Toyota SA
Encyclopedia
The SA was Toyota's first new passenger car design (as opposed to updating the AA
) after World War II
. It was the first in a family of vehicles before the introduction of the Crown
. A series of light trucks also shared the chassis and major components of these passenger cars.
All of these vehicles were sold under the Toyopet name.
with leaf springs) and a smaller, aerodynamic body. The project was driven by Kiichiro Toyoda
under the wisdom of his father's (Sakichi Toyoda
) words, "Stay ahead of the times" but most of the design work was done by Dr Kazuo Kumabe.
The body was aerodynamic in a style similar to the Volkswagen Beetle
. Only a two door sedan was made, making it unsuitable for the taxi market. The doors were hinged at the rear (often called suicide doors). The front window was a single pane of flat glass with a single wiper mounted above the driver. Only right hand drive was offered.
Toyota engineers (including Dr Kumabe) had visited Germany
before World War II
and had studied the 16-cylinder Auto Union racing car (independent suspension) and Porsche
and Volkswagen
designs (independent suspension, aerodynamic bodies, backbone chassis, rear-mounted air-cooled engines, economical production cost). Many Japanese companies had ties with Germany during the war years but most partnered with British or American companies after the war and thus used technologies commonly used in Britain or America. But Toyota did not partner with a foreign company, so it was free to use German designs. Many features of the prototype Beetle were subsequently put into the SA, although the Beetle's rear-mounted air-cooled engine feature was not used. Later on, Toyota revisited the economic principles exemplified by the Beetle when designing the Publica
and the Corolla
.
let it be known that authorised commercial production of vehicles for the general public would be commencing soon. This model was introduced in January 1947, with a prototype (which had been under development for more than a year) being completed at that time.
Production occurred from October 1947 through May 1952 (overlapping with the 1949-introduced SD), with a total of only 215 being built. The first car to be produced by Toyota in the postwar period was the AC, which had first been produced in 1943-1944. Fifty were built for government and military use in 1947, and three more were assembled in 1948. Since only 54 cars were built by Toyota in 1947, this leaves four Model SA production cars to be built at the end of that year, not counting the prototype.
Eighteen SA cars were built in 1948, and from 1949 to 1952, 193 more were built. No breakdown exists between models after 1948; only yearly passenger-car grand totals are extant.
water-cooled engine, conventionally mounted in the front of the car and driving through the rear wheels. Two small grills at the front allowed air for the engine's radiator. Transmission was by a 3-speed manual gearbox and a Hotchkiss drive
(previous Toyotas used a torque tube
) to a rear-mounted differential. The final drive gear ratio was 7.17:1 .
More unconventional was the use of a backbone chassis
and four-wheel independent suspension.
A-arm suspension (short upper arm, long lower arm) with coils was used at the front and swing axle
suspension with semi-trailing arms
, Panhard rod
s and a transverse semi-elliptical leaf spring
was used at the rear.
from the SA but with a ladder chassis and solid axles front and rear, both with semi-elliptical springs. The SB was popular with the general public and also with the American occupation forces, which ordered it in large numbers.
The SB was offered with commercial bodies only but many dealers and owners had sedan bodies made for them. Toyota contracted the Kanto Denki factory to produced a sedan body and wagon on the SB chassis as the SC.
A small number of police cars were made by adding a special body with a canvas top, 4 canvas doors and a fold down front window for the Japanese Police Reserve Force but they were not popular.
engine.
The RHN's body was made by the New Mitsubishi Heavy Industrial Manufacturing Co. and the RHK's body was made by Kanto Auto Work, Ltd.
The BH26 police patrol car sedan was made from the 4-cylinder RH sedan by using the Type B 6-cylinder engine and a longer front end. Similarly, the BH28 ambulance was made by converting the BH26 police sedan into a van body.
The RH was succeeded by the similar 1955 RR Master and the much more modern 1955 RS Crown
.
