(first posted 1/15/2016) Four decades is an eternity in the automobile business, with new technology and design trends constantly changing automotive design, so there are few vehicles produced today that closely resemble their 1970s predecessors. Toyota produces such a vehicle, the Crown Comfort, an updated iteration of the boxy, conservatively engineered sedans that were crucial to the company’s rise during the 1960s and 1970s. It is a living fossil of a previous decade, and like all living fossils, it has survived because it is well suited for a particular niche, even though the world as a whole has passed it by.
Three box sedans with a four cylinder engine, rear wheel drive, and solid rear axle were Toyota’s foundational product during the 1960s and 1970s, and the Crown Comfort is the last of that line. It is part of a lineage of Crown models that began in 1955 and has spanned 14 design generations with no apparent end in sight. Crowns have been Toyota’s mainstream large sedan, aimed at relatively well-off families and at taxi operators. They became more upmarket and sophisticated with each generation, with six cylinder engines becoming available in the second generation of 1962-67, the fifth generation of 1974-79 introducing two different body sizes in which the smaller met the compact classification under Japanese road tax regulations, and the seventh generation of 1983-87 adding four wheel independent suspension on higher line models while lower grade models retained solid rear axles.
The Crown Comfort emerged in the tenth generation of 1995-99 as a vehicle configured specifically for taxi use, using the compact size and solid rear axle of lower grade models. It reverted to an upright three box style while Crowns and other Toyota sedans were becoming lower and more obviously aerodynamic. Other old-fashioned features to reduce cost or increase durability included rear drum brakes and a plastic and vinyl interior. The Crown Comfort was purpose-built and not simply a continuation of an old design made on old production tooling, though, as it was an entirely new design with a unit body in place of earlier Crowns’ body on frame construction, like all tenth generation Crowns.
The result was an eminently practical car for taxicab use. Only 4,695 mm (184.8 inches) long and 1,695 mm (66.7 inches) wide, it was shorter than a 1995 Camry and no wider than a 1995 Corolla, making it easy to maneuver through tight city streets. It was small and light enough, with a curb weight of only 1,400 kg (3,086 pounds), to power adequately with a 2.0 liter four cylinder engine for economy in urban taxi use. Within these compact dimensions, the tall and formal roofline, high seats, and nearly vertical side windows gave enormous headroom and legroom for rear seat passengers.
The Crown Comfort has continued with few changes since 1995, while Toyota has introduced four new generations of the mainstream Crown and dropped the compact Crown with the twelfth generation of 2003-08. The chassis has been unchanged, and the only significant exterior change has been replacing the original small vertical taillights, seen in preceding photos, with a larger and more visible full-width arrangement in 2007.
The most significant evolution has been in the engine compartment. The engines initially offered were a gasoline 2.0 liter OHV four, a utilitarian pushrod 8-valve design dating back to the early 1980s and used primarily in Hi-Lux pickups and Hiace vans; and a diesel 2.2 liter SOHC four. In 2001, Toyota added an LPG fuel version of a more modern 2.0 liter four from the Hi-Lux pickup, a DOHC 16 valve design with VVT-i variable valve timing, producing 114 horsepower at 4,800 rpm and 139 ft-lbs of torque at 3,600 rpm in the Crown Comfort’s LPG version. The LPG engine became the most popular in Japan and is the only engine currently offered in the Crown Comfort.
From www.imcdb.org
In Japan, the Crown Comfort has been the leading taxi nationwide, seen everywhere in Tokyo and in smaller cities and towns. Equipped with an automatically opening rear door, the Crown Comfort taxi is as characteristic of Japan as an FX4 or TX-series black taxi is of London, or a yellow Crown Victoria has been of New York in the 2000s. Its main domestic competition has been the Nissan Cedric, archrival Nissan’s equivalent to the Crown, with Toyota’s own Prius becoming increasingly popular as a taxi in recent years.
Outside of Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore have been the main export markets for the Crown Comfort. Red-and-white Crown Comforts are the main taxicabs in the Hong Kong special administrative region, where cars continue to drive on the left, as they did when the city was a British colony, instead of on the right as in the rest of China. Over 99 percent of Hong Kong’s 18,000 taxis are Crown Comforts. All are LPG fueled, as imports of diesel taxis ceased in 2001 and operating a diesel taxi became illegal in 2006. The pre-2007 taillight configuration is still commonly seen, which is a testament to the durability of these cars.
