Here's a curiosity of Prius history -- I found this set of photos on the website at bottom ... Sorry, it's the best clarity I could get, & it looks like a 'hybrid' of the "Classic" & "HSD" Prii. Maybe a design that was tossed around back at the end of the 20th century. (web page is dated 1998) Or, perhaps the love child of a 1979 Hundyai Excel & a 1983 Yugo. http://www.geocities.com/battcar2001/battcar/Prius.htm
Yeah the beige/black one is the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show Prototype that had a energy storage system or something. (i.e. they didn't want to use the word hybrid)
Is it just me, or does that 'Prius Prototype' look like the offspring of a unholy union of a Prius and an AMC Pacer? It's even the same color. Revenge of the nerd cars - BusinessWeek.com - MSNBC.com
It is Prius concept introduced at 1995 Tokyo Motor Show. The Fifth Toyota Environmental Forum http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/k_forum/tenji/pdf/017e.pdf It was parallel hybrid (single motor like Honda IMA) powered by super capacitor. The THS (two MG's with PSD) development had already started then, and I think it was Toyota's fake announcement to confusing other car manufacturers telling them Toyota's hybrid direction to others. Ken@Japan
I know its' dorky and so am I, but I like that rear window...makes we wanna redo my kitchen in orange melaminine, buy shag carpets and listen to ABBA on LP. ah the 70's...:rockon:
