Toyota TownAce

The Toyota TownAce is a light commercial and derivative passenger van that Toyota released in 1976, larger than the LiteAce it was derived from, with a TownAce truck added in 1978. The LiteAce had launched in 1970 as a light-duty truck above the 1967 MiniAce, with commercial and van or wagon bodies added in 1971, and the two lines existed separately for years before they were merged. The vehicles first used a cab-over-engine layout, and since 1996 a semi-cab-over arrangement. Between 1982 and 1992 the series also carried the MasterAce Surf, an upscale TownAce passenger wagon. The LiteAce truck of 1970 offered a 750 kilogram payload with a three-seat front bench, where the MiniAce carried only 500 kilograms.