The Aztek is all Toyota's fault - RV2 concept
click the picture above for a gallery of the Toyota RV-2 concept.
If this were a Trivial Pursuit clue: "Vehicle aimed at an active lifestyle, based on much more common machinery, offering even a camper attachment for the rear," your answer might be a confident, "Pontiac Aztek." You'd be wrong. Even setting the wayback machine for 1970-something and answering "VW Camper" would be right, but also wrong. The correct reply, of course, would be "Toyota RV-2," a vehicle that never saw the light of day much beyond a display stand after the 1972-73 Auto Show season. Granted, it's a little arcane, but the Corona-based brake shows that Toyota was, once upon a time, much hipper, and we're not talking about the surgically implanted ones that Avalon owners sport. The edgy-wedgy styling belies a rear quadrant that unfolds and deploys a tent to cover a party palace more accomodating than the two seats up front. This is the car you take tailgating. Apparently, nothing ever became of the RV-2, but the idea of a car with a tent attached to its arse had surprising staying power, and didn't help the General sell its prescient, awkwardly styled crossovers, either. At least the RV-2 looked mighty natty with some Torq-Thrusts. Thanks for the tip, imoore!
Gallery: Toyota RV-2 concept
[Source: RetroThing, Photos: Stepho's Toyota Site]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Shorty 10:42AM (12/28/2008)
In reference to third picture in gallery:
om nom nom nom
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Michael 10:43AM (12/28/2008)
Haha.
Juan 10:58AM (12/28/2008)
"...shows that Toyota was, once upon a time, much hipper, and we're not talking about the surgically implanted ones that Avalon owners sport."
Avalon owners sport hippers?
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Gary 11:07AM (12/28/2008)
I think the article was referring to hip *replacements*.
Mobius_1 11:07AM (12/28/2008)
I'm sure they didn't come up with that in a committee.
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tekd 1:09PM (12/28/2008)
Maybe the committee was on lsd?
EEL 1:21PM (12/28/2008)
decades ahead of its time
yet still better looking than the aztek
go figure
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Enok 1:54PM (12/28/2008)
This is the only Toyota that makes me want to pitch a tent.
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Tony 5:54PM (12/28/2008)
It just shows you that Toyota can come up with some weird concepts, the difference between it and the General is that saner heads prevailed.
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tankd0g 6:44PM (12/28/2008)
Never understood the rational behind this tent idea. They made the seats fold flat like beds in the Rav4 (and later Honda ripped it off in the element) and honestly that's all you need. You don't need to be able to seat 4 around a card table. You're not going to be living in there. You just need a dry place to sleep.
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