The Toyota compact pickup story in North America starts with a slow seller called the Stout. Toyota Canada’s own truck history says the company sold just four of them in 1964. Three decades later, that line of small trucks had become the Tacoma.

The path between those two points ran through a new name, new engines, four-wheel drive and a bigger cab. These eight trucks mark the steps, in order.

Most of the dates below come from Toyota Canada’s own chronology. However, where other histories disagree by a year, both dates appear with their source.

1. 1964 Toyota Stout

The Stout was Toyota’s first stand-alone small pickup in North America, according to Toyota Canada’s truck history fact sheet. It was a half-ton, two-wheel-drive truck powered by a 1.9-liter four rated at 86 horsepower. SlashGear’s history of Toyota trucks in the U.S. gives the same 86-horsepower figure.

Sales started from almost nothing. Toyota Canada counts four trucks sold in 1964, then more than 900 in 1965. Even so, SlashGear says sales “never took off.” It also notes the Stout was about 184.65 inches long.

2. 1969 Toyota Hilux

The Hilux is the truck that stuck. Toyota’s global Hilux history says the first generation launched in 1968, and that it was exported to the USA in 1969. Toyota Canada describes it as a reliable, inexpensive truck with a metal dashboard and a single bench seat.

Power came from a 1.9-liter four, though the ratings differ. Toyota Canada lists 108 horsepower, while SlashGear says the U.S. engine made 84. Then, in 1972, Toyota Canada says the truck got a real styling update and an optional extra-long cargo bed. By 2017, Toyota says, it had sold more than 17.7 million Hilux trucks worldwide.

3. 1975 Toyota compact pickup with the 20R

The next big step was under the hood. According to Toyota Canada, the 1975 redesign brought Toyota’s 2.2-liter 20R four. The fact sheet calls it “highly regarded.” In fact, the same engine was still in the 1977 SR5.

SlashGear tells the same story from the U.S. side. It says the 20R replaced the 2.0-liter 18R in 1975. That history also calls the newer engine more reliable and easier to maintain than what came before.

4. 1977 Toyota SR5 pickup

Toyota then went after a different buyer. Toyota Canada says the 1977 SR5 aimed at the sport-truck shopper. Its big selling point was a five-speed manual transmission behind the 2.2-liter 20R.

The date depends on the source, however. Tundra Headquarters says the SR5 package first appeared in 1975. Toyota Canada’s own chronology gives 1977.

5. Toyota 4×4 pickup

Four-wheel drive changed the truck’s reputation. Toyota Canada says the company offered it “complete with a two-speed transfer case,” which gave the truck a low-range crawl gear. The same fact sheet says Pickup, Van & 4WD magazine named it “4×4 of the Year” after competitive testing.

The start year is disputed, so we’ve left it off the heading. Toyota Canada dates the 4×4 to 1981, the same year the 22R four replaced the 20R. Tundra Headquarters, by contrast, says Toyota first offered four-wheel drive in 1979.

6. 1984 Toyota Xtracab

A small cab was the next problem to solve. Toyota Canada says the Xtracab added length behind the seats for secure storage. At the same time, according to that fact sheet, Toyota added turbocharging on both gas and diesel models.

Again, the sources differ by a year. Toyota Canada ties the Xtracab to 1984, while Tundra Headquarters says the extra-cab pickup arrived in 1983. Meanwhile, SlashGear says the turbocharged 22R-TE four made 137 horsepower.

7. 1989–1994 Toyota pickup with the 3.0-liter V6

The 1989 redesign brought a six-cylinder option. SlashGear says that generation came with a 3.0-liter V6 “good for 150 hp.” Consumer Guide’s review of the 1990–94 Toyota Pickup gives the same engine 150 horsepower at 4,800 rpm and 180 lb-ft of torque.

Consumer Guide also says the 1989 redesign brought shift-on-the-fly part-time four-wheel drive. Later, for 1991, Toyota added automatic-locking front hubs. In addition, the V6 came standard on SR5 V6 models and was optional on the Xtracab Deluxe, according to that review.

8. 1995 Toyota Tacoma

Finally, the truck got its own name. Toyota Canada says Toyota debuted the Tacoma in 1995, built “especially for the North American market.” Two-wheel-drive models used an enlarged 2.4-liter four. Four-wheel-drive models used a 2.7-liter four rated at 150 horsepower and 177 lb-ft, according to the fact sheet.

A 3.4-liter V6 was optional. SlashGear rates that V6 at 190 horsepower. It also calls the Tacoma Toyota’s first mid-size truck designed specifically for American and Canadian buyers. That’s where the line that started with four Stouts in 1964 landed.

More from Fast Lane Only

• Unboxing the WWII Jeep in a Crate
• 15 rare Chevys collectors are quietly buying
• 10 underrated V8s still worth hunting down
• Police notice this before you even roll window down

This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.