Toyota Publica: Toyota’s answer to Japan’s national car idea

The Toyota Publica was a small car built from 1961 to 1978. It was conceived as a family car for the Japanese government’s “national car concept”, was the smallest Toyota of its time, and was replaced in that role by the Starlet, which began life as a Publica version.

Toyota Publica at a glance

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Toyota Publica.

History of the Toyota Publica

The national car idea

The Publica can be traced to the “national car” concept announced by Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1955. It called for a car able to exceed 100 km/h, weigh under 400 kg, use no more than 30 km/l at a steady 60 km/h and go 100,000 km without major repairs. Eiji Toyoda was initially keen on a front-wheel-drive layout, but it proved too complicated to finish in time, so Toyota chose conventional rear-wheel drive, inspired by the Citroën 2CV with its air-cooled flat-twin. The government had suggested tax breaks for engines under 500 cc, but Toyota judged that too weak for highways and chose 700 cc: an air-cooled 697 cc OHV two-cylinder boxer of 28 PS, known internally as the Toyota U engine. The tax breaks never came, but the displacement did qualify for the lowest road-tax bracket.

P10 (1961)

The Publica went on sale in June 1961 as the UP10 at ¥389,000, through a new dealer network called Toyota Publica Store, later renamed Toyota Corolla Store. It was a two-door saloon with double-wishbone front suspension and semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear, and it was very basic: even a radio and a heater cost extra, which limited its appeal to buyers who saw a car as an aspirational purchase. In 1962 a two-door light van was added, a station wagon classified as a commercial vehicle, and the Sports 800 appeared as the Publica Sport. A 1963 Deluxe trim with reclining seats, heater, radio and chrome helped sales reach the 3,000 to 4,000 a month target, and a convertible from Central Motors arrived the same year. A coupe utility joined in February 1964 and outlived the other body styles by a decade. Toyota also offered a two-speed semi-automatic called Toyoglide, a first for the class in Japan.

P20 and the end

In 1966 the revised Publica, the UP20, appeared alongside the new Corolla E10. The engine grew from 697 to 790 cc, now called 2U, with power up from 35 to 36 PS, while the convertible received the 45 PS twin-carburettor engine from the Sports 800. The base price fell to ¥359,000, and with the dollar at about ¥360 Toyota marketed the car as the “1000 dollar car”. The Publica dealer network became Toyota Corolla Store once the Corolla proved the more popular small Toyota. The MiniAce van of 1966 was also based on the Publica, and the Starlet eventually took over its place at the bottom of Toyota’s range.

Design and features

• National car concept: built to meet the Japanese government’s 1955 small-car targets.
• Air-cooled boxer: a 697 cc two-cylinder engine of 28 PS, later a 790 cc unit.
• Many body styles: saloon, van, convertible, coupe and coupe utility.
• Sports 800 link: the little sports car began as the Publica Sport.

Toyota Publica versions

• UP10 (1961): the original two-door saloon.
• Light van (1962): commercial wagon version.
• Deluxe (1963): heater, radio and reclining seats.
• Convertible (1963): built by Central Motors.
• Coupe utility (1964): pickup version that outlived the others.
• UP20 (1966): 790 cc engine and the “1000 dollar car” price.

The Publica spawned the Sports 800 and was replaced in Toyota’s range by the Starlet. Its successor in size was the Corolla, and more cars are in the Toyota collection.

Sources

• Toyota Publica, English Wikipedia: development, P10 and P20 series