Toyota Camry SV20 Wagon (1987)
V20 (1986–1990)
The second generation, V20 series Camry went on sale during August 1986 in Japan. As with the previous series, there was again a parallel Vista model for the home market that Toyota released simultaneously. V20 Camry and Vista sedans continued with the four-door sedan configuration. For overseas markets, Toyota issued a station wagon for the first time. The Vista also launched with a four-door pillared hardtop sedan with unique body panels all-round in lieu of the liftback offered with the previous car—a body extended to the Camry in August 1988. To attain a sportier appearance with lower and wider proportions, Toyota reduced the height of the hardtop by 25 millimeters (1 in) over the sedan. Not intended for export, this hardtop body with few changes would later form the basis of the upscale but hastily conceived Lexus ES 250 produced for North American customers from June 1989 through to 1991.
V20 originated from a time at Toyota when considerable cost and attention to detail was engineered into its cars such as high materials and build quality to transcend the competition. This corporate strategy is analogous to that employed by Mercedes-Benz around the same time, who like Toyota, were known for reliable, over-engineered automobiles of unadulterated quality. As a result, commentators likened the V20 to a cheaper, Japanese facsimile of a Mercedes. Sedans retained the V10's rear quarter glass; however, the styling is less angular than before. To appease export customers, styling lost some of its Japanese legacy in its transition to a more Americanized design, with a softer and sleeker silhouette that references the Audi 100. The Audi's influence also extends to aerodynamic performance, now at Cd=0.34 for the sedan. V20 also features headlamps and a grille that are sculptured into a gently curved hood that partially conceal the windscreen wipers, wind splitters up the ends of the windscreen, near-flush glass, and a third door seal to close the gap between the body and window frames. Body dimensions were largely unchanged from the previous model, including an identical wheelbase, although length increases 100 millimeters (3.9 in). Basic sub-skin hardware is also closely related, including the platform and the fully independent suspension with a strut and a coil spring at each corner and an anti-roll bar at each end.
All engines now use fuel injection exclusively and were common to Camry and Vista. Entry-level customers were offered the carry-over "Ci" 1.8-liter 1S-i (designated 1S-iLU in the V10) inline-four with five-speed manual or an automatic with four gears. Stepping up from this were the new 3S-FE and GT high-performance 3S-GE (designated 3S-GELU for V10s) 2.0-liter twin-cam four-cylinder cars. Turbo-diesel models were again limited to the 2C-T motor displacing 2.0 liters (labeled 2C-TL for V10s). Transmission were either a five-speed manual or an electronically controlled automatic with four gears.
North American market V20 series Camry sedan and wagons came to the market in late 1986 for the 1987 model year. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, the first wholly owned Toyota plant in the US, began producing the Camry in May 1988. The country of manufacture can be found by looking at the first character of the VIN; a Camry manufactured in Japan has a VIN starting with "J", a model made in the US starts with "4" and a model made in Australia starts with "6". Three trim levels of the V20 Camry were made: the unbadged base model, the DX, and the LE. In 1991, anti-lock brakes became optional on the V6, LE, and station wagon models. The four-wheel-drive system dubbed All-Trac was introduced for 1988 and a 2.5-liter V6 engine was added as an option. The V6 was fuel-injected with 24 valves, and dual overhead camshafts.
Toyota Australia released the second generation Camry in April 1987. Local manufacture of the V20 had begun earlier in February at its recently acquired Australian Motor Industries facility at Port Melbourne, Victoria as a replacement for the Corona T140 and the Camry before it. Four-cylinder engine production and panel-stamping was undertaken at Toyota's Altona, Victoria plant, all part of a model localization and factory upgrades investment totalling A$115 million. In fact, it was the first Camry made outside of Japan, and is notable for being the most localized Toyota Australia product thus far with a lead time of less than six months, the shortest yet between start of Japanese and Australian manufacture.
[Text taken from Wikipedia]
The model shown here is the Australian base-spec wagon that I owned during 2002-2007. Though the Wikipedia article makes a lot of statements about quality, not all parts of the car exhibited the same level of care. The suspension bushes, for instance, seemed to wear very quickly. Also, the interior featured some less than exciting grey plastics.
This Lego model miniland-scale Toyota SV20 Camry wagon has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 85th Build Challenge, - "Like, Totally 80's", - featuring vehicles created during the decade of the 1980s.
