In 1979 the Motor Trend truck of the year was the 4×4 Chevrolet LUV. It was a small, but “capable” and very cost-effective trucklet. The LUV was essentially a Japanese truck, as Chevrolet outsourced its manufacturing to Isuzu, which Chevy partially owned.

At this time, Toyota was fairly new to the United States truck market, bringing the internationally known Hilux model, and its US sales lagged every other maker.

One decade later, as part of its surge into the US market, Toyota won over Motor Trend with its Xtracab SR5, which the magazine named its new truck of the year (Motor Trend did not issue truck-of-the-year awards between ’79 and ’88). But by then, the SR5 had already proven itself as an indestructible vehicle with the legendary 22R engine. Good gas mileage, a reliable engine, capable of running on nearly no oil, and retailing for just over $10,000. Perhaps because of the success of the LUV, Toyota had obviously retooled to match the market’s direction and created a winner.

And the results created a legacy that would last decades.