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Six years ago, while attending a Classic & Sports Car shoot, I had the great pleasure of encountering a car that had fascinated my ten-year-old self. The S110-series Toyota Crown Super more than fulfilled my expectations, being a vehicle of charm, presences and, yes, style. Plus – the detail that especially appealed to me in 1980 – a refrigerator incorporated in the rear parcel shelf.

The S110 debuted in September 1979 as the seventh generation of Crown. British motorists were offered the 2.8-litre Super, costing £8,840. In addition to power windows, central locking and four-speed automatic transmission, the owner could also revel in remote controls for the boot lid and the petrol filler, the multi-way driver’s seat and an electric radio aerial.

And that was not all, for while the driver enjoyed adjustable steering, the rear seat passengers could benefit from their own cigar lighter plus controls for the radio and the climate system. Plus, of course, ‘the cool box – which supplements its role as a vital part of the air conditioning system with a very welcome usage, as a cold storage compartment for refreshments’. Any car that would prevent Strawberry Mivvis from melting over the upholstery was clearly the epitome of “the good life”.

The brochure further raved about the ‘surge of smooth power to melt away motorway miles’ and the ‘feather-light fingertip controls for everything from electronically controlled door mirrors to the four-speaker auto-reverse stereo radio cassette system’. Yet sales were minimal, as MDs continued to opt for the Ford Granada Ghia Mk. II, Rover SD1 V8S and Vauxhall Royale.

When the S110 ceased production in August 1983, Toyota GB decided not to import its S120 successor. One reason for the Crown’s lack of success in the UK was its unashamedly ornate appearance; the bodywork resembles a scaled-down Lincoln. Meanwhile the fascia is so Detroit-inspired that the floor-mounted gear selector is quite a surprise. Road manners were a further issue and in December 1980 Motor Sport noted how:

‘the disc/drum servo brakes arc very light and nicely progressive in action but the steering of the Japanese car is too vague, but can be lived with, for it is pleasantly light. The Toyota Crown’s cornering is another matter. There is initial gripless understeer that quickly turns into had oversteer and the lack of grip in the wet can be quite disturbing.’

The writer concluded that ‘For those not addicted to hurrying’ the Crown was a ‘competitively-priced proposition’. It was an excellent choice for anyone in the market for chauffeur-driven company transport at a far from unreasonable cost. This was ‘a car to get you there quickly and safely, and in first class comfort’ claimed Toyota, not without justification.

Martin Buckley thought of the test S110 on that C&SC shoot represented ‘the product of an entirely separate cultural sensibility that either had not yet grasped what it took to woo Western big-car buyers or was more interested in keeping its enthusiastic home-market happy’.

But the last UK-market Crown certainly appealed to the discerning few - especially those who appreciated the ‘quiet confidence of gleaming instruments shining out on a cold frosty night’.

Why choose Lancaster Insurance?

Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.

We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.

Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:

• Historic rally cover
• Static show cover
• Limited mileage discounts
• Choice of repairer
• 24-hour claims helpline

Give your classic the protection it deserves and get a quote for your Toyota today.