TMP’s 35th anniversary is a trip down memory lane for this writer
Toyota Motor Philippines’ 35th anniversary bash sent me to a trip down memory lane of my past and present rides from the world’s number one car brand. It isn’t a surprise that almost one out of two cars sold here is a Toyota. As early as the 70s, we had our first taste of the brand with a brand new 1978 Toyota Corona which served as my dad’s office car and family ride on weekends. We were still kids so the backseat was cavernous and we had our first whiff of a brand new car and it was when our love affair with the brand began.
1970s – The oil crisis years
This was followed by a pre-owned 1975 Toyota Crown and followed by a 1979 Crown when we needed a bigger vehicle for a growing family. The 5R 2-liter 4-cylinder engine was robust and frugal on the fuel pump that gave us a comfortable ride during the oil crisis years and a touch of luxury. The promise of reliability, comfort and relative fuel economy came to fruition with Toyota coming out with models that can tolerate Manila’s hot weather without overheating and an AC system that can cool you inside the cabin. We came from the gas-guzzling American V8’s like Impalas and Ford Galaxies in the 1960s. We also had a 1983 Crown which served as my dad’s ride to the office and for family day on Sundays.
1980s – JDMs and Family Vans
The 80s became more interesting as we had our first family van, a 1979 Hi Ace, which became the family school bus and the 18R 4-cylinder engine ably powered the reliable people mover and it even came with dual front and rear cabin AC’s for me and my 5 other siblings. My college years were the most memorable with a 1982 Corolla Liftback as my college car. It came with a 2T 4-cylinder engine and I fitted it with a pair of Italian Weber 40’s carburetors and Italian MSW alloy wheels. It gave me the first taste of car tuning and on weekends, I would raid Japanese surplus parts supplies for JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) parts to complete the look. I sold the car and replaced it with a 1983 Silver Edition Corona and fitted it with the same set of Webers with a milder tune because audio systems were becoming a thing and I needed a more quiet engine. I also spent a short time owning a 1983 Cressida which I enjoyed for a while until moving on to the frontwheel drive cars of the late 80s.
Late 80s to the 90s – Toyota’s big comeback
The last year of the 80s was one of the most frenzied comebacks in Philippine automotive history. When Toyota Motor Philippines Inc. (TMPI) was established, everyone was rushing to order the Corolla 16-valve and Lite Ace. Every family just had to have one. We got ours in Toyota Bel Air and I can still remember the license plates of these two cars. The compact yet powerful 16-valve front wheel wonder car gave us the most smiles-per-mile and we were able to get the red color which was the hardest to get. We also used our Lite Ace for my son’s school ride on weekdays and for short road trips on weekends. The Lite Ace and the Corolla served the family for, at least, 15 years. Our Lite Ace was also repurposed as a delivery van in its last few years and was pulling cargo above its weight class. We also had a 1992 Corona ,for a short while, but unfortunately, it was carnapped within a year’s use, and it was the only Toyota we spent less than a year with.
Millennial Toyotas
At the turn of the century, more Toyota cars came in and out of our lives. We’ve had two Toyota Altis Corollas, a 2005 and 2008 which became my brother’s daily rides, and the family also had a few Innovas – a 2007, 2013 and 2019 model over the years. Two of which are still in use. In 2017, I also bought a second-generation Fortuner, which kind of made me a late bloomer if you think about it. I fitted them with thick and gnarly Nitto Grappler tires and Black Rhino wheels to give it a semi off-road look.
In all, 17 Toyota cars of all sorts and sizes came and went, with some still with us. And the story will not end here, since we look forward to a new genre of Toyota cars that will be part of our family’s automotive stories in the future and generations to come. Hopefully, it will include a new Land Cruiser in the near future.