Ex Singapore taxis stacked three high. From www.gomotors.net.
In Singapore, another Asian country with driving on the left, the Crown Comfort was formerly the predominant taxi, but it recently has disappeared from the streets–ironically, because of clean air requirements that the LPG engine was supposed to address. In 2006, there were 19,000 Crown Comfort taxis in Singapore that made up 80 percent of the country’s taxi fleet. With all Singapore taxis being diesel powered, and the Crown Comfort’s older diesel engine design being unable to meet the stricter Euro IV diesel emission standards that Singapore followed and that went into effect in September 2006, imports stopped in 2006. Singapore requires taxis to be retired after eight years of service, so the last Crown Comfort went out of service in September 2014. The Hyundai Sonata took its place as Singapore’s leading taxi. LPG powered taxis have been in use on a trial basis for years, and if general adoption of LPG taxis occurs, the Crown Comfort may make a comeback in Singapore.
Although produced in small numbers (only 36,400 from 2005 to 2011, approximately 6,000 per year) and only in right-hand drive, with insignificant export sales, the Crown Comfort continues to be a significant product for Toyota as a living embodiment of traditional Toyota virtues. Toyota’s highest authority, Akio Toyoda — President and CEO of the company, and head of the founding Toyoda family — declared the Crown Comfort in 2010 to be the best representative of Toyota as a company, making it the recipient of the first President’s Award during Toyota’s response to its 2009 quality crisis. Selecting the Crown Comfort instead of Toyota’s market-leading Prius hybrid or Lexus LS luxury flagship sent an unequivocal message that the focus on quality and reliability that propelled Toyota to the top during its rising years of the 1960s and 1970s should continue to be central to the company’s identity. It was a fitting tribute to the Crown Comfort and its predecessors, whose qualities made Toyota what it is today.
A handsome, formal car (no aerodynamics needed for traffic jam driving) whose rear-seat legroom puts larger Crown Vics to shame.
While we have a Prius, there’s only just enough rear headroom for my 6′ frame, which plus shallow hatch floor, makes its layout suboptimal for taxi use. The Prius V rear seat is much more spacious; you can even adjust it fore/aft.
I remember visiting Singapore in about 2000 – we were wading through Crown Comforts every time we went outside. A typical feature was the stationary hub-cap (ie it didn’t rotate with the rest of the wheel) which carried advertising that could thus always be read. (Doesn’t Rolls-Royce have a similar arrangement on its current barges?)
Anyway, I’m sorry to hear that Crown Comforts have disappeared. Must go back to Raffles one day!
I wonder if those used taxis will live a second life in some country of Africa or Bolivia. I hope so!
There is something very attractive to me, and I’m sure to many others here, about such an old school car being still in production.
Found this interesting twist on the utilitarian nature of the Comfort, on its Wikipedia page: “The TRD Comfort GT-Z Supercharger was a limited edition sports model made in 2003. Total production of this version was 59”
Kind of resembles a GAZ-31029.
By DL24 at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2919633
In all actuality, the LWB=Long Wheelbase versions of the Toyota Crown Comfort were exactly identical in dimensions with the 1988-92 Toyota Cressida as the specifications go and mentioned at Google-Wikipedia. Here is the photo link of that Cressida BTW: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/X80_Toyota_Mark2_1.JPG/1280px-X80_Toyota_Mark2_1.JPG The SWB or Short Wheelbase version of the Crown Comfort is exactly the same size as the International Markets including U.S. and Canada 2014 to current Toyota Corolla Sedan.
I’ve heard of the Crown Comfort, but like all previous versions of the Toyota Crown, unfortunately, it was never sold in the U.S.A.
Those Crown Comfort taxis in Hong Kong are definitely an institution!
They’re color coded by region/area:
Red = Hong Kong Island & Kowloon
Green = New Territories
Blue = Outlying islands
The C pillar area comes off just a bit dorky, but otherwise this is a handsome and practical car. It’s a shame that cars built around actual human bodies don’t sell better – unless they’ve been blown up to CUV – SUV proportions.
