The unstoppable ‘80s Toyota pickup that quietly outsold every American muscle car

The truly unstoppable ’80s Toyota Hilux pickup truck stormed through the decade by outselling every muscle car in America.

While pickup trucks certainly weren’t new in the 1980s, the Hilux quietly entered the scene and became a big hit with the American consumer, even if it is no longer available in the USA.

It became famous for durability, performance, and reliability, even in the toughest of work environments, and it’s become a bit of an icon of the decade.

What is also remarkable is how it outsold every American muscle car that you could buy at the time.

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The Toyota Hilux was a very rugged pickup

The ruggedness and reliability of the Hilux were two qualities that made it so good.

It was not uncommon for the trucks to survive floods, rollover accidents, or simply being left outside for years.

While it was with a later model, the car-based BBC show Top Gear showed how ‘indestructible’ the vehicle was.

In America, the Hilux tended to have the 22R and 22RE engines under the hood.

These offered just over 100hp and around 136lb-ft of torque.

As so many Japanese vehicles have done, the vehicle quickly built a reputation for amazing reliability.

The sales stats alone speak to how widely regarded the pickup truck was.

The truck sold in America in huge numbers

Data from GoodCarBadCar shows us just how strong the truck was when it came to sales.

In 1983, Toyota sold 162,000 units of the Hilux in America.

That compares to 120,000 units of the Ford Mustang.

In 1984, it sold 174,000 trucks versus 140,000 Chevrolet Camaro muscle cars.

Then in 1985, it sold 165,000, compared to the 156,000 Ford Mustangs.

With the world becoming more expensive and gas prices rising, Americans needed reliable, dependable vehicles to get around in.

The truck was pretty much the perfect vehicle for this.

It is not unheard of to hear of Hilux trucks doing over 300,000 miles, and some have even passed 1 million.

It was simple, well-built, and could handle almost anything thrown at it.

In many ways, the Hilux was the most impressive vehicle of the 1980s.