1990 Toyota Sera
Quick Specs
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1.5-liter Inline-4
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118 mph
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104
A Moment in Time
From 1986 to 1991, the Japanese economy experienced a “bubble” period, during which prices for real estate and stocks were inflated, and credit was easily available. Automakers used the influx of capital to experiment with new manufacturing techniques, technology, and radical designs on low-production models. The Sera, designed by American Stewart Reed but sold only in Japan, featured rounded, jellybean styling that was typical of small cars of the era. Highly atypical were its dramatic butterfly doors, designed to require less space to open than conventional doors and to give what was essentially an economy car something unique and futuristic. The Sera was built using a novel, comparatively simple technique for stamping body panels that was especially suited for short production runs. Manufacturers intended to utilize this process in building a new wave of small-volume vehicles, but when the economic bubble burst, Japanese auto companies were forced to scale back those plans, ending a brief but distinct era of unusual production cars.
COLLECTION OF MIKE PARENTE
This vehicle featured in the Totally Awesome! exhibit.
1990 Toyota Sera Gallery
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