The RH was also known as the Super.
engine.
This was sold at the same time as the FAJ (based on the heavy duty FA truck), the FCJ (based on the medium duty FC truck) and the FJJ (based on the BJ Jeep).
engine.
It was very similar to the earlier FHJ fire appliance.
The RS Crown
was designed to replace the Super in 1955 but Toyota wasn't sure if its independent front coil suspension and its suicide type rear doors were too radical for the taxi market to bear. So the Super was updated, renamed the Master and sold alongside the Crown. When sales of the Crown proved worthwhile, the RR Master was discontinued in November 1956. Production facilities for the Master were transferred to the Crown.
The Toyopet Master range also included the Master RR16 pickup, the Master RR17 van and the Master RR19 double pickup (with two rows of seats). These replaced the SG.
The RR Master's body panels were used in cut-down form as an economical and fast way to design the new ST10 Corona
in 1957. A later variant of the Crown was called the Masterline to distinguish it from other variants of the Crown.
Toyota AA
The A1 was the first prototype passenger car built by the company that became Toyota. It was redesigned and put into production as Toyota's first production cars, the AA sedan and the AB cabriolet...
) after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was the first in a family of vehicles before the introduction of the Crown
Toyota Crown
The Toyota Crown is a line of full-size luxury sedans by Toyota. The range was primarily available in Japan and some other Asian countries, originally designed to serve as a taxi...
. A series of light trucks also shared the chassis and major components of these passenger cars.
All of these vehicles were sold under the Toyopet name.
SA
The SA was Toyota's first true post war design. It differed from all previous Toyota cars by having a 4-cylinder engine (previously a 6-cylinder was used), 4-wheel independent suspension (previously using rigid axlesLive axle
A live axle, sometimes called a solid axle, is a type of beam axle suspension system that uses the driveshafts that transmit power to the wheels to connect the wheels laterally so that they move together as a unit....
with leaf springs) and a smaller, aerodynamic body. The project was driven by Kiichiro Toyoda
Kiichiro Toyoda
was a Japanese entrepreneur and the son of Toyoda Loom Works founder Sakichi Toyoda. His decision to take Toyoda Loom Works into automobile manufacturing would create what would eventually become Toyota Motor Corporation, the world's largest automobile manufacturer....
under the wisdom of his father's (Sakichi Toyoda
Sakichi Toyoda
was a Japanese inventor and industrialist. He was born in Kosai, Shizuoka. The son of a poor carpenter, Toyoda is referred to as the "King of Japanese Inventors".- Career :...
) words, "Stay ahead of the times" but most of the design work was done by Dr Kazuo Kumabe.
The body was aerodynamic in a style similar to the Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
. Only a two door sedan was made, making it unsuitable for the taxi market. The doors were hinged at the rear (often called suicide doors). The front window was a single pane of flat glass with a single wiper mounted above the driver. Only right hand drive was offered.
Toyota engineers (including Dr Kumabe) had visited Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and had studied the 16-cylinder Auto Union racing car (independent suspension) and Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
and Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
designs (independent suspension, aerodynamic bodies, backbone chassis, rear-mounted air-cooled engines, economical production cost). Many Japanese companies had ties with Germany during the war years but most partnered with British or American companies after the war and thus used technologies commonly used in Britain or America. But Toyota did not partner with a foreign company, so it was free to use German designs. Many features of the prototype Beetle were subsequently put into the SA, although the Beetle's rear-mounted air-cooled engine feature was not used. Later on, Toyota revisited the economic principles exemplified by the Beetle when designing the Publica
Toyota Publica
The Toyota Publica was a small car manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota from 1961 to 1978. Conceived as a family car to fulfil the requirements of the "national car concept", it was the smallest Toyota car during that period and was superseded in that role by the Toyota Starlet, which...
and the Corolla
Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, with over 35 million...
.
