On April 28, as the last 14th-generation Toyota Crown rolled off the production line of FAW Toyota, the domestically produced Crown officially announced the end of production. At this point, the "darling of the generation" Toyota Crown may officially bid farewell to the Chinese market.
When I saw this news, I had mixed emotions. As a Toyota Crown fan, countless unforgettable memories come to my mind and are constantly churning. It’s really not because of pretentiousness. For car fans who were born in the 1980s and 1990s, the Toyota Crown is not only a car, but also carries the memories of childhood and the Dream Car that they yearned for in that era.
The twelfth-generation Crown is also the first domestically produced Crown
Speaking of Dream Car, I believe many people born in the 80s and 90s will definitely say it is the Ferrari F50 or the one on the calendar in the living room at home. Is it the Lamborghini Diablo, or the McLaren F1. But those "magic cars" are almost never seen in our daily lives, and they only "live" in our hearts in the form of photos. The "magic cars" that really exist in the real life of most post-80s and 90s generations are still "Hutouben", Fleetwood, extended Lincoln, etc. Of course, there is also a relatively low-key good car - Toyota Crown.
First encounter with the Crown - although it is not a luxury car, it is better than a luxury car
The seventh-generation Emperor
For me, this is the first time in my life that I have met the Crown , is its seventh generation model. In China in the 1990s, many enterprises and institutions purchased the seventh-generation Crown as a work car or a special car for leaders. This generation of Crown first entered the Chinese mainland market in the early 1980s. As reform and opening up gradually got on the right track, the first batch of private car owners began to purchase imported cars in large quantities. The seventh-generation Crown also became the first imported car to enter China. The seventh-generation Crown was an out-and-out representative of high-end luxury cars in the hearts of Chinese people at that time, and it has also become an indelible classic car in the memory of many Chinese people.
The seventh-generation Crown Travel Edition
To be precise, the seventh-generation Crown officially entered the Chinese market in 1984. At that time, the Crowns entering the country were mainly equipped with 2.8L and 2.4L There are two engines, and the car has four models: Royal Saloon, Super Saloon, Super Deluxe and regular version. Most engines are matched with a 5-speed manual transmission, and there are also some 4-speed automatic transmission models. Do you know how popular the seventh-generation Crown was at the time? In 1985 alone, 17,250 vehicles were imported. That was 35 years ago, just a few years after the reform and opening up. This number was simply unbelievable.
The eighth-generation Crown
The time came to September 1987, when Toyota launched the eighth-generation Crown. At that time, Japan’s bubble economy was booming. It is inevitable to be a bit inflated in thinking, and the same is true for car building. Toyota also set an ambitious goal at that time to surpass General Motors and become "number one in the world." In order to get a share of the American luxury car market, Toyota also created the Lexus brand in 1989. However, this does not affect Toyota in making the Crown more perfect.
The eighth-generation Crown
The eighth-generation Crown is also popular in the Chinese market. We know that in the late 1980s, the country began to import a large number of Japanese cars, with an average of Japanese cars imported in a single month. There are 5,300 vehicles, of which the Toyota brand accounts for 34, and the Crown accounts for 17. The imported model versions include YS120, MS122, MS132, etc. Among them, a Crown model code-named JZS133 was imported in 1991. Its life experience is very special. Why do you say that? Because it used the chassis of the eighth-generation Crown at that time, but adopted the appearance and engine of the ninth-generation Crown. This Crown, called "133" by car fans, is also the most favorite Crown model among domestic car fans.
Laying the foundation - Crown's light gradually shines
Crown 133 (Japanese version)
Continuing from what was said above, in the 1990s, Crown really started They appear in large numbers in our lives, starting from "133". At that time, the domestically imported "Crown 133" had Toyota logos on the front and rear, and there was also an eye-catching Crown logo on the engine cover. I remember that many adults affectionately called it "Crown 3.0" because it was equipped with a 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine. The Super Saloon model was matched with a 5-speed manual transmission, while the higher-end Royal Saloon model was It is matched with a 4-speed automatic transmission. This generation of Crown, code-named JZS133, had a huge number of copies in the Chinese market at that time. To this day, there are still many old car enthusiasts playing with "Crown 133" and enjoying it.
