Launched in 1980, Toyota’s fourth iteration of its Mark 2, Cressida, Cresta or Chaser saloon – depending on where in the world you were – was probably one of the Japanese corporation’s most important cars – especially in the US. It was Toyota’s largest model of the time, now only available in four-door form and aimed squarely at the more conservative middle class. In both diesel and petrol forms (available as both manual and auto) it garnered a reputation for huge reliability – if not flair.

Essentially, this has been a one family car, passed on from husband to wife to daughter (with not a lot of use after the husband died), before coming into the possession of the present owner, an avid Toyota enthusiast. It had been stored for a considerable time in an even-temperature, dry environment.

The car doesn’t come with a lot of paperwork, though it does retain all of its MOT certificates. There is also a fairly recent invoice for service sundries.

Overall, this Toyota presents rather well, looking smart in its original white with contrasting chrome and black plastic trim. The paint is in largely excellent condition, displaying a decent gloss and a consistent colour across all panels. There are some small areas of corrosion, with some small bubbles under the paintwork at the bottom of the wheel arches, and also a patch of rust where the paint has flaked away behind the nearside front wheel (and another small one in the door cavity on the offside rear).

Panel fit is very good. None of the doors stick or sag on opening; shut lines are even and panel gaps consistently narrow. This goes for trim parts too, which line up neatly with their counterparts on the next panel. The chrome is a nice feature of the car, showing no signs of pitting nor discolouration in the joints and folds. Smaller, narrower strips are equally neat. All the bumpers appear sturdy and well mounted, retain a good colour, show no cracks and do not sag. 

A handsome and trim-looking saloon.

The Cressida’s cabin has obviously been well taken care of. All the seats are clean, their fabric free of tears or stains. Seat cushions and bolsters do not sag and the joins with the vinyl are tight all around. Likewise, the vinyl seat backs appear strong and in good shape. None of the interior appears to have faded as a result of direct sun light, and you will see no ‘caramelising’ of the sturdy plastic fittings. 

There are no cracks (such as in the corners of the hand brake housing), that so often occur in these Seventies/Eighties cars. Door cards appear similarly robust; the lower carpeted sections show a good pile (as do the floor coverings), while vinyl and fabric sections remain taut and warp free, separated as they are by smart (and very straight) chrome strips. There are a few scuffs, but nothing significant.

The front window winders look quite well-thumbed, as does the gear knob and (less so) the steering wheel, but their appearance is still very acceptable.

One small but significant detail to ponder is the condition of the heating panel and controls (often the subjects of much abuse). All the sliders are straight – even down to their little metal inserts – and all the print remains on the panel. There is no accumulated dust or dirt around the area nor the ashtray below.

The original headlining is very tidy. There is a little speckling to the underside of the sun visors, but a good clean should restore them to the original glory.

By the way, all the nodding dogs nod happily and will remain the car.

The underside of the Toyota remains pretty robust. There is surface corrosion along edges and on some surfaces, but nothing that should pose a significant problem. Quite a bit of the car’s original weatherproofing looks to be intact. The original steel wheels are in pretty good shape and the tyres new.

The engine bay isn’t especially pretty, but everything is in the right place and looks sturdy and capable – and original. Components and ancillaries are weathered, but everything looks clean and pretty free of corrosion save for the odd edge, bolt or bracket.

Looking deeper into the inner wings and down around the bulkhead, structures appear strong and free of any significant rust. This is also true of the boot area were the floor and spare wheel well remain very solid. The car retains both its tool kits in their original wraps, plus jack, which are stored in the boot. None have suffered from any corrosion from damp.

All in all, the car appears very solid.

There’s something very cool about driving such an ‘ordinary’ and understated classic and Seventies/Eighties Japanese saloons have long enjoyed a subculture of their own. Apart from a light refresh in certain areas, this sensible saloon deserves to be celebrated just as it is.