What was the 1983 Toyota Pickup called?
In the United States, the 1983 Toyota Pickup was sold simply as the Toyota Pickup, while in most other markets it carried the Hilux badge. This article explains how the same truck carried different names depending on where it was sold and why that happened.
Regional naming: Pickup versus Hilux
The branding for the 1983 model year varied by market, reflecting Toyota's global marketing strategy and import practices of the era. Here is how the naming broke down by region:
- United States and Canada: Toyota Pickup
- Most other markets (Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia): Toyota Hilux
In short, the vehicle was the same generation, but the badge differed depending on where it was sold.
Context for the 1983 model year
The 1983 pickup corresponds to the third generation of Toyota's Hilux family, known globally as Hilux but branded differently in North America. The truck offered similar configurations across regions, including two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive variants, with regional trim levels like SR5 appearing in the U.S. market. The name difference did not imply a different vehicle; it was a branding choice.
Notable market specifics
Below are key points about how the 1983 model year was positioned in different markets:
- In the United States, it was marketed as the Toyota Pickup, a branding choice used for several years to differentiate it from Toyota's larger trucks.
- In most other regions, the same truck was sold as the Toyota Hilux, a name that had long been associated with Toyota's compact pickup line.
- The U.S. market would see the Hilux name reemerge only later in other product lines; the mid-size successor to the Hilux in the U.S. would not appear as the Toyota Tacoma until 1995.
- The 1983 model year featured mechanical and styling updates that were shared across markets, with regional options in engines and trims.
These points illustrate how branding decisions rather than different vehicles led to the naming differences.
Summary
The 1983 Toyota Pickup was essentially the same truck as the world's Hilux, but branding differed by region: Toyota Pickup in North America and Hilux in most other regions. This reflects a regional marketing approach that persisted until the introduction of the Toyota Tacoma in the U.S. market in the mid-1990s.
What are the old Toyota trucks names?
When Toyota first entered the U.S. auto market in 1957, the FJ25 was part of its lineup. Better known as the Land Cruiser, this pickup version was the first of Toyota's legendary truck offerings. Over time, the lineup would come to include renowned names like Stout, Hi-Lux, 4Runner, T100, Tacoma, Tundra and Sequoia.
What generation is a 1982 Toyota pickup?
1979 – 1983 Toyota Truck [Fourth (4th) Generation]
What generation is a 1983 Toyota pickup?
4th Generation
4th Generation (1983―1988)
What was the Toyota pickup called in the 80s?
Hilux
Before the Tacoma existed, Toyota trucks were simply called “pickups” aside of some regions outside North America, where they went by the name “Hilux.” Toyota pickups of the 1980s became renowned for their ruggedness, reliability, and versatility.
