3 cheers for the internets

so the internets have finally cleared up a nagging opaque dim memory that's been bugging me for years. when i was real young, maybe 6 or 7 i was with my dad leaving my mom's for visitation with him and we came across this strange ass car that was a mini camper that completely fascinated my dad, and thus me too. after decades of wondering if it was just something i dreamed up or actually real, i have finally found proof on the web. very limited knowledge on this thing to be found out there, and definitely nothing on how it came to be sitting in the parking lot of gil's iga in rutherford county out by percy priest lake(when there appears to have only been one built, and that in japan) but there is no doubt in my mind now that it was actually there and that we stood in the hot steamy summer rain and peeked in all the windows together...

“Idea” car turns a station wagon into a recreational vehicle

Toyota recently unveiled this jazzy-looking station wagon at the New York auto show. The station wagon (bottom photo) opens into a roomy camper (top). Toyota calls this 186-inch-long car the RV-2. It seats four, and stores in any garage. But the clamshell canopy can be unfolded anytime you’re parked, and there’s enough room for the passengers to eat and sleep inside. Beds, table, and chairs store neatly inside when not in use.

Modern Mechanix July 1973

The Toyota RV-2 prototype was unveiled at the 1972 Tokyo Motor Show. This bizarre 4-person camperwagon concept car was built around a Corona Mark II chassis and drivetrain. It seems that Toyota was attempting to capitalize on the popularity of the VW camper bus, but with a vehicle small enough to fit in a standard garage and practical enough to serve as everyday transport.

The rear clamshell roof pops open to reveal a tent-sized sleeping area, although I suspect the canvas top and side panels would be like sleeping under a $20 fabric tent equipped with a kick-ass 8-track stereo sound system. Alas, there was little interest from distributors or the public and the quirky design faded into the mists of time.

Of course, the biggest problem with this thing is that there's no way any sane parent would lend one to their teenage offspring for the evening....

Featured in Popular Science, July 1973