Toyoda AA
The only remaining pre-war Toyota in the world
Any hope of finding an original example of the very first Toyota passenger car, the AA, somewhere in the world, had long since been lost. Even the Toyota factory museum in Japan had to have a replica built. However, around 2008 this AA suddenly surfaced near the Russian city of Vladivostok. It had been owned by a Siberian farmer since World War II and was probably brought to Russia with the spoils of war. The car was used extensively on the land and had been heavily modified.
This is the oldest Toyota in the world known to exist. The research into its history is still ongoing. It was acquired by the Louwman Museum from the grandson of the original owner. It took seven months to bring the car to the Netherlands. The Russian Ministry of Culture had to give its consent for the car to be exported as it was more than fifty years old. The car was transported by train from Vladivostok to Moscow and then to the Netherlands by lorry.
The Toyota AA was produced from 1936 to 1943 and was fitted with a 3.3-litre, 62 hp six-cylinder engine. Its design was inspired by the Chrysler Airflow. Approximately 1,400 examples were manufactured. Apart from the AA sedan there was also a cabriolet version, the AB.