Toyota Crown

From a homegrown 1955 sedan to four new Crown models in 2022.^1,2

Researched October 29, 2026 from 36 sources

Also called

double-doored CrownFirst-generation nickname inspired by its rear-hinged rear doors.²
Baby CadillacThe early Deluxe’s chrome, radio, heater and whitewall tires prompted the press to compare it with a Cadillac.³
Kujira (Whale)The fourth-generation MS60’s nickname, associated with its rounded, spindle-shaped body.^4,5

At a glance

39.4–354 hpPower

5.1–7.2 s0–60 mph

100–207.6 km/hTop speed

1,152–1,971 kgWeight

The coral arc spans the family, from its mildest version to its wildest.^3,5,10,12,13

Gearbox: Original: 3-speed manual; Crossover: CVT or wet-clutch 6-speed automatic^1,2,12
Built at: Japan: Honsha/Motomachi/Tsutsumi; Australia: AMI, Port Melbourne^3,13
Units built: 6 million cumulatively by the fourteenth generation⁸

The story

Toyota built the 1955 Crown for Japanese roads and private-owner comfort: homegrown engineering, independent front double wishbones, rear-hinged rear doors, six seats and a 1.5 L four with a column-shift 3-speed manual.^1,2

GenerationsBefore and afterMilestones^{2,3,5,8,9,10,11,13,15,17,20,25}

Show the numbers

Year	What happened
Introduced 1953	Toyota RH (RH)
1955–1962	Toyopet Crown (first generation) (RS/S10/S20/S30)
1991–1995	Toyota Crown (ninth generation) (JZS140)
1995–1999	Toyota Crown (tenth generation) (S150)
1999–2003	Toyota Crown (eleventh generation) (JZS170)
2003–2008	Toyota Crown (twelfth generation) (GRS180)
2008–2012	Toyota Crown (thirteenth generation) (GWS200)
2012–2018	Toyota Crown (fourteenth generation) (AWS210)
2018–2022	Toyota Crown (fifteenth generation) (S220)
2022–present	Toyota Crown (sixteenth generation) (S230)
1955	RS launches with 48 hp
1957	Toyota’s international motorsport debut
1960	US exports suspended
1967	Crown assembly starts in Port Melbourne
1980	Toyota’s first passenger-car turbo
2008	Hybrid joins Royal Saloon and Athlete
2018	TNGA chassis, standard connectivity
2022	Four Crowns and a North American return
2023	The Sedan takes hydrogen power

1955
RS launches with 48 hp
Toyota’s independently developed Crown arrives with a 1.5 L four, a 3-speed column shift and independent double-wishbone front suspension.^1,2
1957
Toyota’s international motorsport debut
The Crown carries Toyota into international motorsport, finishing 3rd in the overseas class at the Mobilgas Round Australia Rally.⁶
1960
US exports suspended
US shipments begin in June 1958, but the early Crown struggles with freeway traffic. Toyota suspends exports in December 1960.^3,7
1967
Crown assembly starts in Port Melbourne
S40 production reaches Australia as Australian Motor Industries starts assembling Crowns at Port Melbourne.³
1980
Toyota’s first passenger-car turbo
The sixth-generation Crown introduces Toyota’s first turbocharged passenger-car engine in October 1980.⁸
2008
Hybrid joins Royal Saloon and Athlete
The thirteenth generation gains a rear-drive 3.5 L V6 hybrid, with hybrid sales starting May 6.⁹
2018
TNGA chassis, standard connectivity
The fifteenth generation adopts a new TNGA-based platform and a standard DCM, enabling remote driving guidance and vehicle diagnosis.¹⁰
2022
Four Crowns and a North American return
The sixteenth generation branches into Crossover, Sport, Sedan and Estate, and brings the Crown badge back to North America.^1,3
2023
The Sedan takes hydrogen power
The Crown Sedan adds its first fuel-cell version, sharing the Mirai’s system: 3 hydrogen tanks and about 820 km per 3-minute refill.¹¹

Every generation

RHIntroduced 1953
RS/S10/S20/S301955–1962
JZS1401991–1995
S1501995–1999
JZS1701999–2003
GRS1802003–2008
GWS2002008–2012
AWS2102012–2018
S2202018–2022
S2302022–present

Power over the years

From 48 hp to 354 hp in 63 years.

^{2,3,8,10,12,14,15,16}

Show the numbers

Year	Horsepower	Model
1955	48	RS 1.5 L
1955	55	Crown Deluxe
1959	39	Crown Diesel
1962	90	Second-generation 1.9 L
1965	125	S 2.0 L twin-carb six
1971	113	Hardtop Super Saloon
2013	217	2.5 L hybrid (system)
2018	354	3.5 L V6 hybrid (system)
2023	236	XLE/Limited hybrid (system)
2023	302	Sport RS PHEV (system)
2023	340	Platinum Hybrid Max (system)

Versions

9 versions worth knowing, with their power.

