Toyota · 1947–1952
Toyota SA
The SA was Toyota's first new passenger car design (as opposed to updating the AA) after World War II. It was the first in a family of vehicles before the introduction of the Crown. A series of light trucks also shared the chassis and major components of these passenger cars. All of these vehicles were sold under the Toyopet name.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Predecessor: Toyota AA · Successor: Toyota Crown
All Toyota SA data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
SA
The SA was Toyota's first true post war design. It differed from all previous Toyota cars by having a 4-cylinder engine (previously a 6-cylinder was used), 4-wheel independent suspension (previously using rigid axles with leaf springs) and a smaller, "ponton" influenced aerodynamic body. The project was driven by Kiichiro Toyoda under the wisdom of his father's (Sakichi Toyoda) words, "Stay ahead of the times" but most of the design work was done by Dr Kazuo Kumabe. The body was aerodynamic in a style similar to the Volkswagen Beetle. Only a two-door sedan was made, making it unsuitable for the taxi market. The doors were hinged at the rear (often called suicide doors). The front window was a single pane of flat glass with a single wiper mounted above the driver. Only right hand drive was offered. Toyota engineers (including Dr Kumabe) had visited Germany before World War II and had studied the 16-cylinder Auto Union racing car (independent suspension) and Porsche and Volkswagen designs (independent suspension, aerodynamic bodies, backbone chassis, rear-mounted air-cooled engines, economical production cost). Many Japanese companies had ties with Germany during the war years but most partnered with British or American companies after the war and thus used technologies commonly used in Britain or America. But Toyota did not partner with a foreign company, so it was free to use German designs. Many features of the prototype Beetle were subsequently put into the SA, although the Beetle's rear-mounted air-cooled engine feature was not used. Later on, Toyota revisited the economic principles exemplified by the Beetle when designing the Publica and the Corolla. Dates and production figures. Although permission to begin full production of passenger cars in Japan was not grante
SB
A light truck using the running gear from the SA but with a ladder chassis and solid axles front and rear, both with semi-elliptical springs. The SB was popular with the general public and also with the American occupation forces, which ordered it in large numbers. The SB was offered with commercial bodies only but many dealers and owners had sedan bodies made for them. Toyota contracted the Kanto Denki factory to produce a sedan body and wagon on the SB chassis as the SC. There was also a cab-over walk-in van model, the 1952 Toyopet Route Van. The body of the Route Van was built by Shin-Nikkoku Kogyo (now Nissan Shatai) , a special-purpose manufacturing company that originally built streetcars and buses. A small number of police cars were made for the Japanese Police Reserve Force by adding a special body with a canvas top, four canvas doors, and a fold down front window but they were not popular. Dates and production figures. Produced from 1947. Mechanicals. The SB used the same engine and gearbox as the SA, a three-speed manual and the 1-litre "S"-series engine, producing 27 PS (20 kW) at 4,000 rpm. This was enough for a top speed of 68 km/h (42 mph). A conventional ladder frame chassis was used with conventional semi-elliptical springs and solid axles front and rear.
SC
The SB light truck was offered with commercial bodies only but many dealers and owners had sedan bodies made for them. Toyota contracted the Kanto Denki factory to produce a 4-door, 4-seat sedan body and wagon on the SB chassis as the SC. However, production of the SA sedan continued and the SC was not put into production. When production of the SA stopped, a revised version of the SC was made as the SD. Dates and production figures. 3 prototypes were built but the SC did not go into production. Mechanicals. Same as the SB except for independent front suspension.
SD
A 5-seater passenger car using the same chassis and suspension as the SB. Dates and production figures. Produced from November 1949 until 1951. Mechanicals. Same as the SB.
SF
An update to the SD. This sold in considerably higher numbers than any of its predecessors, mainly due to increasing demand for taxis. Dates and production figures. Produced from October 1951 until 1953. 3,653 were built. Mechanicals. Same as the SD.
SG
An update to the SB, sharing components with the SF. Dates and production figures. Produced from March 1952 until 1954. Mechanicals. Same as the SF.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Toyopet SA
- Manufacturer
- Toyota
- Production
- Oct 1947–May 1952
- Assembly
- Honsha Plant, Toyota City, Aichi, Japan
- Predecessor
- AE
- Successor
- SD
- Class
- large family car
- Body style
- sedan
- Layout
- front-engine, rear-wheel drive
- Platform
- backbone chassis
- Engine
- Type S
- Transmission
- 3-speed manual
- Wheelbase
- 2400 mm
- Length
- 3800 mm
- Width
- 1590 mm
- Height
- 1530 mm
- Kerb weight
- 1170 kg
- Related
- SB, SC
- Designer
- Dr Kazuo Kumabe
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2067158CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_SACC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1370666037 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1947_Toyopet_Model_SA_01.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Mytho88 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.