Not a great machine but the ultimate in Japanese big-car kitsch. A wonderfully baroque piece of mid-Pacific styling, the Crown coupe is a sharp reminder of why so few big Japanese barges were sold in this country until the advent of the Lexus. It looked like a giant tin toy, with its step bonnet, wraparound flashers, pillarless side windows and excessive chrome - and, inside, the cars featured acres of slithery, sticky vinyl. But what they lacked in taste these cars made up for, to a certain extent, with gadgets: electric locks, air-conditioning, a cooler box in the boot and power windows were all standard.
Powered by an unremarkable, 2.6-litre, straight-six engine, all Crowns were autos and many had power steering. They weren't lively machines, struggling to reach 100 mph, but as relaxing wafters they had their merits. What's more, the handling wasn't as bad as you might have expected. Then again, it wasn't that good either. The British club knows of 20 or so Coupe survivors.
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