Dates and Production Figures
Although permission to begin full production of passenger cars in Japan was not granted until 1949, limited numbers of cars were permitted to be built from 1947, and the Toyota SA was one such car. Design work started at the end of 1945 when the GHQGHQ
GHQ from General Headquarters, may refer to:*a high level military command center, see headquarters**GHQ India - headquarters of the British India Army...
let it be known that authorised commercial production of vehicles for the general public would be commencing soon. This model was introduced in January 1947, with a prototype (which had been under development for more than a year) being completed at that time.
Production occurred from October 1947 through May 1952 (overlapping with the 1949-introduced SD), with a total of only 215 being built. The first car to be produced by Toyota in the postwar period was the AC, which had first been produced in 1943-1944. Fifty were built for government and military use in 1947, and three more were assembled in 1948. Since only 54 cars were built by Toyota in 1947, this leaves four Model SA production cars to be built at the end of that year, not counting the prototype.
Eighteen SA cars were built in 1948, and from 1949 to 1952, 193 more were built. No breakdown exists between models after 1948; only yearly passenger-car grand totals are extant.
Mechanicals
This model introduced the Type S straight-4Straight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
water-cooled engine, conventionally mounted in the front of the car and driving through the rear wheels. Two small grills at the front allowed air for the engine's radiator. Transmission was by a 3-speed manual gearbox and a Hotchkiss drive
Hotchkiss drive
The Hotchkiss drive is a system of power transmission. It was the dominant form of power transmission for front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout cars in the 20th century...
(previous Toyotas used a torque tube
Torque tube
A torque tube system is a driveshaft technology, often used in automobiles with a front engine and rear drive. It is not as widespread as the Hotchkiss drive, but is still occasionally used to this day...
) to a rear-mounted differential. The final drive gear ratio was 7.17:1 .
More unconventional was the use of a backbone chassis
Backbone chassis
Backbone tube chassis is a type of an automobile construction chassis that is similar to the body-on-frame design. Instead of a two-dimensional ladder type structure, it consists of a strong tubular backbone that connects the front and rear suspension attachment areas...
and four-wheel independent suspension.
A-arm suspension (short upper arm, long lower arm) with coils was used at the front and swing axle
Swing axle
A swing axle is a simple type of independent suspension first used in early aircraft , such as the Sopwith and Fokker, usually with rubber bungee and no damping....
suspension with semi-trailing arms
Trailing arm
thumb|220px|Trailing arm rear suspension of [[Front-engine, front-wheel drive layout|FF]] carsA trailing-arm suspension is an automobile suspension design in which one or more arms are connected between the axle and the chassis. It is usually used on rear axles...
, Panhard rod
Panhard rod
A Panhard rod is a component of a car suspension system that provides lateral location of the axle...
s and a transverse semi-elliptical leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
was used at the rear.
SB
A light truck using the running gearRunning gear
The term running gear is used to describe the wheels, suspension, steering, powertrain & chassis/bodyshell of a motor-car or automobile, or the tracks and road wheels of a tank or similar tracked vehicle....
from the SA but with a ladder chassis and solid axles front and rear, both with semi-elliptical springs. The SB was popular with the general public and also with the American occupation forces, which ordered it in large numbers.
The SB was offered with commercial bodies only but many dealers and owners had sedan bodies made for them. Toyota contracted the Kanto Denki factory to produced a sedan body and wagon on the SB chassis as the SC.
A small number of police cars were made by adding a special body with a canvas top, 4 canvas doors and a fold down front window for the Japanese Police Reserve Force but they were not popular.
