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The six prototypes that Toyota has kept secret for 50 years

In the 1970s, the Japanese brand set out to conquer the United States and, to do so, created a local design studio in 1973. Now, half a century later, it has decided to unveil some models that were conceived at Calty

ELENA SANZ BARTOLOMÉ

Oct 09, 2023 - 14:35CEST

Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40. The Calty Design Research studio encouraged its designers to create freely. One of the first proposals for the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 was born from this proposal. But, it never materialized: it was only ever a scale model.

Toyota MX-1. In the 1980s, Calty focused on exploring new design languages and techniques. The result was the Toyota MX-1, a mid-engine sports car with scissor doors. It never went into production.

Toyota MX-2. Years later, the Toyota MX-2 arrived. The model sported a fiberglass-reinforced plastic body and gull-wing doors. Inside, the steering wheel had a swing arm that allowed it to be positioned to the left or right.

Toyota Supra. The final design of the Toyota Supra was not by Calty, but they did want to imagine what the fourth generation of the Japanese sports car would look like. Their creation was a less GT vehicle, but some of its lines did make it into the production model.

Toyota Caravan. In 1975, designers at the U.S. design center opened their horizons and also explored the world of caravans with this concept.

Toyota Scion NYC. Calty took its vision a step further with an urban car called Toyota Scion NYC, in which occupants were almost standing upright. For many, it evoked the image of a frog.

Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser (BLC). The Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser is a lunar vehicle "to conquer rough terrain on Earth and beyond." The prototype borrows aesthetic elements from the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 and is also inspired by the real Lunar Cruiser. In 2019, the brand signed an agreement with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to build such a vehicle.