Toyota Tundra History
Toyota Tundra History
Introduction
The Tundra was the first-ever full-size pickup truck manufactured by Toyota, and in its inaugural model year, it was nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award. That set the tone for the Toyota Tundra to become one of the world’s most capable and successful pickup trucks, despite the Japanese automaker’s reputation for producing vehicles that focus on fuel economy.
Early History
Toyota introduced the Tundra in May of 1999 for the 2000 model year. The Tundra pickups were initially unveiled as concepts with the name “T150s,” but that was too close to the Ford F-Series nomenclature, so Toyota broke away, although the automaker claims that the T150 name was never intended for production.
The Tundra has been in constant production for over 15 years and has seen three generations with the first ending in 2007, the second in 2013, and the third generation still selling in showrooms today.
Recent History
A recent redesign has signaled the start of the Toyota Tundra’s third generation with a ruggedly-fashioned exterior and all-new interior technology, but the Tundra’s most notable recent accomplishment has nothing to do with design or even sales. In 2012, a stock Toyota Tundra towed the Endeavour space shuttle, weighing 650,000 pounds, approximately nine miles.
Awards
- Motor Trend Truck of the Year in 2008
- Truckin’ Magazine’s Truck of the Year in 2008
- Trailer Boats’ Vehicle of the Year Award in 2007
- Kelley Blue Book’s Best Resale Value Award in 2014
- Cars.com “Best Bet” in 2013