1996 Toyota Crown, Royal Saloon JZS157

coolant New brake fluid New spark plugs New battery New tires installed New air filter and cabin filter All fluids topped off Full interior disassembly detail and ozone treatment A/C system checked on dedicated equipment including vacuum test for leaks Engine smoke machine test for exhaust and vacuum leaks Battery drain test OBD scan for fault codes New brakes installed Alignment performed Wheel torque verified with calibrated torque wrench All lights and signals tested Engine bay treated with protective chemical to prevent rubber and plastic dry rot Stored with full tank to prevent fuel tank corrosion Driven and verified, all issues addressed before listing Non-smoker. Clean condition. Verified by our team. This Crown came to us through a trade-in from a customer who moved up to a 1999 Crown Majesta v8 he bought from us. When someone who knows these cars decides to move within the Crown family rather than leave it, the car they traded in is worth a second look. The JZS155 is historically significant for two reasons. It was the first Crown built on a unibody chassis, departing from the body-on-frame construction of every Crown before it. And it was the first Toyota ever to debut VVT-i variable valve timing, which Toyota introduced here in 1995 before it appeared on any other model in the lineup. The engine is the 2JZ-GE VVT-i, Toyota’s naturally aspirated 3.0L inline-six producing 217 HP at 5,600 rpm and 217 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm. Cast iron block, forged crankshaft, the same fundamental architecture shared with the turbocharged 2JZ-GTE. The timing belt on this engine requires periodic replacement. Verifying belt history is the most important pre-ownership check at this mileage and should be part of any discussion before purchase. The hardtop body means frameless windows all around, a profile that gives the car a cleaner, more formal look than the pillar-equipped sedans that followed. White over grey wool. Clean throughout. Non-smoker history. Equipment includes OEM remote start, electric rear curtains, rear passenger audio controls, passenger seat controls from the rear, glass headlights, swing vents, OEM multimedia, and driver and passenger airbags. Mileage: 92,460 miles (148,630 km). Interesting Facts VVT-i debuted on the JZS155 Crown in 1995, making this the first production Toyota to use the system. Toyota chose the Crown for the launch because it was their highest-volume domestic flagship, giving the technology immediate real-world validation at scale before it spread to the Supra, Aristo, and eventually the entire engine lineup. The S150 Crown was the first generation in the nameplate’s 40-year history to use unibody construction. The switch eliminated the separate ladder frame, reduced weight, and allowed Toyota to achieve better NVH isolation and handling refinement than the older body-on-frame platform permitted. The 2JZ-GE shares its cast iron block, forged crankshaft, and connecting rod design with the 2JZ-GTE. Toyota engineered the bottom end to handle the stresses of the turbocharged version, which means the naturally aspirated GE operates well within the structural limits of the block. This is a significant part of why properly maintained 2JZ-GE engines regularly exceed 300,000 miles. OEM remote start on a 1995 Japanese domestic sedan was not a feature available in any market outside Japan at this time. Toyota integrated it at the factory level on S150 Crown trims because the target buyer expected their car to be climate-controlled before they entered it. The system is factory-installed, not retrofitted. About Us We’ve been working with Japanese vehicles for over 25 years. Long before opening our location in the United States, our team was importing and servicing these vehicles in Europe when many of them were still new. Because of that experience, we know these platforms extremely well. Every model has its own weak points, and we inspect and address them before the vehicle is offered for sale. All vehicles are serviced at our facility in Japan before shipping. Fluids, belts, filters, batteries, and common failure points are inspected and replaced when necessary. Unlike many dealerships, we actually drive our vehicles. They don’t sit in a parking lot. Our trucks and cars are used regularly so we can verify reliability before they reach their new owner. When you buy from us, you’re getting a vehicle that is fully prepared and ready to drive from day one. JP-TRADE is our first location in the United States, supported by a team of more than 40 people across Europe, Japan, Korea, China, and the U.S. If you made it this far, here is a little bonus for you. Why did the Crown get VVT-i before the Supra? When Toyota introduced variable valve timing to the 2JZ-GE in 1995, the first application was the S150 Crown, not the Supra or any performance model. Toyota’s reasoning was straightforward: the Crown sold in far greater numbers than the Supra in Japan and was used by buyers whose feedback Toyota took seriously. Validating new technology at high volume in a platform where refinement mattered more than performance was the logical move. VVT-i arrived in the Supra, the Aristo, and the Soarer only after the Crown had confirmed it was ready for production at scale.