Can you imagine the silhouette when you hear the name TE47?
In 2024, we checked out a vehicle of interest at the Kanazawa Classic Car Meeting held at the Japan Automobile Museum in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture on Sunday, July 28. This time, we found a beautiful second-generation Toyota TE47 “Sprinter Trueno” that is rarely seen even at old car events, so we talked to the owner. It seems that there are a lot of difficulties in maintaining this rare model?
I am happy to drive the Trueno GT that I drove when I was young again at the age of 50
What I spotted inside the venue of the Kanazawa Classic Car Meeting was a second-generation Toyota “Sprinter Trueno,” which is rarely seen even at old car events. It was a TE47 1975 Sprinter Trueno GT with a carbureted 2T-G engine. It is a valuable model that was produced for only two years. We asked the owner, Mr. Adachi, about it.
“To tell the truth, I had driven the same TE47 GT when I was younger, and after that, I drove all the successive generations of Truenos, but when I turned 50, I came across this car under restoration, and I wanted to have it. I bought it on impulse with no parking space at home at the time, so I had it kept for two years, during which time I built a parking space at home and was finally able to bring it home.”
The car failed to meet emission regulations and was discontinued after only two years
The first generation TE27 Sprinter Trueno/Corolla Levin with the 2T-G engine debuted in 1972. Its lightweight body and hot engine made it extremely popular among young people. This second generation, which appeared in 1974, had a different body shape and model, as the base vehicle was different from the Trueno and Levin. The Torreno was based on the coupe as before and became the TE47 model, while the Levin was based on the hardtop and became the TE37 model.
However, the 2T-G engine failed to meet 1975 emission regulations and production was discontinued after only two years. Later, the TE61 model equipped with the EFI 2T-G engine was revived in 1977, but the TE47 model with carburetors introduced here has only a few units in existence, and it is rare to find one that has been kept in such good condition.
The headlight covers that were optional at the time were installed, and the GT stripes on the side of the body were reproduced by taking a mold from a car that was taken for parts.
This car is a lot of fun to drive, even though the parts are hard to maintain
The TE47 Trueno, which was only manufactured for two years and was not as popular as the TE27, combined with the worst possible conditions of having a separate body for the Levin, is said to be a constant struggle to maintain.
“The engine is a 2T-G, so I don’t have much trouble with parts. I am no different from the average old car user. It is still the body parts that are desperate. Since I got the car restored, there are no missing parts. I also have a spare headlight cover. It’s a lot of work to maintain, but I’m enjoying it.”
By the way, the way to distinguish 1974 from 1975 is the caution plate in the engine compartment. The one that says “TOYOTA” is a 1974 model, and the one that says “TOYOTA” is a 1975 model. However, this vehicle is a “TOYOTA” but registered in 1975. Mr. Adachi speculates that it was probably produced at the end of the 1974 model year and registered the following year.
translated by DeepL