Aug 27 2016

Toyota New Zealand (TNZ) rocked the car world back in the late-1990s. The government had reduced imported-vehicle tariffs from 50 per cent to a big fat zero over a 10-year period, local assembly had ceased and used-imported cars from Japan were regarded as the mortal enemy of the new-car industry.

Controversially, TNZ decided it would be a brilliant idea to bring in its own Japanese Used Import (JUC) vehicles, refurbish them at its defunct Thames assembly plant and sell them with something pretty close to a new-car warranty. It called the programme Signature Class, giving it genuine brand-status. It even had its own badge.

Signature Class is as successful as ever, but the content has certainly changed. Back in the day, you could be a car enthusiast and wander through the Thames plant with a sense of awe and excitement. Corona-sized wagon with a Celica GT-Four powertrain, high-riding hatchback with a screaming Yamaha-developed engine, stupidly fast Starlet? All of those and more.