Toyota Chaser was released in 1977 as a competitor to the Nissan Skyline sedan. The first Chaser was a Mark II with a lightly differing front and rear treatment, of a performance class compared to the Mark II, and replaced the previous generation Mark II GSS hardtop coupe. Later generations received more differentiated styling. The idea of the Chaser was to offer a sportier version of the Mark II and sold at a different Japanese Toyota dealership called Toyota Auto Store, often with more powerful engines and different suspension setups. Cressida The Corona Mark II was renamed the Toyota Cressida for export markets, and the name Cressida was not used in Japan. Production started in December 1976. The name Mark II was previously identified with the North American Continental Mark II which first appeared in 1956 and the term "Mark" is still associated with Lincoln Motor Company products. It was Toyota's largest sedan and wagon range offered in North America, while the personal luxury coupé wasn't offered. In New Zealand, a two-litre four-cylinder sedan version replaced the six-cylinder Crown in local assembly after the 1970s oil crises prompted the government to impose a 60% sales tax on cars with engines larger than two litres. A few fully built up Crowns were subsequently imported. In other markets, the larger Toyota Crown also remained available. The name "Cressida" derives from the lead character in William Shakespeare's play Troilus and Cressida, inspired by Cressida, a female Trojan character. Depending on the market it was sold in, it had the 4M carbureted engine (MX32, MX36), the 18R engine (RX30, RX32, RX35) or 3T engine (TX30). The North American models started with the carbureted 4M engine (MX32) but in mid-1978 the fuel-injected 4M-E replaced its carbureted counterpart – this was one of the first Toyotas in the US to use fuel injection. In 1979, the MSRP in the US was . In New Zealand, where it was locally assembled and sold in a highly specified GL form (replacing the 2.8-litre Crown which had been hit by high sales taxes on two-litre-plus engine sizes), it had the 18R engine. Australian-market Cressidas received the 2.6-liter 4M engine, although in de-smogged form (meeting ADR27) it only produced for relatively leisurely performance. Standard features included air conditioning, automatic transmission (a 5-speed manual was available), power steering, rear seat armrests, AM/FM cassette stereo with amplifier, reclining front seats, and a