Crown 133 (Japanese version)
As mentioned before, the origin of this Crown code-named "133" is relatively complicated. It uses the chassis of the eighth-generation Crown, but it is The appearance and power system of the ninth-generation Crown. The "authentic" ninth-generation Crown launched in October 1991 is not as common as the "133" in China. The ninth-generation Crown models are divided into four-door hardtop versions and the higher-end MAJESTA series. The four-door sedan and four-door station wagon also continue to use the eighth-generation Crown chassis. The overall style refers to the design elements of the first-generation Lexus LS400 at that time. , in order to create a more luxurious and advanced temperament, a total of 284,000 units of this generation of Crown were produced.
The tenth generation of crowns
After "133", the tenth generation of crowns landed in the Chinese market, and this generation of crowns was also the end of imported crowns in the Chinese market. In the late 1990s, the tenth generation Crown was imported to the domestic market, codenamed JZS155, commonly known as "Crown 155". This new Crown continues to be equipped with a 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine, and is equipped with very high-end and avant-garde configurations at the time such as rear air-conditioning system, rear seat electric adjustment, and rear multimedia control system. This generation of Crown stopped importing in 2001, and the subsequent eleventh-generation Crown almost never existed in the domestic market. It was not until 2005 that the twelfth-generation Crown began production at FAW Toyota, and Crown's road to domestic production was officially launched.
The tenth generation Crown Comfort (Hong Kong taxi)
It is worth mentioning that the famous Hong Kong taxi is the tenth generation Crown. In 1995, Toyota also launched the Crown Comfort model for the taxi market. A major feature is that its exterior rearview mirrors are located on both sides of the fender. In terms of power, Crown Comfort is equipped with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine or 2.0-liter LPG engine, matched with a 4-speed automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual transmission. In order to control costs and facilitate maintenance, the tenth-generation Crown used as a taxi adopted an integral axle non-independent rear suspension, and the original LCD instrument panel, leather seats and other luxury features were also cancelled.
Going to the altar - regarded as a Japanese masterpiece
The Eleventh Generation of Emperor
Skip the Eleventh Generation of Crown, which has no news in the country. , the twelfth generation of Crown is regarded as the "classic among classics" by players. This is also the first time that the Toyota Crown has been produced in China. It is based on the twelfth-generation Crown Royal series. The domestic version initially only provided a 3.0-liter engine and canceled the direct injection technology. Later, a 2.5-liter power version was added. In order to adapt to the complex domestic road conditions, the chassis of the domestic Crown has been raised by 10mm, and the four-wheel drive system, active steering headlights and night vision system have been cancelled. However, this has not affected the popularity of the twelfth-generation Crown in the domestic market.
The Twelfth Generation Emperor
Why is the Twelfth Generation Crown so popular? Thanks to the excellent reputation accumulated by the "Old Crown" imported to China in the 1980s and 1990s, the sales volume of the domestic Crown once exceeded the Audi A6L, the king of this level at that time, in the early days of its launch. The monthly sales volume of 2,992 units also set a new record for luxury medium and large sedans that year. On the sales list, just two months later, orders for Crown exceeded 10,000 units.
By the end of 2006, Crown's cumulative sales exceeded 60,000 units, and its share of the luxury car market exceeded 30%.
The twelfth-generation Crown
In 2007, the annual sales of the Crown reached 53,104 units. The market performance continued to reach peaks, and the twelfth-generation Crown was deified. . The success of the twelfth-generation Crown is also inseparable from Toyota's pursuit of details. For example, the blades of the air-conditioning outlet in the interior center console will automatically turn to blow out the air, and the excellent quality has also given rise to various legends about "not breaking down". It spreads in the rivers and lakes. But by 2008, the halo above the head of the 12th generation Crown gradually dissipated, and annual sales dropped to 45,427 vehicles. Since 2009, Crown's average monthly sales have dropped below 3,000 units, and even dropped below 2,000 units in some months in the first half of the year. At this time, it was also the time for BBA to fully capture the domestic luxury car market. As the old saying goes, "You are still better when you are old." Even though Crown is good in every way, it still lost to BBA in the end.