Mechanicals
The SB used the same engine and gearbox as the SA, a three-speed manual and the 1-litre "S"-series engine, producing 27 PS at 4,000 rpm. This was enough for a top speed of 68 km/h (42 mph). A conventional ladder frame chassis was used with conventional semi-elliptical springs and solid axles front and rear.SC
The SB light truck was offered with commercial bodies only but many dealers and owners had sedan bodies made for them. Toyota contracted the Kanto Denki factory to produced a 4-door, 4-seat sedan body and wagon on the SB chassis as the SC. However, production of the SA sedan continued and the SC was not put into production. When production of the SA stopped, a revised version of the SC was made as the SD.RH
A further update to the SF but with the newly designed Type RToyota R engine
The Toyota R family was a series of straight-4 gasoline engines. Designed for longitudinal use in such vehicles as the Celica and Hilux and in production from 1953 through 1995, use faded out as many of Toyota's mainstream models moved to front-wheel drive...
engine.
The RHN's body was made by the New Mitsubishi Heavy Industrial Manufacturing Co. and the RHK's body was made by Kanto Auto Work, Ltd.
The BH26 police patrol car sedan was made from the 4-cylinder RH sedan by using the Type B 6-cylinder engine and a longer front end. Similarly, the BH28 ambulance was made by converting the BH26 police sedan into a van body.
The RH was succeeded by the similar 1955 RR Master and the much more modern 1955 RS Crown
Toyota Crown
The Toyota Crown is a line of full-size luxury sedans by Toyota. The range was primarily available in Japan and some other Asian countries, originally designed to serve as a taxi...
.
The RH was also known as the Super.
FHJ
The FHJ was a fire appliance vehicle built based on the RH but with the much larger Type FToyota F engine
The Toyota F series engine was a series of OHV inline-6 cylinder engines produced by Toyota between 1955-1992. They are known for their high amount of torque at low RPM, massive cast iron blocks and heads and also their high reliability. The F Engine had one of the longest production runs of any...
engine.
This was sold at the same time as the FAJ (based on the heavy duty FA truck), the FCJ (based on the medium duty FC truck) and the FJJ (based on the BJ Jeep).
Mechanicals
Same as the RH except for the Type F engine. The front body was based on the SG light truck, there were no doors and the rear of the body was heavily customised with typical fire appliance accessories (e.g. hoses, axes, ride-on steps, grab bars). In spite of looking like a small truck, the FHJ still used the single rear wheels of the RH passenger car.FH24
The FH24 was a fire appliance vehicle built based on the RH but with the much larger Type FToyota F engine
The Toyota F series engine was a series of OHV inline-6 cylinder engines produced by Toyota between 1955-1992. They are known for their high amount of torque at low RPM, massive cast iron blocks and heads and also their high reliability. The F Engine had one of the longest production runs of any...
engine.
It was very similar to the earlier FHJ fire appliance.
Mechanicals
Same as the RH except for the Type F engine. The front body was based on the SG light truck, there were no doors and the rear of the body was heavily customised with typical fire appliance accessories (e.g. hoses, axes, ride-on steps, grab bars). In spite of looking like a small truck, the FH24 still used the single rear wheels of the RH passenger car.RR
The RR Master was a further update to the SF/RH with an updated body.The RS Crown
Toyota Crown
The Toyota Crown is a line of full-size luxury sedans by Toyota. The range was primarily available in Japan and some other Asian countries, originally designed to serve as a taxi...
was designed to replace the Super in 1955 but Toyota wasn't sure if its independent front coil suspension and its suicide type rear doors were too radical for the taxi market to bear. So the Super was updated, renamed the Master and sold alongside the Crown. When sales of the Crown proved worthwhile, the RR Master was discontinued in November 1956. Production facilities for the Master were transferred to the Crown.
The Toyopet Master range also included the Master RR16 pickup, the Master RR17 van and the Master RR19 double pickup (with two rows of seats). These replaced the SG.
The RR Master's body panels were used in cut-down form as an economical and fast way to design the new ST10 Corona
Toyota Corona
The Toyota Corona is an automobile manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota between 1957 and 2002. Traditionally, the competitor from Nissan was the Nissan Bluebird. The word Corona is Latin for "crown"...
in 1957. A later variant of the Crown was called the Masterline to distinguish it from other variants of the Crown.