Standard

Crown Royal / Royal Saloon (14th generation)

2012–2018
Standard

Crown Majesta (S150)

1995–1999
Standard

Crown Sedan Z FCEV

2023–
Performance

Crown Athlete (14th generation)

2012–2018
Performance

Crown Athlete V (11th generation)

1999–2003

276 hp
Performance

Crown Sport RS (PHEV)

2023–

302 hp
Special

Crown Estate Z / RS THE 70th
Limited

Crown Athlete G / G i-Four ReBORN PINK

2013
Limited

Crown Athlete S / S Four 60th Editions

2015

How to spot one

Look for

1962–1967 generation: crown-shaped badges on the grille and hubcaps.^3,5
2018–2022 sedans have six side windows.^5,10
2018–2022 RS grades have four exhaust tailpipes.^5,10
Crossover: a raised sedan stance with a coupe-like silhouette.¹
2023-on Sedan: a broad trapezoid grille with a vertical pattern.^5,11

Year by year

1958
The first-generation RS20 gains hooded headlights and a one-piece windshield.³
1971–1974
The fourth generation adopts a rounded body that tapers at both ends, with bumpers blended into the body.⁸
1999–2003
Framed sedan doors replace the pillared hardtop; blacked-out center pillars preserve the broad window opening.^5,20
2022
The Crossover arrives with a raised, coupe-like silhouette and lights linked across the front and rear.¹
2027 (Canada)
New rear bumper and satin HEV/AWD badges; Platinum adds red calipers and black window trim. Limited adopts the fifth-generation hybrid.²⁴

Don’t confuse it with

Crown
Toyota Crown Comfort / fleet Crown Sedan
Toyota Crown Comfort / fleet Crown Sedan
The 1995–2018 fleet line is unrelated; the new Crown Sedan has a large, vertical-pattern trapezoid grille.^3,11
Crown
Toyota Crown Kluger
Toyota Crown Kluger
An unrelated midsize SUV sold in China; look for the Crown Crossover's coupe-like sedan silhouette.^1,3
Crown
Toyota Crown Vellfire
Toyota Crown Vellfire
An unrelated minivan sold in China since 2021; the minivan body is the giveaway.³

Against its rivals

Crown vs Nissan Cedric Hardtop GX (1971)

0–400 m lower is better

Crown20.4 s

Nissan Cedric Hardtop GX (1971)21.1 s
¹⁴
Crown vs Mercedes-Benz 250

0–400 m lower is better

Crown20.4 s

Mercedes-Benz 25019 s
¹⁴

Prices

Value today $4.7K–$8.1K^30,31

Price when newAuction saleValue todayPrices on a log scale

^{3,12,18,30,31,32,33,34,35,36}

Show the numbers

Year	Price	Amount	Detail
1958	Launch price	$2,187	US base price, 1958 model year
1958	Price when new	$2,187	US sedan base
1959	Price when new	$2,329	US Deluxe sedan
1960	Price when new	$2,111	US 2-door wagon
1960	Price when new	$2,211	US 4-door wagon
1961	Price when new	$1,795	US Custom sedan
1961	Price when new	$2,080	US Custom wagon
2023	Price when new	$41,045	US base, XLE
2023	Price when new	$46,645	US base, Limited
2023	Price when new	$53,445	US base, Platinum
2024	Price when new	$47,045	US base, Limited
2024	Auction sale	$5,000	1967 Deluxe sedan project, 62k miles shown, BaT
2025	Auction sale	$8,200	1996 Royal Touring, 78k km, BaT
2025	Auction sale	$12,000	1999 Royal Saloon Four Anniversary Package, 56k km, BaT
2026	Auction sale	$8,100	1995 Royal Saloon, 61k km shown, BaT
2026	Auction sale	$4,700	2002 Athlete Estate, 127k km shown, BaT
2026	Auction sale	$6,001	2002 Athlete Estate, 106k km, BaT
2026	Auction sale	$33,500	2024 Crown, mileage 42,041, Bidbus
2026	Value today	$4,700–$8,100

The rest of the story is in the app

The full file tells why each version matters, the legend behind the car and what to check before buying one.

Versions
- Why each of the 9 versions matters
Legend
- 12 stories from its legend
- “47th overall on Toyota's rally debut”
- “A Kujira that rewinds mistakes”
Generations
- The story of each of the 10 generations
Market
- 6 things to check before buying one

Read the full file in SPOT

SPOT is free on iPhone. Full car files come with SPOT Plus.

Sources

Every fact on this page links to the source it rests on.

See all 36 sources

global.toyota
toyota-global.com
en.wikipedia.org
japanesenostalgiccar.com
kyoto-toyota.jp
toyota.com.au
mag.toyota.co.uk
caranddriver.com
carexpert.com.au
kurumastories.com
redriven.com
motortrend.com
toyotatimes.jp
toyota.jp

At a glance

The story

RS launches with 48 hp

Toyota’s international motorsport debut

US exports suspended

Crown assembly starts in Port Melbourne

Toyota’s first passenger-car turbo

Hybrid joins Royal Saloon and Athlete

TNGA chassis, standard connectivity

Four Crowns and a North American return

The Sedan takes hydrogen power

Every generation

Power over the years

Versions

Crown Royal / Royal Saloon (14th generation)

Crown Majesta (S150)

Crown Sedan Z FCEV

Crown Athlete (14th generation)

Crown Athlete V (11th generation)

Crown Sport RS (PHEV)

Crown Estate Z / RS THE 70th

Crown Athlete G / G i-Four ReBORN PINK

Crown Athlete S / S Four 60th Editions

How to spot one

Look for

Year by year

Don’t confuse it with

Toyota Crown Comfort / fleet Crown Sedan

Toyota Crown Kluger

Toyota Crown Vellfire

Against its rivals

Prices

The rest of the story is in the app

Versions

Legend

Generations

Market

Sources

Photo credits

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