Though divided by 50 years and two continents, these cars actually have quite a bit in common…
As a follow-up to the great article written by Nigel Tate on the Sears Allstate a few weeks back, let’s compare this vehicle with a more recent entry from Toyota. Let’s get the obvious comparison out of the way first – both these cars are “aesthetically challenged”, not the most attractive of designs. But it turns out they also had one other major similarity: they were both innovative efforts by their respective manufacturers to market a vehicle outside the normal dealer network.
First, let’s take a look at WiLL (“Guest Writer” previously did a nice post here). In the late 1990s, Toyota was looking for creative ways to expand their sales in the ultra-competitive home market. One idea was to create a new brand, and partner with other retailers to have a variety of products under that brand (not just cars). Toyota named this new brand WiLL, and set up separate “Vista” branches which were much more like a regular retail store than a dealership. Toyota then entered into agreements with other companies to sell a variety of WiLL badged products: cosmetics (Kao); alcoholic beverages (Asahi); electronics (Panasonic); and candy (Glico). The broad family of WiLL products were geared mainly toward a younger clientele, mostly female.
Vi Cypha VS
As to the cars (there were three separate models), they were “different”, at least on the outside – basic chassis were carry-over from other Toyota models. While Japanese styling was becoming somewhat mainstream by the 80s and 90s, Toyota went in a different direction, at least for the Vi and Cypha – for these vehicles Toyota tried for a retro-French, urban-chic motif. Or, maybe the discussion between the stylists went something like this:
“Hey, I was watching Godzilla Versus Megalon last night and it gave me an idea. What if we took one car and made it look like Godzilla picked it up and bent it right in the middle. The second one will look like he gave it a dose of atomic bad-breath and melted it around the edges. For the last one, we’ll just make it look like he stepped on its back-end and squished it a little…”
Unfortunately, this venture proved even Toyota was not infallible. After five years of lackluster sales, the company pulled the plug on WiLL in 2004, renaming all its Vista stores “Netz” and returning to a typical dealership format.
Perhaps if the Toyota executives had read the case study of the Sears Allstate they would have paused for a little more reflection…
Due to Nate’s very thorough article, I’m sure readers here know the history of the Allstate – badge-engineered from the Kaiser Corporation Henry J coupe (another nice post by Tom Klockau here).
Introduced in 1950, the Henry J was a pet project of industry titan Henry J. Kaiser to market a low-priced, small car. But to keep the price as low as possible (which was still high given Kaiser’s high production costs), the car lacked some very basic features – like a trunk lid, a glove box, a passenger’s side sun visor, etc. While attempts were made to add these features later, the public never warmed to the car and its production numbers decreased each year. In 1952, with a large backlog of 51 models, Kaiser was able to convince the executives at Sears Corp to market and sell slightly modified Henry J’s in their stores calling it the “Allstate”.
However, the public wasn’t quite ready to purchase a car (or at least this car) at a Dept store, and as with the similar venture 50 years later, it did not end with success – after two years of dismal sales, the plug was pulled in 1954.
It’s interesting today to see dealerships broaden into other retail areas, such as restaurants, other merchandise, etc., in an effort to generate more floor traffic. Maybe Kaiser and Toyota were just the victims of poor timing – perhaps we’ll see dealerships evolve into larger retail activities in the future (or evolve in the other direction with internet sales).
What do you think?
The Toyota WiLL Vi is definitely better looking than any brougham ever made. Compared to anything else, definitely ‘aesthetically challenged’. Of course it’s odd enough that I like it.
The Allstate? I’ve had enough decades of looking at them to consider the design normal.
It seems like the biggest weakness with each car was in a basic disconnect in the car buyer: At least in America, everybody wants to bypass that mean, nasty, criminally cheating car salesman (and dealer). Simultaneously, almost every car buyer seems to be scared to death that someone else will buy the same car for $5.00 less than they paid.
So, on one hand, the buyer wants to avoid the tedious, nasty negotiating process. But on the other hand, there is no way they’re willing to pay the asking price. Of course they can negotiate better – while hating every second of it. And complaining to high heaven about the entire process.
Makes me wonder if the Japanese customer was thinking along the same lines.
Japanese buyers generally don’t negotiate. If they don’t like the price, they will just walk away.
Interesting article about negotiating
http://www.businessinsider.com/negotiating-with-japanese-2014-5
Fascinating article. Makes me wonder how they ever manage to do business with Americans.
The Allstate/Henry J wasn’t aggressively weird. It’s Chevette size was not normal for 1950,but the styling was just an American (GM “sedanette”) car that was left in the dryer to long. The Toyota OTOH is odd looking even for a JDM car, That weirdness though almost guarantying “cult” collectible in 15 – 20 years.
I’ve never seen it spelt with an ‘l’
Very ugly C pillars.
