Original vintage 1984 Toyota advertisement for the company's 1985 SR5 4x4 with XTRACAB, "The 1985 Toyota 4x4 SR5. Go beat up a mountain. Aggressive!"
Dimensions: Roughly 8 inches wide by 11 inches high
If you were a young man in the mid-1980s, you wanted a 4×4 Toyota SR5 pickup truck. By any name, these trucks embodied the virtues of the mid-1980s — they were stylish, a little bit boastful and a lot of fun. It’s no coincidence the main protagonist in 1985's “Back to the Future,” the young Marty McFly, dreamed of owning a tricked-out Toyota SR5 – he represented the Everyman of the era.
Japanese automakers sold mini trucks in America since Datsun brought the first models over in 1959. Toyota followed in 1964 with a small truck called the Stout, which was derided as ugly in its day, but time has been kind, and today it looks pleasantly retro. Toyota gave the Stout a 1.9-liter engine that made a respectable 85 horsepower.
Toyota trucks really took off during the first energy crisis of 1973. Suddenly a V8 or a big straight 6 didn’t seem like such a good idea — unless you really needed full-size carrying capacity.
Plus, you could buy a little Japanese truck for pocket change, and American dads and small businesses bought mini trucks in large numbers. Unsurprisingly, the next generation of American boys learned to drive in those trucks. They were cheap and, to be honest, expendable vehicles.
Still, these are very sturdy — and reliable — little trucks. With care, they last for hundreds of thousands of miles — as long as you keep the rust demon at bay.
By the late 1970s, you could get your mini truck with 4-wheel drive, alloy wheels and an attractive sticker package. Automatic transmissions also became available, and small trucks were set to move beyond the status of a cheap working vehicle and become a lifestyle ride. As these trucks became more capable and popular, the need for proper truck driver training grew, helping drivers adapt to new features like 4-wheel drive and heavier payloads.
The third generation of the Toyota pickup arrived in 1978, with attractive bodywork and a 2.2-liter engine that made 90 horsepower. Technically, SR5 was a trim level, but it was so popular, it might as well have been the model name. The SR5 trim included luxury features such as power steering, power brakes, an AM/FM radio and optional air conditioning. Four-wheel-drive and a 3-speed automatic transmission were optional equipment. If you chose 4WD, you got a traditional dual-range transfer case, and locking hubs on the front wheels.
The aftermarket loved these trucks, producing lift kits, suspension upgrades, rollover bars, tube bumpers and even transfer-case upgrades. Oversize tires were a popular modification, although the increase in final drive ratio made acceleration a fond memory. That hardly mattered, though, because no one else was going much faster.
The first generation of the SR5 held on until 1983. By the end of production, you could get your Toyota with a carbureted 2.4-liter 22R engine rated at 97 horsepower. Toyota redesigned its truck for 1984–88, and the new model was even more popular — even though it was less beautiful on the outside.
You could get the new SR5 with an Xtracab, which gave the truck six more inches inside and allowed taller people to drive in comfort. Buyers could also choose an upgraded fuel-injected engine with a dizzying 105 horsepower. That was McFly’s truck.
The reason to buy a Toyota SR5 pickup is pure nostalgia. You could just buy a new Toyota Tacoma with all the modern conveniences. But a new truck cannot help you relive the 1980s as they should have been.
As Doc Brown wisely said, “If you’re going to build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?”
