Small Start, Large Legacy
In spite of—or perhaps, because of—its BMW roots, the recently debuted fifth-generation Supra has caused waves and garnered praise in the world of high-performance motoring. This reborn model is the second enthusiast-targeted Toyota of the modern age, after the Subaru flat-four-powered 86, née the Scion FR-S. They’re notable outliers for an automaker known today for its high-mileage hybrids, practical crossover SUVs, and comfortable family sedans. Everyday drivers tend to forget that Toyota has a rich heritage of building sports cars that can trace their lineage back more than half a century, to when the company debuted its first purpose-built grin inducer: the Sports 800.
While Eisenhower-era American drivers’ introduction to the Toyota Motor Co. came from this automaker’s comparably small and foreign-looking 1957 Toyopet Crown sedan and 1958 Land Cruiser 4x4, the Japanese firm had a well-established reputation on its home turf for quality vehicles. Toyota was building practical vehicles for
