The is a compact, later mid-size sedan manufactured and marketed in Japan by Toyota between 1968 and 2004. Prior to 1972, the model was marketed as the Toyota Corona Mark II. In some export markets, Toyota marketed the vehicle as the Toyota Cressida between 1976 and 1992 across four generations. Toyota replaced the rear-wheel-drive Cressida in North America with the front-wheel-drive Avalon. Every Mark II and Cressida was manufactured at the Motomachi plant at Toyota, Aichi, Japan from September 1968 to October 1993, and later at Toyota Motor Kyushu's Miyata plant from December 1992 to October 2000, with some models also assembled in Jakarta, Indonesia as the Cressida. History The first series, called the Toyota Corona Mark II was an all new vehicle at its introduction in 1968, that sought to offer a car that was just under Japanese government regulations concerning maximum vehicle dimensions and engine displacement, thus allowing the Crown to grow larger and more luxurious. Using the established platform of the Corona sedan but slightly larger and wider, it was exclusive to Toyopet Store locations, and offered as a competitor to the newly introduced Nissan Laurel in Japan, the Isuzu Florian, and the Nissan Bluebird / Datsun 510 internationally that appeared August 1967, and two years after the Mazda Luce in 1966. At the Mark II's introduction in the late 1960s, Toyota was known as a small, economy car manufacturer. The Mark II allowed Toyota to establish itself as a more mainstream, international automaker and pursue new market opportunities. The Corona Mark II was sold as a larger companion to the Corona, while still being smaller than the Crown. The Mark II introduced a comfortable front-engine, rear-drive vehicle that was larger than older Toyotas while maintaining an affordable price and better fuel economy than vehicles with larger straight-six and V8 engines, and shared most of its technology and appearance with the larger, more prestigious Crown. As the Mark II began to become popular with drivers around the world, Toyota introduced variations of the Mark II with two different model names, both sedans but with different styling and marketing approaches. The sportier Toyota Chaser appeared in 1977, and later in 1980, the high luxury content Toyota Cresta appeared, and both were exclusive together at Toyota Auto Store locations. As other automakers continued to offer vehicles in this size class, the Mark II's popularity peaked in the 1980s. The