In the muscle car period, Toyota did not compete with the engine-boosting vehicles like the Pontiac GTO and Buick Riviera; instead, they introduced their own version of Pickup in the United States by the name of "Stout" in 1964. But their effort to change the truck preferences of the Americans did not produce much success so in 1969, the Stout was redefined and made more utilitarian that was known as the "Hi-Lux. America's economic instability made the Hi-Lux a popular choice for it offered a good fuel economy compared to the locally made trucks.

By 1980s same economic condition hit America as oil-prices zoom to its peak. As a result, the three big truck manufacturers; Ford, Chrysler (now DaimlerChrysler), and GM created a way to get them back on track against the Japan's cheap labor and production cost. This produced much concern for the Toyota and so they formed a joint venture with General Motors (GM) that was called New United Motors Manufacturing, Inc. or "NUMMI" in 1984 to build Toyota products in the US, for sale to the US market, using unionized UAW labor.

Since then, Toyota has positioned good as compared with the three giants in the pickup business. Toyota created several good pickups as a follow up model to the Hi-Lux. Toyota Trekker and the Toyota 4Runner in 1983 created a good market share during its time.

In 1995, the Hi-Lux was reinforced and was renamed as the Toyota Tacoma. This was the ninth generation of compact pickup trucks from Toyota since it started in the late sixties. With a new frame and body, new suspension, and new engines, the Tocoma sells good in the United States.