In July of 1958, the Toyopet Crown was the first Toyota sold in America. It was praised for its ruggedness, durability, and small size. However, it was overpriced and under powered for the U.S. market.

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Wayne's Garage has been performing Toyota repair and service since 1973 in the Eugene and Springfield area. We have experienced technicians to properly service and repair your Toyota or Lexus.

Integrity, Quality and Unmatched Service.

Wayne's Garage is a AAA approved Auto Repair shop and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence has awarded us the Blue Seal of Excellence.

Our technicians are ASE certified

We offer a 24 month/36,000 mile warranty.

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A little Toyota and Lexus History

The company was founded in 1926 as Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. by Sakichi Toyoda, the inventor of a series of manual and machine-powered looms. The most impressive of these was the 1924 Toyoda Automatic Loom, a completely automatic high-speed loom with dozens of new innovations. At the time it was the world's most advanced loom, delivering a dramatic improvement in quality and a twenty-fold increase in productivity.

In 1933, the company established its automobile department, led by Kiichiro Toyoda, the eldest son of Sakichi Toyoda. This department was spun out as Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. in 1937 and is now known as Toyota Motor Corporation.

In the US.
In September 1957 the first two Toyota Toyopets were unloaded at the port of Los Angeles, representing some of the first Japanese passenger cars ever to be exported to America.

Confident in their product, Toyota extended the warranties against defective parts and workmanship for six months or 6000 miles compared to customary automotive warranties at the time of 4000 miles or four months.

When road testing the Toyopet engineers discovered that it did not have enough horsepower to pull the vehicle over the hills near Los Angeles. Under these mountainous conditions, the engine overheated, power plummeted and loud, threatening noises radiated from under the hood.

Toyota quickly realized that the Toyopet was not engineered for American roads or American drivers. Used as taxis in Tokyo, the Toyopet was ideal for duty on the rough and bumpy roads of post World War II Japan, but unsuited for high speeds and easy steering, weighing over 3,000 lbs and powered by a mere 58 horsepower engine.

Toyota halted passenger car exports to the US altogether between 1961 and 1965. In 1965 Toyota introduced the Corona in the US. Rather than exporting another small car designed for Tokyo's clogged streets, the automaker designed the Corona with America's open roads in mind. With its 90-horsepower engine, the Corona was almost twice as powerful as the VW Beetle, the nation's best-selling import at the time.

It was available with air conditioning, an automatic transmission, arm rests, a glove compartment and white sidewall tires.

In 1967, Toyota sold 32,000 Coronas, pushing the company to fifth place among import brands in America. After that, Toyota was more than just a curiosity.

1965 Toyota Corona

Lexus - The F1 project

In 1983, Toyota chairman Eiji Toyoda summoned a secret meeting of company executives, to whom he posed the question, "Can we create a luxury vehicle to challenge the world's best"? This question prompted Toyota to embark on a top-secret project, code-named F1

The F1 project, whose finished product was ultimately the Lexus LS 400, aimed to develop a luxury car that would expand Toyota's product line, giving it a foothold in the premium segment and offering both longtime and new customers a luxury product.

The F1 project followed the success of the Toyota Supra sports car and the luxury Toyota Cressida models. Both the Supra and Cressida were rear-wheel drive cars with powerful engines.

The first LS 400 flagship sedan debuted in 1989, introducing Lexus to the world.
The first advertising for the car showed it on a set of rollers with filled champagne glasses stacked on the hood. The car was accelerated to 145 MPH without spilling a drop of champagne. (See inset top left of picture)

1989 Lexus LS400 - the F1 project