Toyota Camry SV20 Wagon (1987)
V20 (1986–1990)
The second generation, V20 series Camry went on sale during August 1986 in Japan. As with the previous series, there was again a parallel Vista model for the home market that Toyota released simultaneously. V20 Camry and Vista sedans continued with the four-door sedan configuration. For overseas markets, Toyota issued a station wagon for the first time. The Vista also launched with a four-door pillared hardtop sedan with unique body panels all-round in lieu of the liftback offered with the previous car—a body extended to the Camry in August 1988. To attain a sportier appearance with lower and wider proportions, Toyota reduced the height of the hardtop by 25 millimeters (1 in) over the sedan. Not intended for export, this hardtop body with few changes would later form the basis of the upscale but hastily conceived Lexus ES 250 produced for North American customers from June 1989 through to 1991.
V20 originated from a time at Toyota when considerable cost and attention to detail was engineered into its cars such as high materials and build quality to transcend the competition. This corporate strategy is analogous to that employed by Mercedes-Benz around the same time, who like Toyota, were known for reliable, over-engineered automobiles of unadulterated quality. As a result, commentators likened the V20 to a cheaper, Japanese facsimile of a Mercedes. Sedans retained the V10's rear quarter glass; however, the styling is less angular than before. To appease export customers, styling lost some of its Japanese legacy in its transition to a more Americanized design, with a softer and sleeker silhouette that references the Audi 100. The Audi's influence also extends to aerodynamic performance, now at Cd=0.34 for the sedan. V20 also features headlamps and a grille that are sculptured into a gently curved hood that partially conceal the windscreen wipers, wind splitters up the ends of the windscreen, near-flush glass, and a third door seal to close the gap between the body and window frames. Body dimensions were largely unchanged from the previous model, including an identical wheelbase, although length increases 100 millimeters (3.9 in). Basic sub-skin hardware is also closely related, including the platform and the fully independent suspension with a strut and a coil spring at each corner and an anti-roll bar at each end.
All engines now use fuel injection exclusively and were common to Camry and Vista. Entry-level customers were offered the carry-over "Ci" 1.8-liter 1S-i (designated 1S-iLU in the V10) inline-four with five-speed manual or an automatic with four gears. Stepping up from this were the new 3S-FE and GT high-performance 3S-GE (designated 3S-GELU for V10s) 2.0-liter twin-cam four-cylinder cars. Turbo-diesel models were again limited to the 2C-T motor displacing 2.0 liters (labeled 2C-TL for V10s). Transmission were either a five-speed manual or an electronically controlled automatic with four gears.
North American market V20 series Camry sedan and wagons came to the market in late 1986 for the 1987 model year. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, the first wholly owned Toyota plant in the US, began producing the Camry in May 1988. The country of manufacture can be found by looking at the first character of the VIN; a Camry manufactured in Japan has a VIN starting with "J", a model made in the US starts with "4" and a model made in Australia starts with "6". Three trim levels of the V20 Camry were made: the unbadged base model, the DX, and the LE. In 1991, anti-lock brakes became optional on the V6, LE, and station wagon models. The four-wheel-drive system dubbed All-Trac was introduced for 1988 and a 2.5-liter V6 engine was added as an option. The V6 was fuel-injected with 24 valves, and dual overhead camshafts.
Toyota Australia released the second generation Camry in April 1987. Local manufacture of the V20 had begun earlier in February at its recently acquired Australian Motor Industries facility at Port Melbourne, Victoria as a replacement for the Corona T140 and the Camry before it. Four-cylinder engine production and panel-stamping was undertaken at Toyota's Altona, Victoria plant, all part of a model localization and factory upgrades investment totalling A$115 million. In fact, it was the first Camry made outside of Japan, and is notable for being the most localized Toyota Australia product thus far with a lead time of less than six months, the shortest yet between start of Japanese and Australian manufacture.
[Text taken from Wikipedia]
The model shown here is the Australian base-spec wagon that I owned during 2002-2007. Though the Wikipedia article makes a lot of statements about quality, not all parts of the car exhibited the same level of care. The suspension bushes, for instance, seemed to wear very quickly. Also, the interior featured some less than exciting grey plastics.
This Lego model miniland-scale Toyota SV20 Camry wagon has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 85th Build Challenge, - "Like, Totally 80's", - featuring vehicles created during the decade of the 1980s.