The reverse-slant backlight is certainly interesting. Channeling the Citroen Ami, I presume? (Or the Anglia 105E, or the “breezeway” Mercuries, or…) It seems like it would be dreadfully short on trunk space, also.
Will Vi is a Toyota interpretation of what would be a 2000’s Citroën 2CV, Will Cipha looks like something came right from a Renault design studio and the Will VS looks like a cool Opel Astra.
Kaiser should have spent the money on developing a modern OHV V8 for its other cars and not wasted time with the Henry J. The mid to late 50s was not a good time for independents, but the last generation Kaisers were attractive, IMHO.
Ive never seen a Sears allstate unheard of store here but Will Vis are around in small numbers ex JDM, all models are present and its normal to see at least one per day here.
Citroen Ami for sure, with the corrugations … but the downward bend on the side also echoes Toyota’s own Model SA from the Henry J era.
I’d agree with others that the Allstate seems like a typical “look” for its times. As a small car left a bit tall to help with interior accommodations, its proportions seem a little off compared to the typical large car, but nothing offensive.
The Will Vi is true novelty styling, and without some time in the car, possibly a compromised package done for the sake of novelty. That arched body and rear canted window seam likely to have some odd unintended consequences.
The Henry J wasn’t *that* much smaller than the Big 3 low-priced offerings, just enough to be seen as “less car” which quickly became “less car for more money” once Korean War material shortages ended and Ford and Chevy got into a sales/price war for the #1 slot.
Distribution aside, the VS was the most “normal” of WiLL cars and could’ve been an international offering, although it was probably wise of Toyota to have developed the Matrix as a compromise between it and the utilitarian Corolla Fielder rather than dividing the US C-segment 5-door market as it existed circa 2000 between two models.
Interesting. I remember the other write-up(s) concerning this alternate dealer network with it’s “un-Toyota-like” products, and have to wonder how Toyota managed to repeat the same scenario in the U.S. with the Scion network.
WiLL does seem to be the Japanese precursor to Scion. Of course, the whole point of Scion was to address Toyota’s fustiness, and bring customers back into the fold. So the endgame was always to render the Scion brand obsolete – as has now been officially declared – not so sure that was the intention with WiLL.
Anyway, I’ve always wondered why Toyota bothered with the tall, tippy Matrix (especially the misshapen second generation) when WiLL Cypha tooling was ready and waiting to be repurposed. That car still looks sharp, even 10+ years later.
The Scion iM looked like a 3rd gen Matrix. Toyota’s PR dept may attempt to spin it as such, but I’m not sure Toyota saw Scion as a short term thing. Toyota success has been built on their ability to plan long term and (for the most part) avoid being caught up in short term fads. During the 90’s and 2000’s Body on Frame SUVs were all the rage. Many car makers embraced this trend at the expense of more efficient vehicles like crossovers, hybrids, basic sedans, etc. This worked until fuel prices went up and the financial crisis in 2008. Toyota was smart enough to have a full line up of competitive vehicles, not just BoF SUVs.
What killed Scion was the unpopular update of the second gen xB and the other forgettable models that followed. Towards the end they were rebadging Mazdas. I don’t think this slow decline was part of their master plan.
I was dubious of “Scion” from the start, Not because of the individual cars themselves, but Ironically, gven the line’s very name, It was implied that “This is not your father’s Toyota”. It always felt forced and not serious,but a quick grab for a “youth” audience (always a moving target any how…. ask Pontiac……)
Not just the name, the marketing approach too — “aggressively trendy” is how I would describe it — and aimed at a youth market that by and large can’t afford new cars. Looks like the WiLL brand had a somewhat similar target.
Sears also sold their own cars back in the very early 1900’s out of the catalog. It was called the Sears Motor Buggy if I remember correctly. Our local museum had one on display at one time. I haven’t seen it for years. The man who owned it died a few years ago, so it may have gone with his estate.
I’m surprised that Sears tried it again.
Interesting observations> I knew of Kaiser but not of the Allstate, and have at least one WLL in London. It seemed to me to be part of the trend that produced the Nissan S-Cargo and Figaro.
The issue I see with selling a car in a dfifierent way is that the consumer will still very likely have a trade in, and the “cost to change” becomes the challenge, not the absolute list price of the new car.
Daewoo had that issue in the UK back in the 90s, selling cars based on the 1984 Vauxhall Astra/Opel Kadett. The pitch was no was haggle and no need to haggle pricing, but if the other dealers were, then they had to , or lose the sale. Likewise, Citroen had a low price/high equipment offer in the early 2000s, which looked great in ads but cam e with low ball trade in values.
Yep, as Bryce said above, plenty of WiLL Vii here; they’re a daily sighting. And I bet the Ford Consul 315 was surprised to be reincarnated as a Toyota…!