Toyota · 1956–2000

Toyota Stout

The Toyota Stout is a light truck produced by the Japanese automaker Toyota from 1956 through 2000. The Stout is the successor of the RK truck and inherited its K-series model code. The K-series model code was also shared with the Dyna and ToyoAce semi-cab over trucks. The similar K-series model codes among these vehicles caused confusion in the market, because earlier Toyota commercial vehicles were sold by their model codes rather than proper names until the late 1950s. The K-series code became exclusive to the Stout when the ToyoAce was switched to the Y-series in 1971. In Japan, the Stout was sold at Toyota Japanese dealerships called Toyopet Store. The Stout was effectively replaced by the Hilux in most markets in 1968. In some regions, both vehicles were sold alongside each other, with the Stout positioned as a heavy-duty alternative to the Hilux.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Toyota SA · Successor: Toyota Hilux

All Toyota Stout data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

First generation (K20/30; 1954–1960)

Introduced in April 1956 as the Toyopet RK23 1.5 ton truck, it was launched as the successor of the RK. The RK23 used the same cabin as the Masterline coupé utility, which in turn had been derived from the short-lived Master sedan. Despite both pickup trucks employing a ladder frame chassis, the RK23 was positioned as a heavy-duty model with twice payload capacity than the Masterline. The truck also shared its chassis with the Dyna cab over truck until it received a new generation with an original chassis in 1963. Its main competitor was the Nissan Junior. The RK23 was assembled in Toyota Shatai's Koromo Plant, which was renamed the Honsha Plant in August 1960. The engine was the 49 PS (36 kW; 48 hp), 1.5-litre R coupled with a three-speed manual transmission, same as the Masterline and the earlier RK. It also used mechanicals common to new vehicles of its time, such as front and rear leaf springs, solid axles suspension and four-wheel drum brakes. In 1957, the engine power was increased to 55 PS (40 kW; 54 hp), along with the introduction of two-door extended cab (called universal truck) and three-door van/station wagon body styles. In April 1958, the RK23 was revised with a minor facelift to become the RK30, adopting a four-speed manual transmission with synchromesh, and relocating the gear shifter to the column to accommodate seating for three people. The RK30 was also shorter and lighter than the RK23. Two months later, the lineup was expanded to include the long-wheelbase RK35 with a 1.75-ton payload. Three-door van/station wagon, and extended cab models were now only offered on the RK35 chassis. The power of the 1.5-litre engine was also raised to 58 PS (43 kW; 57 hp). In June 1959, to avoid confusion with the RK85 (Dyna), it was renamed the Toyopet Stout in a nam

Second generation (K40/100; 1960–1978)

Completely redesigned in July 1960, this is the most familiar version of the Stout. The pickup truck initially released with the 1,453 cc R engine (RK45), while the maximum load capacity remained the same at 1.75-ton as the older RK35. In October 1962, a 2-ton version (RK100) was introduced with a 1,897 cc 3R-B engine, which was introduced to counter the 2-ton Nissan Junior 1900. Along with the new optional engine, the Stout also underwent a facelift, including twin headlights. Conventional mechanical parts were used in the form of leaf springs and four-wheel drum brakes on a ladder frame chassis. Body styles include a pickup (two-door, three seater), a double-cab pickup (four-door, six seater), a two-door box van and a five door station wagon. Trucks were built in Toyota Shatai's Honsha Plant, while the vans were assembled by Arakawa Auto Body Industries (also in Honsha). The Stout was Toyota's launch model in South Africa in 1961. It sold well until its discontinuation in 1979. The RK45 Stout was the first Toyota to begin complete knock-down assembly in South Africa, in 1962. Between 1961 and 1975, 17,500 Stouts were sold in South Africa – the majority of them assembled locally. This generation Stout was also assembled by Toyota Motor Thailand, beginning in February 1964, in Uruguay by Automotora Basso from 1963 to 1972, and 940 units in Peru between 1967 and 1971. In September 1963 there also appeared a shorter and lighter duty model powered by the 1.5-litre R engine called Lite Stout (RK40), which featured independent coil sprung front suspension for a more carlike ride. This was meant to compete directly with Nissan's Datsun minitrucks, but it never sold particularly well in its home market and was replaced by the Briska and Hilux following Toyota's takeover of Hi

Third generation (K110; 1978–2000)

Facelifted and modernised in March 1979, the 1.5-ton Stout now used the front pressings of the smaller Hilux but still fulfilled the same role as before. The bed used the same pressings as for the previous Stouts, meaning that there was a pronounced difference between the front and rear bodywork. In South Africa, the bed of the third-generation Stout was similar to that of the South African Hilux, except it was slightly wider. Such an arrangement meant that the cab was somewhat narrower than the bed. The South African third-generation Toyota Hilux, introduced there in 1979, had a different load bed than the Japanese and international models. The rear-light clusters appeared under the tailgate instead of flanking it on the sides. The RK110 also continued to use the same 1,994 cc 5R engine. Toyota themselves state that export versions were available with the 2.2 litre 20R engine, but this is in contradiction to their own parts catalogues which only include the 5R and the 4Y. The Stout underwent a light facelift in January 1982 and became the RK111, still fitted with the 5R engine. Body styles included a pickup (two-door, three-seater) and a double-cab pickup (four-door six-seater). The Stout was cancelled in 1989 without a successor, as Toyota's first full-size pickup, the T100 (as well as the later Tundra) were built mainly for North America, where the Stout had been replaced by the Hilux in 1968. In Japan, the third generation Stout saw very limited sales, as trucks in this weight class were nearly always of a cab-over design. Most third generation Stouts were exported. The double cab version was retired in July 1985. Stout production for Japan came to a final halt in March 1989, although production for export continued until February 2000. From September 1986, a new ve

Nameplate use with other vehicles

In Ecuador, the petrol engined rear-wheel-drive single cab N140 Hilux was marketed as the Stout II. In Peru, the Hilux Champ is sold as the Hilux Stout.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Toyota Stout
Manufacturer: Toyota
Production: April 1956–February 2000
Class: Light truck
Layout: Front engine, rear-wheel-drive
Predecessor: Toyopet RK
Successor: Toyota TUV (Lite Stout, South Africa), Toyota Hilux, Toyota Hilux Champ (spiritual)

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q955780CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_StoutCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1361728384 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toyopet1500RK23.jpgPublic domain · Photo: Ypy31 · 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.