The first Toyota car

The AA was similar to the A1 prototypes with only minor changes.

Dates and Production Figures

A total of 1,404 AA sedans was produced from 1936 until 1943, when the model was replaced by the more austere AC.

A total of 353 AB phaetons, including the military ABR version, was produced until 1942. There was no direct replacement.

Body Type

The AA was a fully enclosed 4 door sedan that largely copied the design of the Chrislyer Airflow sedan. It had a metal body on a metal ladder chassis. The metal body was of modern construction compared to the fabric over wooden frame bodies used on cars designed in the 1920s. The rear doors open backwards. The front glass spanned the entire width of the body in a single pane.

The AB was identical to the AA except that it was a cabrioled with a folding cloth roof, the rear doors opened in the normal manner and the front glass could fold down onto the engine compartment.

Mechanicals

The mechanicals were the same as used in the A1 prototype.

50th year replica

Toyota wanted to use an AA for its 50^th birthday in 1987 but couldn't find any surviving examples. Toyota decided to build a replica but even for that there were no complete and consistent plans. Plans that could be found were from various points during the car's development process and in any case were often incomplete and lacking by today's standards. However, a single replica was built that is believed to be representative of the AA. This replica is now in the Toyota Automobile Museum.

In 2010, an original AA was found in Russia in derelict condition. It is now displayed, still in derelict condition, in the Louwman Museum in Holland.


The Specification of Toyota AA:

Toyota
Production	1936–1943
Assembly	Japan
Predecessor	A1
Successor	AC
Class	medium size family car
Body style(s)	sedan (AA), cabriolet (AB)
Layout	front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Platform	ladder chassis
Engine(s)	Type A
Transmission(s)	3 speed floor shift manual
Wheelbase	2,851 mm (112.2 in)
Length	4,737 mm (186.5 in)
Width	1,734 mm (68.3 in)
Height	1,737 mm (68.4 in)
Curb weight	1,500 kg (3,306.9 lb)