The Thirteenth Generation Crown
In February 2008, the Thirteenth Generation Crown was officially released in Japan. On December 14, 2009, the 13th generation Crown was officially introduced into the country and launched on the market. At that time, the Crown models on the market included 9 models with three displacements: 2.5L, 3.0L and 4.3L, with a price range of 32.68 Ten thousand to RMB 899,500. The biggest highlight of this generation of Crown is undoubtedly the V8 version, which is undoubtedly the "diamond at the top of the crown". The domestically produced 13th generation Crown is actually based on the overseas version of Crown MAJESTA, and has been further upgraded based on the overseas version of MAJESTA. However, there is no "magic modification" in the appearance and interior, and it still remains the same. The Japanese version has such good looks.
The Thirteenth Generation Crown
Among them, the domestically produced Thirteenth Generation Crown has a sports version, which uses a grid-style grille and many Japanese-style sports kits. It is deeply favored by domestic car fans, especially JDM enthusiasts. Although the 13th generation Crown is not as classic as the 12th generation in the minds of many car fans, it is still a masterpiece suitable for JDM modification style in the hearts of domestic car fans. In 2012, Toyota also carried out a minor facelift of the domestic Crown, canceling the 4.3L model and replacing it with the "big mouth" design that was very popular at the time. However, this change was quite a failure. The original outstanding appearance was changed to "auto parts city style", which is really ugly. The monthly sales of less than 1,000 yuan also illustrates the problem well.
The song ends and everyone disperses - the baton is passed to the Asian Dragon
The fourteenth generation of domestic emperors
As the saying goes, "Every banquet in the world must come to an end". Once upon a time Crown, which stands tall on the altar of the domestic luxury car market, was finally "knocked down" by a group of powerful players. The decline of the domestically produced Crown has already appeared in the late 13th generation, and it is undoubtedly the 14th generation Crown that really started to fall from the altar. On December 25, 2012, the fourteenth generation Crown was officially launched in Japan. At that time, the Crown family launched the Royal series and ATHLETE sports series, and also released a new hybrid model.
Japan’s 14th-generation Crown ATHLETE
This generation of Crown was widely controversial at the time of its release due to its radical appearance, especially the exaggerated middle grille of the ATHLETE sports series, which looks extremely like It has an upside-down Christmas tree, so it is also nicknamed the "Christmas tree crown" by car fans. Unfortunately, all Japanese versions of the Crown family of this generation have not been introduced to the domestic market. The fourteenth-generation Crown sold in the domestic market is a "magically modified" version of the Crown MAJESTA version. Perhaps the manufacturer was worried that the Japanese version of the Crown would be too radical in appearance and would not be acceptable to the Chinese people. The exterior design of the new car was changed for the Chinese market. Both the front face and the rear of the car adopt designs that are different from those of the Japanese version.
The 14th-generation domestically produced Crown
However, after such painstaking localization, the market performance of the 14th-generation domestically produced Crown was not satisfactory. There are many reasons for its failure. For car fans, the appearance is not authentic enough, making it almost two completely different cars from the Japanese version of the Crown family. The later modified kits cannot be used with the Japanese version. , which greatly reduces the charm of its products.
Domestic FAW Toyota Avalon
For ordinary consumers, traditional luxury brands continue to lower prices, leaving Toyota Crown as a non-luxury brand model with no advantages. Lexus's "fighting in the same room", Crown completely lost in terms of product strength and brand awareness. On March 22, 2019, FAW Toyota Asia Dragon, which originated from Toyota's TNGA architecture, was officially launched. How can one mountain accommodate two tigers? Crown's fate to withdraw from the Chinese market has now been sealed.
Written at the end
There is no doubt that the Toyota Crown is the "first love" of generations, whether it is the seventh-generation and eighth-generation Crown, the elegant ninth-generation Crown, etc. The first generation crown, or the twelfth and thirteenth generation crowns suitable for all ages, are all memories of that era. And the Crown's departure from the Chinese market after the fourteenth generation may make us miss the less pure fourteenth generation Crown many years later. No matter how good the wine is, it will eventually run out, and no matter how classic the car is, it will eventually cease production. Even though the Crown is good in every way, it is a pity that its journey in China has finally come to an end and it has become an indelible memory in the hearts of generations of people.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.