I’d say that Ford tried to do this car on a larger chassis with the 2005-2009 500 / Taurus. An incredibly space efficient package that should have been a smash hit with people being forced out of their SUVs when gas prices shot up. But, it was a relative flop in the market.
The Checker cab of the Orient. Proving once again, the worst ride is better than the best walk in the rain.
For some reason I love these, having ridden in them extensively in Japan and Hong Kong. If I were to purchase something from over there to import myself and play around with over here once eligible (which I’ve thought about and looked into), this would be on the short list, certainly top three. They’re just so honest and solid with no pretensions whatsoever.
Generally speaking, I know cars are basically thin steel boxes housing a lump of iron acting as its “anchor” at the front joined by a couple of heavy toothpicks to the rear, but it is kind of interesting to see the structural integrity of these Toyotas (which I’m sure is repeatable by other cars made by other manufacturers) as they’re stacked three high. I wonder if the doors of the bottom cars are able to open and close.
That made me think of the old Volvo ad.
Great taxi; been in them in HK, but really out-of-date for any personal use. Hope they contunue to live!
Since FWD Toyotas are hardly unreliable or fragile, I suppose the simpler RWD layout is retained to minimize maintenance downtime even though transverse Toyota 4-cyls have many bits within easy reach. It may also be easier on tires. Maintainability is a big issue for commercial vehicles, railway equipment, & aircraft.
That may also explain rear drum brakes, as fade probably isn’t an issue in low-speed urban driving.
More likely kept RWD so Toyota can use the same tooling since forever and Hilux/Hiace commercial powertrains can be fitted, Ive seen these for sale here and the engine range especially the diesels matches the Surf 4runner Hilux spec.
Why are these stacked inside a warehouse? If they were junk wouldn’t they be outside?
I’ve ridden in these in Japan – a lot more pleasant than any British taxi – the drivers wear a hat, jacket and tie and white gloves and don’t expect a tip.
I’ve always wanted to get a chance to drive a Toyota Crown Comfort myself. These cars always appealed to me with their utility and no-nonsense design. It’s pretty shameful to see the retired Singapore Crowns stacked like in the photo and I hope they have been re-purposed in some way. Nissan also offered a purpose-built taxi model called the Crew.
My guess these retired Singapore taxis are going to be scrapped, if they’re stacked like cordwood.
Singapore is one of the more costly places to own and operate motor vehicles due to high duties and fees levied. There may be an incentive for motorists and fleets to take old vehicles off the road by scrappage. I believe the Preferential Additional Registration Fee (PARF) is applied if you buy a new vehicle but take an older one out of service, either scrapping it or exporting it.
For such a small place, Singapore exports a lot of (old) cars due to it.
Send ’em to the UK! It has a dignified look many old-school Brits might like, though without wood-n-leather.
In a supreme bit of irony, immediately after this article I see an ad for the Nissan Versa Note, sort of the anti-Crown.
A modern-day classic that does its job with style, class and dignity. While we’ll never see the Crown here in Toronto, the Camry and Prius do a good job of representing Toyota as taxis. As the Panthers retire, newer cars are taking their place, and the Toyota offerings are becoming pretty much the norm here.
In the lead photo, the taxi in the foreground has a placard that says it “4 Seats”. However the second taxi in the taxi line at the curb has a placard that says it “5 Seats”. They appear to be the same generation taxi, what would be the differentiator between the seating capacities?
Some Crown Comforts have bench seats with column-mounted shifters, and I presume the taxi in the background with the “5 seats” placard is so equipped.
I’ve always liked the idea of the column-mounted gear selector over the floor mounted gear selector. I believe it leaves more room on the floor for other things that would’ve been taken up by the floor mounted lever.
The four seats taxi is newer, and it came to HK around 2013-14. It has an automatic gear stalk in where the center front seat was, so there was only room for 4 passengers. The older ones have a centre bench seat, and a column-stalk manual 4-speed.
The diesel crown comfort taxis in Hong Kong had 4 speed manual column shifted transmissions to allow for the front bench seat and 5 passengers!
Would have thought they would all be autos due to constant city driving?.
