First introduced in 1995, the Toyota Tacoma tapped into the American tradition for loving pick up trucks. It’s no surprise these well built and impressive vehicles became very popular over here, as they epitomize the modern take on what is an age old American favorite.

The first Tacoma range featured three engines – a 2.4 and 2.7 liter four, and a bigger 3.4 liter six that pumped out 190bhp, and the smaller engine was rated for an impressive 29mpg – not bad at all for such a big machine.

Initially available only with the regular two door cab, the Tacoma was available as either two or four wheel drive, and these both proved very popular indeed.

A choice of four speed auto or five speed manual gearboxes found favor with younger drivers, very much the prime target for cars such as this, and the first two sales years reaped very good numbers indeed.

The pick up market is hotly contested in the USA, but the Tacoma was an instant success as the Japanese company made inroads into the relatively new market. Designed to be big and purposeful, the Tacoma directly echoes American built trucks of the same size, and continues to be popular in the current era.

Given America’s love for the pick up format it is no surprise that the Tacoma took hold so quickly, and Toyota has since become the biggest car maker on the planet. The only criticism of the early Tacoma was that the smaller engine, while economical, lacked grunt; the company promised to see to this and, sure enough, the second generation of Tacoma featured more powerful engines, as well as a revised look and a bigger overall stance.

The Toyota Tacoma is a rigged old girl, so it’s no surprise that many of the original 1995 cars are still in daily use today. This is what she was designed for of course, and that’s why it’s good to know that parts are available.

Mine’s a ’95 Tacoma, a beautiful great pick up with the 4-door crew cab and the six cylinder 3.4 liter engine. She still looks good, but as with all old cars things go wrong once in a while. Not long ago a radiator hose broke, and before that there was a problem with an electrical regulator.

The thing is, I do all my maintenance myself; this safes me money and is also something I like doing. I get my parts from a variety of places including the local auto shops, the Toyota dealers, online suppliers like Go-Part.com and, sometimes, from junkyards. Crashed Tacoma’s can be a great source of replacement parts, but I prefer to buy with a guarantee.

Keeping the truck running is something I take great pride in; my Tacoma serves me and my family well and has done for many a year. I expect she’ll go on doing so for some years to come.