Back to the Future: 68k-Mile 1983 Toyota Hilux SR5 4x4 Short-Bed Pickup
- April 05, 2021
- Amazing & Unbelievable Clean Throughout
- Top-of-the-Line Early-‘80s Toyota Pickup
- Eye-Catching Paint & Factory Graphics
- Reasonable 68k Seller-Stated Miles
- Legendary ‘22R’ 2.4L Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
- Manual Transmission & 4WD
Toyota really attacked the light-duty pickup market in the 1970s, and the Hilux (built through 1983) stands tall among the company’s best. Featuring numerous cargo-bed and drivetrain layouts, plus the virtually indestructible ‘22R’ 2.4L engine, these tough and stylish Toyota pickups were instrumental in grabbing market share away from the “Big Three,” which struggled in so many ways during the time, especially in terms of quality control and durability. In addition to being a very late-production, 3rd generation Toyota pickup that was built shortly before the advent of the second-generation Hilux line for 1984, our subject pickup is also one of the last produced with solid front axles, contributing to their rock-solid durability in rough conditions. High-profile media appearances also helped solidify the desirability of thee excellent compact pickups, including a cameo with Michael J. Fox and Elisabeth Shue in 1985’s Robert Zemeckis smash hit movie, Back to the Future.
While the seller is a person of few words, the online photos of this 1983 Toyota Hilux SR5 4x4 short-bed pickup do the talking most eloquently. Despite having traveled nearly 68k miles, our subject vehicle is simply stunning and extremely well-preserved in every respect, belying its mileage. If you’ve ever wanted one of these highly capable pickups in relatively new condition, this one delivers a fabulous opportunity.
Despite its amazing condition, is it worth the seller’s lofty asking price? That’s a question that requires just one deep-pocketed and determined prospective purchaser to answer. It’s in amazing condition and clearly collector-worthy throughout, and mileage and condidtion play a huge factor in the value of any collector car. While these top-quality pickups have a wide and rabid following and dozens of examples of this generation have indeed sold over the past few years, finding one in this condition can prove difficult, but when they do come up for auction they can bring insane prices, like this '83 SR5 that sold in 2018 at Barrett Jackson Las Vegas for $55k! It will be very interesting, assuming a sale results at or near the seller’s ask, to see if this Hilux will become one of those outliers in the market. Stay tuned!
