Toyota Crown Tyres
1970 Toyopet Crown Super Deluxe
Toyota Crown 1955–2000
- The original Toyota Crown had a few different sizes in the first production run of 1955-62. The 1955-1958 models fitted 6.40 - 15 and the 1959-62 versions fitted 7.00 - 14, unfortunately, no classic tyre manufacturer currently makes a 7.00 - 14 tyre. The Crown Custom fitted 6.40-13.
- For the size 640 - 13, we offer the 6.40 x 13 Camac as a crossply fitment, however we recommend the 6.40/7.00 SR 13 Michelin ZX as a brilliant radial alternative fitment, which we also offer as the 6.40 x 13 Michelin ZX Whitewall. We suggest fitting the Michelin 13F.
- For the size 640-15 we also have a radial alternative fitment, which is 185-15. The tyres we recommend for this size are the 185 R 15 Michelin XVS and we also have the 185 R 15 Michelin XVS White Wall. The tube we offer for this size is the Michelin 15F.
- The second generation S40 Crowns fitted 7.00 - 13 from it's launch in 1962 until its end in 1967. The best tyre in this size and 640-13 would be the 6.40/7.00 SR 13 Michelin ZX. The best tube for this tyre would be the Michelin 13F.
- In 1971-1975, the Crown fitted 175-14 up until 1975. The best tyre in this size is 175 HR 14 Michelin XAS. We suggest fitting Michelin 14E
- In 1975, the crown moved to fitting 185-14 on nearly all of the models at the time. The tyre we recommend for this size is the 185 HR 14 Michelin MXV-P or the 185 R 14 Michelin MXV Whitewall.
- The only different fitment from this generation of Crown was the 2.8L engine Super Saloon model which fitted 195/70 R14. In this size we recommend the 195/70 VR 14 PIRELLI CINTURATO CN36, an excellent tyre in this size.
- The tube we suggest for these two tyres is the Michelin 14F.
- Our period Innertube Guide informs which models transitioned to tubeless wheels, and when they made the change, see below for more information.
History of the Toyota Crown
The Toyopet Crown was released to the public in 1955 alongside its Toyopet Master commercial variation and Toyopet Patrol, the police car variation. The Crown was a response to Japan's growing public transportation infrastructure, with the crown featuring affordable equipment to keep the price down, making a car that was widely available for the average consumer. A 1.5L type R straight 4 engine was used in both the Crown and Master, Toyota sought to keep lower engine displacements with the introduction of road tax in Japan at this time, although this was not the focus of the future Crowns as the Toyopet Corona would assume the design features of this generation.
The second generation of Toyopet Crown went through a huge restyling, shifting from a short sedan to a huge, stretched-out, luxury sedan that featured a 1.9L straight 4. This design is what would carry the Crown's future designs forward, as the crown became Toyotas mainstream sedan, with the Luxury aspect in future models being pushed into the Lexus GS series in 1989, of which it shares the Crown's platform and powertrain designs.
In 1965 Toyota's M series of Straight 6 engines were introduced and installed in the Crown S which was a Crown with a heavy focus on Luxury. The Crown would continue fitting inline 4 engines in its standard models until 1983 which was the first model to exclude the inline 4 R series of engines from its Crown line. This decade was also when the Crown ceased export en masse to the European market, largely due to the Supra's success there and its identical engine specifications.