When British car manufacturers began to show signs of weakness in the 1960s, car importer Emil Frey saw an opportunity to break into the niche market with a Japanese vehicle manufacturer.
Emil Frey first came into contact with Toyota in 1964 during a trip to South Africa. Frey was particularly surprised by the Japanese car manufacturer's great flexibility, which enabled it to offer a new gearbox for South Africa within three weeks after it had become apparent that the three-speed versions were not proving themselves in the mountainous surroundings of the cities. Frey was not used to reacting so quickly; British car manufacturers used to take two years to meet such market requirements.
Without further ado, a right-hand drive Toyota Corona 1500 was imported to Switzerland, the test with the car fulfilled all hopes, the last doubts were dispelled.
Import contract signed on October 4, 1966
Emil Frey traveled with his son Walter to see the factories. The rational work processes, the care and quality awareness in production and the diligence of the workers in general completely convinced the two Swiss, an import contract was signed and Toyota AG Switzerland was founded.
Shortly afterwards, the first Coronas and Corollas were presented to the press.
10 people initially worked in a rented garage in Urdorf and sold 107 cars in the first seven weeks after the premiere at the Geneva Motor Show. By the end of 1967, they had sold 550 Toyotas and the market share was steadily increasing. For the garages, Toyota passenger cars were both a blessing and a risk. They ran so well that they hardly ever needed a mechanic, but they sold well. The garages soon wanted to stock second brands in order to generate more work for their staff.
Import center in Safenwil
Of course, they soon struggled with a lack of space, so the decision was made to build their own import center in Safenwil with 14,000 square meters of building land and parking spaces for 3,000 cars. Toyota President Eiji Toyoda was flown in for the opening. By 1972, the company was already selling 22,680 vehicles per year.
Recession and counterattack
In 1973, Switzerland slipped into a recession that affected the entire automotive industry. Toyota suffered more than the others, however, because there was still little need for replacements due to its young history and because the competition was playing hardball against the ever more dangerous Japanese. As a result, Toyota used cars were considered almost unsaleable and the most contradictory rumors circulated in the press.
But Emil and Walter Frey countered cleverly, began importing SUVs and commercial vehicles and emerged stronger from the crisis. They were also helped by their bold move to offer a three-year warranty on new cars from January 1976.
Success story to this day
In 1992, the 500,000th Toyota was delivered in Switzerland - never before had a brand sold so many cars in Switzerland. The Japanese also repeatedly presented interesting product innovations, such as the RAV4, the MR2 with a mid-engine or the Prius in 1997, which was also on the road in Switzerland from 2000.
And in 2017, the 50th anniversary of Toyota imports can now be celebrated. And this is being done with a special exhibition at the Emil Frey Classics Center. Over 20 cars are on display, providing a good overview of Toyota's performance spectrum in the past.
The beginnings
Of course, the early Toyota passenger cars that were imported into Switzerland, i.e. the Corolla, Corona and Crown models, are on display.
They show what the cars from Japan looked like 50 years ago and what you could buy back then for around 8,000 to 12,000 francs.
The sporty ones
Of course, the Toyota sports cars make hearts beat faster. The 2000 GT became famous not least as the convertible in the James Bond film "You only live twice", but the super sports car, which was developed with the help of Yamaha, was only available as a coupé. Toyota offered the Sports 800, a bonsai sports car that was never officially imported into Switzerland, two three price categories lower.
Toyota's success with sports cars began with the Celica model, which was shown in Safenwil as a road and racing version.
Later came the MR2 mid-engine sports car and the Supra models, which also became very popular with younger generations, not least thanks to their appearances in "The Fast and the Furious".
You should definitely take a look at the Supra Twin Turbo, as only 200 were imported at the time.
The versatile ones
In addition to passenger cars, which initially always came in a standard design (front engine, rear drive) and were later offered with front-wheel drive and front engine, Toyota also built off-road vehicles and commercial vehicles early on.
Some examples of this can also be seen in Safenwil, such as a rare Corona pick-up and a Land Cruiser from the early 1970s.
The innovators
Today, Toyota (advertising: "Nothing is impossible, Toyota!") is known above all for the Prius model, which brought hybrid technology to large-scale production.
The first models were imported at the end of the old millennium, and today the early Priuses look almost a little funny.
Not just cars
If you go to Safenwil, you should not only take a closer look at the cars, but also at the advertising motifs of the time, the brochures and the car radios on display. When have you ever seen the color samples for the Toyota 2000 GT, which was available in red, white and silver?
You should also treat yourself to the videos from back then, there is so much driving culture history in the fifty-year import tradition.
The exhibition at the Emil Frey Classics Center in Safenwil is open until June 30, 2017. The visit can easily be combined with a short drive, and guided tours are also available.
Further information can be found on the website of the Emil Frey Classics Center.
