Since it was never officially exported to the United Kingdom, the Toyota Sera is something of a rare bird in this country. The model evolved from the Toyota AXV-II concept car, which was a sporty three-door hatch coupé that was produced by Toyota for the Tokyo Motor Show of 1987. However, although presented as a concept vehicle, it was an almost oven ready steel monocoque production vehicle that was even offered to the Japanese motoring press in advance of the Show.
Eventually christened Sera, it entered series production in February 1990 and was notable at the time for its extensively glazed roof area and particularly for its so called butterflystyle doors. This was the first time that a mass-produced Japanese car had been offered utilising this layout. Hinged at the A-post and at the top of the windscreen, they were supported by two struts, one hidden inside the door and a larger visible gas strut. This clever arrangement allowed the doors to be opened in a more confined area than a traditional side-hinged layout. Furthermore, the two asymmetrically fixed gas struts allowed a constant effort when opening
