Toyota SA

Toyopet SA / SB
Production period:	1947-1956
Class :	Lower middle class / middle class
Body versions :	Touring car , limousine , panel van
Previous model:	Toyota AE
Successor:	Toyopet Crown

The Toyota SA / Toyopet SA was Toyota's first new car construction after the Second World War and replaced the AE . The SA was the first representative of a whole family of vehicles, the last member of which was replaced by the Crown . A series of delivery vans was also based on the chassis and technical components of these passenger vehicles.

All of these vehicles were sold under the Toyopet brand.

Series

SA

SA
Toyopet SA (1947)
Production period:	1947-1952
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	Otto engine : 1.0 liter (20 kW)
Length:	3800 mm
Width:	1590 mm
Height:	1530 mm
Wheelbase :	2400 mm
Empty weight :	1170 kg

The Toyota SA , presented in 1947, was Toyota's first completely redesigned car after the war. It differed from the Toyotas produced up to then in its four-cylinder in-line engine (previously there were six-cylinder engines), all-round independent wheel suspension (in contrast to the rigid axles previously used) and its smaller, streamlined body. The project was run by Kiichiro Toyoda , always following the motto of his father Sakichi Toyoda, "Always ahead of the times", but most of the design work was done by Dr. Kazuo Kumabe done.

It was only built as a right-hand drive sedan with 2 doors, so the car was unusable as a taxi . The doors were hung at the back. The windshield was flat and undivided and there was a single wiper mounted on the top of the driver's side. There was only one execution.

The Toyota engineers (including Dr. Kumabe) had visited Germany before the war and the 16-cylinder Auto Union racing car (independent suspension) and the designs of Porsche and Volkswagen (independent suspension, streamlined bodies, central tubular frame, air-cooled rear engines, minor Manufacturing costs). Many Japanese companies had contacts in Germany during the war, but after the war they joined forces with British and American partners and thus used the technologies common in Great Britain and the USA. Toyota, however, did not cooperate with foreign companies and could therefore easily use the German designs. Many details of the Beetle prototype were therefore also found in the Toyota SA, only the air-cooled rear engine was not implemented. Toyota later applied the economic principles of the VW Beetle to the construction of the Publica and Corolla models .

Data and production figures

Although there was no license to build unlimited cars in Japan until 1949, there were approvals for individual models and Toyota SA was one of them. Construction began in 1945 when the occupiers announced that the production of automobiles for the general public would soon be available would begin. The resulting model was introduced in January 1947, with a prototype that had been in development for a year being unveiled at the same time.

The model was produced from October 1947 to May 1952 (although the successor SD was presented as early as 1949); but only 215 copies were made. The first model built by Toyota after the war was an AC , first produced in 1943–1944. 50 of these were made for the government and the military in 1947, and 3 more the following year. Since Toyota only built a total of 54 cars in 1947, there are only 4 left for the SA model - not counting the prototype.

18 SAs were built in 1948 and another 193 from 1949–1952. More precise breakdowns are not available for these years.

Technical details

In this model, the water-cooled inline four-cylinder engine, type S, was introduced, which was installed lengthways at the front and powered the rear wheels. There were two small grills up front. The gearbox had three gears and transmitted the power to the rear axle via a cardan shaft (earlier Toyotas had a drive shaft without cardan joints). The rear axle ratio was 7.17: 1.

The SA has a central tubular frame and independent wheel suspension all around. Double wishbones and coil springs carried the front wheels and the swing axle at the rear had a semi-elliptical transverse leaf spring.

SB

SB
Image does not exist
Production period:	1947-1952
Body versions :	Box van
Engines:	Otto engine : 1.0 liter (20 kW)
Length:	3950 mm
Width:	1590 mm
Height:	1725 mm
Wheelbase :	2400 mm
Empty weight :	1125 kg

The Toyota SB was a delivery van manufactured from 1947 with the drive of the SA, but a ladder frame and rigid axles at the front and rear, both suspended on semi-elliptical longitudinal leaf springs. The SB was just as popular with the Japanese population as it was with the American occupation forces, who ordered the model in large numbers.

There were also a small number of police vehicles that had open bodies with a fabric roof, four fabric doors, and a folding windshield. They were made for the Japanese police force, but were not particularly popular.

The SB had the same engine and gearbox as the SA. The frame was a standard ladder frame and the two rigid axles were suspended from longitudinal leaf springs.

SC

SC
Image does not exist
Production period:	1948
Body versions :	Limousine , station wagon
Engines:	Otto engine : 1.0 liter (20 kW)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase :
Empty weight :

The SB was only available with commercial vehicle bodies, but many dealers and owners also had car bodies built. Toyota commissioned the Kanto Denki factory to manufacture a four-seater, four-door sedan and a station wagon body for the self-service. This car was sold as Toyota SC . But production of the SA continued and the SC did not reach series production. A revised version of the SC later became the SD.

Only three prototypes were made. Series production did not take place.

The same data as with the SB.

SD

SD
Image does not exist
Production period:	1949-1951
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	Otto engine : 1.0 liter (20 kW)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase :
Empty weight :

The Toyota SD was a five-seater car, on and with the chassis of the SB.

The SD was manufactured from November 1949 to 1951.

SF

SF
Image does not exist
Production period:	1947-1952
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	Otto engine : 1.0 liter (20 kW)
Length:	4280 mm
Width:	1590 mm
Height:	1600 mm
Wheelbase :	2400 mm
Empty weight :	1250 kg

The Toyota SF was a redesigned SD, with the same specifications.

The SF was manufactured from October 1951 to 1953.

