.
It was then when classic car enthusiast Robin
Shepperd spotted the Toyota Crown and got impressed by its originality. It was
soon after that he became its new proud owner. The car was since then fixed and
now it’s fully road legal once again.
It was then when Shepperd realized that his close
friend Nick Garrick was the grandson of the original owner, telling him the
valuable history of the car in rich detail and joining him for the photoshoot
45 years after the car’s first registration.