I think they were manual for the sake of economy, or maybe that’s just the only way they came with a diesel? All the taxi drivers I remember were quite adept at shifting those gears in heavy Hong Kong traffic. Lots of coasting to stops in neutral too. Funny thing is that the neutral habit has been carried over to the automatic taxis too. They still shift the autos to neutral at stop lights.
I prefer manual over automatic.
Toyota could sell these in the USA and have a winner on their hands. It’s a nice looking car that doesn’t have that jellybean look of today’s cars. Eventually, someone is going to design a car like this because consumers will eventually become bored with today’s hideous bulbous looks. Time to bring style and more 2 door models back in the mainstream.
I agree. Looking at cars like the Prius and Prius V, etc., I can’t help but wonder what the hell Toyota was thinking when they styled the cars. Had the Crown Comfort been allowed to be marketed here in the USA, right-hand drive or left-hand drive, we’d probably be driving it. I know I would.
A real symbol of Japan – these Crowns are always kept spotless – you most always see drivers wiping down their cars when stopped at train or subway stations waiting for fares. The inside is as spotless as the outside.
Besides taxis, these Comforts are also used in other fleets, such as for government officials and military staff cars.
these were once a Singapore staple.Have been in a few of them on my third trip there in 1998 when not using the MRT or a family members Honda and while not a bad thing.getting into a full size limo on my return to australia getting me home from the airport was a relief.
Sorry, late to this party. Nice article, though a bit derivative from your other one on the same car, no?
Thing is, as I pointed out on that other one, you’re mixing up two Crowns: the Comfort and the Super Deluxe.
The Comfort is the basic taxi. In Japan, it can have a bench seat / column shifter combo (fewer do nowadays), a partition, vinyl seats, rubber mats, etc. It also has the small rear lights – they definitely still make those.
The Super Deluxe is a bit more plush inside, usually with gray velour seats and carpets. They always have floor shifters. Those have the large rear lights, and have had them for longer than 2007 (not sure of the exact date, but pre 2002).
Both models are extensively used as taxis in Japan. But the Super Deluxe can be ordered by non-taxi fleet operators (driving schools, gov’t departments, municipalities, corporations, etc.). These can have other options, such as rear ashtrays, back-seat radio controls and door-mounted (as opposed to wing) mirrors. They do not have the driver-operated rear door either.
I know this because one of these “private” Super Deluxes, a 2003 with large rear lights imported (used) from Japan, is my daily ride. It does not run on LPG, but normal gas. These things are bullet-proof, and sooooo roomy inside.
That clears up something that confused me I saw one of these in city traffic last week and no LPG warning sticker on it,Ive seen them with the synergy drive hybrid badge on the back too obniously late models though its hard to tell.
too bad they have been discontinued for 2017 replaced by a ugly japanese style square car (to be able to handle disabled) RIP
Great rides. I lived in Japan, then Singapore, for many years. Rode in several iterations. The post-1999 versions were especially great. So much room. I’m a big, fat SOB (6’3, 300+), and loved the ease of entry and exit and the uncramped rear seat. No cars like this anymore.
The Hyundai Sonatas which replaced the Crowns in Singapore were replaced by Hyundai i40s which in turn are being replaced by Priuses and Hyundai Ioniqs. Downside of the newer hybrids is the lack of luggage space, but since hardly anyone’s going to the airport it’s not much of an issue!
It is nothing wrong about this vehicle even its design is old, but it serves its purpose well. Plus I believe it is a very good vehicle, always want to get a chance driving, or even owning one. The one in mind is Comfort with 4-cylinder LS series diesel with column manual shifter—I am not sure if these exist in the S130 form or not. In my view, this is just a Japanese W123 in certain way. Another thing amazing about this vehicle is how flexible Toyota factory is, it produces various models in the same assembly line.
Crown is a vehicle with long history in Toyota. Sadly, it increasingly becomes irrelevant in today market. But anyone who owns a Lexus GS will testify how good it is.
I was in Japan in 2018 and there were still plenty of Crown Comforts on the road but the new Toyota JPN Hybrid taxi was also visible in pretty large numbers. Must be even more.
I always loved riding in a Crown Comfort. First of all, being Japan, the car will be spotlessly clean, the ride comfortable and the driver always willing to let me practice my awful Japanese ability.