SG

SG
Image does not exist
Production period:	1952-1954
Body versions :	Box van
Engines:	Otto engine : 1.0 liter (20 kW)
Length:	4195 mm
Width:	1595 mm
Height:	1735 mm
Wheelbase :	2500 mm
Empty weight :	1170 kg

The Toyota SG was a redesigned SB that used components from the SF. The SG therefore has the same technical data as the SF.

The SG was manufactured from March 1952 to 1954.

RH

Toyopet RHN (1953)

The Toyota RH was another redesigned SF, but with the new Toyota R engine. The body of the RHN model was manufactured by New Mitsubishi Heavy Industrial Manufacturing Co. and that of the RHK model by Kanto Auto Works .

The BH26 police car and the BH28 ambulance were also manufactured according to the RH scheme . Both had the in-line six-cylinder Toyota-B engine and a longer front. Successors to the RH were the similar RR Master from 1955 and the much more modern RS Crown , also from 1955.

The RH was also called the Toyota Super .

The RH was manufactured from September 1953 to 1955.

The same data as the SF, with the exception of the new Toyota R engine.

FHJ

FHJ
Image does not exist
Production period:	since
Body versions :	Touring car
Engines:	Petrol engines : 3.9 liters (77-92 kW)
Length:	4540 mm
Width:	1680 mm
Height:	1870 mm
Wheelbase :
Empty weight :	965 kg

The Toyota FHJ was a fire engine based on the RH with the larger Toyota F engine. This car was produced at the same time as the FAJ model (based on the FA truck model ), the FCJ model (based on the FC light truck ) and the FJJ model (based on the Jeep BJ ).

The FHJ had the same specs as the RH, with the exception of the larger Toyota F engine. The front part of the body was based on the SG van and there were no doors at the rear. The rear of the car had been modified considerably for fire fighting purposes. Although the FHJ looked like a small truck, it still had the simple rear tires of the RH.

FH24

FH24
Toyota FH24 (1959)
Production period:	since
Body versions :	Box van
Engines:	Petrol engines : 3.9 liters (77-92 kW)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase :
Empty weight :

The Toyota FH24 was a fire engine based on the RH, but with the much larger Toyota F engine. It looked a lot like the older FHJ fire engine.

The FH24 had the same specs as the RH, with the exception of the larger Toyota F engine. The front part of the body was based on the SG van and there were no doors at the rear. The rear of the car had been modified considerably for fire fighting purposes. Although the FHJ looked like a small truck, it still had the simple rear wheels of the RH.

RR

Toyopet RR Master (1955)

The Toyota RR Master was another revision of the SF and RH models with a more modern body. The technical data were the same as the RH.

The Crown RS was intended to replace the 1955 Super, but Toyota wasn't sure its coil-spring independent front suspension and rear-hinged rear doors wouldn't have been too radical changes for the all-important taxi market. So they renamed the Super Master and sold it together with the Crown. When the sales of the Crown proved to be stable, the RR Master model was discontinued in November 1956. The assembly line for the RR Master was used for the Crown from then on.

The Master model range also included the Pickup Masterline RR16 , the Kombi Masterline RR17 and the Double Cab Masterline RR19 . These models replaced the SG.

The body panels of the Master were later used in a shortened form for the new Corona ST10 , a very economical and fast construction method. A later variant of the Crown was called Masterline to distinguish it from the other variants of the Crown.

The RR Master was built from January 1955 to November 1956.

Web links

Commons : Toyopet SA  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Toyota history website, 1940-1949 ( Memento from March 10, 2010 in the web archive archive.today )
• Toyota history website, 1950–1959 ( Memento from March 3, 2010 in the web archive archive.today )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x} Michael Cusumano: The Japanese Automobile Industry: Technology and Management at Nissan & Toyota. The Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA / London 1985, ISBN 067447256X .
2. ^ ^{A b c} Eiji Toyota: Toyota: Fifty Years in Motion. Kodansha International, Tokyo 1987, ISBN 0-87011-823-4 , p. 119.
3. ^ Fifty Years of Toyota Concept Cars. In: The Wheel Extended. Volume 17, No. 3, Toyota Motor Corporation 1987, ISSN  0049-755X
4. ^ ^{A b} Jan P. Norbye: Cars Made in Japan. Bleicher Verlag, Gerlingen 1991, ISBN 3-88350-161-1 .
5. ^ Marco Ruiz: The Complete History of the Japanese Car. Portland House, New York 1986, ISBN 0-517-61777-3 .
6. ^ Jan P. Norbye: Cars Made in Japan. Bleicher Verlag, Gerlingen 1991, ISBN 3-88350-161-1 , p. 57.
7. ^ Joachim Kuch: Toyota since 1936. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart year ?.
8. ^ GN Georgano: The New Encyclopedia of Motorcars: 1885 to the Present. 3rd, revised edition. EP Dutton, New York 1982, ISBN 0-525-93254-2 .
9. ^ ^{A b} Jan P. Norbye: Cars Made in Japan. Bleicher Verlag, Gerlingen 1991, ISBN 3-88350-161-1 , p. 56.
10. ↑ Old Iron column in the online magazine Off Road Adventures. ( Memento of the original from November 7, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. February 2005. 
11. ^ Eiji Toyota: Toyota: Fifty Years in Motion. Kodansha International, Tokyo 1987, ISBN 0-87011-823-4 .
12. ^ ^{A b c d e} Toyota: A History of the First 50 Years. Toyota Motor Corporation, 1988, ISBN 0-517-61777-3 .
13. ↑ ^{a b}  ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Senchu ​​University Bulletin 84-4 - The Distribution of the Car immediately after World War II (2).
14. ^ RHN in the Toyota Automobile Museum
15. ↑ Toyota Fire Engine. , Toyota brochure No. 323, Japan
16. ↑ FH24 in the Toyota Automobile Museum
17. ↑  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Master RR16