Spacia YR22 (Mk1 YR Tarago Series III)

Battered by the skyrocketing Japanese yen, Tarago II prices crept above the reach of many Australians, so Toyota re-introduced the ancient Mk1 Tarago as the Spacia.

Even with marginal improvements to safety, handling and refinement, it was still light years behind its inspired successor. But it did offer more affordable eight-seater motoring.

Even the old 75kW/180Nm 2.2-litre 4Y-E fuel-injected four-cylinder engine resurfaced, mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

Save for power steering, cloth trim and radio/cassette player, equipment levels were as sparse as the overall appeal of the Spacia was low.

New nose cone, cabin trim and tail-lights aside, this was nothing short of an exhumed 1983 Tarago.