Toyota Sera

BeN · Toyota Sera

Back when Toyota were known for dull-as-dishwater offerings, they showed that they still had a bit of imagination when they came up with a small coupe that was ahead of its time.

The Toyota Sera was the result. It featured a design that looked more at home at a motor show stand than on the road. Nobody could believe that the company that was making products like the Starlet and Corolla could come up with something like this.

Other than the distinctive gullwing doors, it was also one of the first cars to offer projector headlamps. Coupled that with legendary Toyota reliability and it was no wonder all 16,000 units were snapped up quickly. Despite being meant for the Japanese market only, it soon found its way to markets around the world.

Truly, a rare modern day Japanese classic.

(P.S. There are a few of these running about in Singapore. I would love to have a go in one given the chance)

kraftwerk

The Sera, a few examples of which yet sully the streets of Londinium towne, is a typically dull-as-ditchwater Toyota offering, replete with cynically 'whacky' (though not really) doors, supposed to attract anyone whose image of Toyota in the latter decades of the 20th century conjured science teachers and social workers. Especially in the all-important Cleveland market. It's a rubbish car, right up there with the Nissan 100NX and Sunny Coupe (itself surely the motoring equivalent of Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore: 'What a fucking misnomer.' 9/11 was, metaphorically, sunnier.)

Matt

I saw one in an OAP-spec metallic green in Plymouth last year. It's like the doors are there to take the piss out of the rest of it.

BeN

Nothing like being shot down dramatically...

Nevertheless, I still think it looks cute, no matter how 'crap' it is.

kraftwerk

Racing

kraftwerk

Racing

Only a maniac would drive a Sera!

Matt

If only Toyota knew that in the early 90s there was a ready made market for them in that area.

Jasper

Wow the last time I saw one of these was in an Autotrader mag. It was in the week after and the week after and after about a year disappeared (maybe it was shipped to Brixton).

Interesting doors, not a fan of the rest.

TimR

I saw one in Dunfermline a few years ago.
It was probably the most exciting thing to ever happen in that shithole.

LittleSwill

There's a very respected Lancia/exotica specialist who also specialises in these things, very odd.

http://www.omicron.uk.com/php/phpclassifieds/index.php

DarthBalls