Gallery: Sights at the Toyota Automobile Museum
The Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagoya was built by the Japanese car company to commemorate the history of the automobile. It isn’t just a building full of Toyota cars – it’s full of cars from as early as 1902! Interestingly the 1902 car is the Baker Electric, which had a 1 horsepower electric motor and took it up to 40km/h.
There is also a charcoal gas-powered Buick replica which was quite interesting to check out. It started off as a regular 1937 Buick but was converted to use charcoal, as per the norm back during the days of World War II in Japan. Import of petrol into the country was restricted and many cars were converted into alternative energy cars powered by charcoal gas, wood gas, natural gas, etc.
There’s a whole list of cars on display here. Look after the jump for a whole live photo gallery of the museum.
June 23, 2009 @ 11:11 pm
Great job Paul. great photos.. how bout pics of some new car models fresh from JP?
June 23, 2009 @ 11:20 pm
I would like to go this place…next time
June 24, 2009 @ 12:09 am
awesome gallery…some models were introduced wen i was stil young..sence of nostalga !
June 24, 2009 @ 1:03 am
oh damn, the toyota celica…..my dad used to own one.
the only guy in the area to drive around in it…..he would always turn heads when he drove around in it. but then being such a rare car back then, when he sent it for servicing, the mechanics would say its a lousy car, because they didn’t know how to service it. lol. 24 valve engine was still new back in the 80s.
good times.
June 24, 2009 @ 2:49 am
now i wonder..
since the begining.. all their car are boring..
uh!..except.. AE86 , BUT THAT not because of them (toyota).. but because of the comic and anime.
June 24, 2009 @ 3:17 am
I dare anybody to come out with car cuter than this…
http://paultan.org/photo/Toyota-Automotive-Museum/P1040073.JPG
June 24, 2009 @ 11:13 am
How sweet…i like the 2000GT very much~
June 24, 2009 @ 1:36 pm
just wonder why not only Toyota brand but other are there…
& it does feel incomplete…
why can’t they do like Benz…
June 24, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
I see ULTRAMAN
June 24, 2009 @ 3:11 pm
Pure awesome.
Toyotas back in the days are pretty indeed.
June 24, 2009 @ 5:53 pm
I’ve been there too, a nice place indeed for carnuts (me included!). I still remember a comment from a Syrian guy when were there, “My whole country is a museum, coz all cars there are as old as the ones in this museum!”.
June 24, 2009 @ 7:09 pm
the old mitsubishi gto looks cool too
June 24, 2009 @ 9:26 pm
http://www.toyota.co.jp/ms/gt/index.html
http://36toms.com/
TOYOTA official tuner is TOM’S and TOM’S official partner is PETRONAS MALAYSIA..
PETRONAS TOM’S TOYOTA for the win!!!
June 25, 2009 @ 7:52 am
The white one is the legendary 2000GT which featured in James Bond’s You only live twice. How can someone say it’s boring when it looks like a jaguar? Sexy and a collector’s item, the father of Celica and Supra!!
I wish Toyota can resurrect this car and build a new MK2 2000GT. Perhaps 5000GT sourced from IS-F.
June 25, 2009 @ 5:43 pm
I’ve paid a visit there twice.. very informative & walk through time experience.
You can even read and see the picture of how Mr Toyoda started off the auto company. He even sleeps & eat in the office. Bought back the Ford T-model and reengineered the engine & transmission.
Its a 2 stories building with everything about Toyota. What missing here is the sewing machine section where the company all started.