Rare Rides: This 1990 Toyota Town Ace Simply Kills It
High atop Mount Forbidden, the “other market’s” imported vehicle stands alone. It awaits that special day, some 25 years in the future, when the clouds will break and a descent into the mortal realm is possible.
And, after that special day comes, the vehicle gets a chance to stand out beyond all normal cars in any given American parking lot. It was never meant to be seen in this country, and yet someone with an entrepreneurial spirit made it possible. Come with me now, as we experience JDM van goodness.
The two-tone brown box you see here is a 1990 Toyota Town Ace, and I’m staring at it just as much as you. As alluded to, this vehicle was never available in the United States. In 1990, the Toyota van available at your local dealer was distinctly more egg-shaped, and it was called a Previa. The Previa replaced the Town Ace, or “Van” as the American market knew it, after the 1989 model year.
This Town Ace is the restyled version, with full-width headlamp covers in the front and matching style lenses at the rear.
Oh, and did I mention this is a turbodiesel model, which is also four-wheel drive?
This one is well equipped, with a Skylite Roof feature. Much of the ceiling is covered with glass panels, each with its own retractable sun shade. It looks as though two of them even prop up (for excellent mid-cabin ventilation).
With all the glass, visibility can only be described as excellent. Life becomes a panoramic photo from behind the wheel of the Town Ace. Also, that wheel is on the right side, because that’s where wheels are supposed to be it was at home, in Japan.
Seating is reconfigurable, and six people can sit, recline, or lounge in spacious, well-lit veloured comfort. There’s a small fridge between the front seats, which will easily chill your Fiji water.
Cargo space is also considerable, as the seats flip up against the wall when needed.
Currently listed for sale on Craigslist, this spectacular van’s owner is asking $13,999. A small price to pay for a dog camping adventure, don’t you think?
[Images via Craigslist]
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
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A close friend had the North American version of this van. It burned down to the frame on the TransCanada just West of Calgary. He absolutely adored it.
I drove one a Toyota Van as a courier when I was 19! Great stability and maneuvering! Sitting on top of the front wheels, a sharp turn would have you physically moving sideways!