KP50 1200 Deluxe

STORY

Toyota's reply to the 1955 ministry people's car idea arrived on 30 June 1961 as the Publica UP10, a 3,520 mm two-door weighing 580 kg and priced at 389,000 yen, with an air-cooled 697 cc flat twin quoted at 28 PS. It was rear-driven after trials of front drive, sold through a dedicated Publica Store chain, and missed its targets until a deluxe grade arrived. An April 1966 rework brought an 800 cc engine with 36 PS, and the September 1967 Super used the Sports 800 unit rated 45 PS. The larger bodies followed on 1 April 1969: KP30 took water-cooled Corolla fours, among them the 993 cc 2K of the Publica 1000, which was also the car's export name in Europe, while UP30 kept the 790 cc air-cooled twin at 40 PS until January 1972. Takaoka built them, Daihatsu from September 1969 and Hino from 1970. The saloon finished in December 1977, while the Publica pickup carried the name to 1988.