Photo: deftonite on Reddit
Sometimes you need a picture like this to be reminded just how ridiculous some things are when placed in the right context. We’re pretty used to seeing heavy duty pickup trucks all around us, but when compared to a 1988 Toyota Pickup, they look like elephants next to a donkey.
This Toyota - aptly named “pickup” - is the one model that contributed the most to the company’s fame for building extremely reliable vehicles, and the stories to support such claims abound. But you don’t really need to hear them when you can still see these cars being used just like when they were brand new.
This indestructible reputation was then carried over to the Hilux, and we can all remember the Top Gear episode where its fame was put to the test during a set of gruesome challenges. And the Japanese pickup’s engine refused to die. We would have actually suspected some foul play there, like hidden advertising or something, if it weren’t for Jeremy Clarkson’s teary eyes at the sight of the enduring pickup that just wouldn’t give up on life. It was like watching a puppy who everyone thought should be euthanized making a miraculous comeback.
The picture you see here was snapped by Reddit user deftonite who, just like we are seeing it now, was probably struck by the huge difference in size between the Toyota and the two flanking pickups. It makes you wonder if people really need cars that size. Some undeniably do, but the vast majority could make do with smaller pickups just as well. But as deftonite captures so well, this truck will carry more cargo over its infinitely longer lifespan than those two behemoths sitting next to it.
With its 2.4-liter SOHC engine developing 97 hp and 129 lb-ft (174 Nm), it’s probably got the same power as those other two guys’ lawnmowers. But while you can’t accuse the Toyota Pickup of phenomenal performances, it’s all it really needs. It came with a four-speed manual gearbox and... not much else. And you know why? Because fewer gadgets means less things that can break down.
We’re not trying to convince anybody that older is better, we’re just paying our homages to a living icon of the automotive world. One that just happens to be parked next to two similar, much more imposing cars that will probably be completely forgotten in ten years' time.
This indestructible reputation was then carried over to the Hilux, and we can all remember the Top Gear episode where its fame was put to the test during a set of gruesome challenges. And the Japanese pickup’s engine refused to die. We would have actually suspected some foul play there, like hidden advertising or something, if it weren’t for Jeremy Clarkson’s teary eyes at the sight of the enduring pickup that just wouldn’t give up on life. It was like watching a puppy who everyone thought should be euthanized making a miraculous comeback.
The picture you see here was snapped by Reddit user deftonite who, just like we are seeing it now, was probably struck by the huge difference in size between the Toyota and the two flanking pickups. It makes you wonder if people really need cars that size. Some undeniably do, but the vast majority could make do with smaller pickups just as well. But as deftonite captures so well, this truck will carry more cargo over its infinitely longer lifespan than those two behemoths sitting next to it.
With its 2.4-liter SOHC engine developing 97 hp and 129 lb-ft (174 Nm), it’s probably got the same power as those other two guys’ lawnmowers. But while you can’t accuse the Toyota Pickup of phenomenal performances, it’s all it really needs. It came with a four-speed manual gearbox and... not much else. And you know why? Because fewer gadgets means less things that can break down.
We’re not trying to convince anybody that older is better, we’re just paying our homages to a living icon of the automotive world. One that just happens to be parked next to two similar, much more imposing cars that will probably be completely forgotten in ten years' time.
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