Toyota Tundra V8
Toyota's first full-size pickup built in North America paired familiar pickup usefulness with a smooth V8.
2001 Toyota Tundra SR5 V8 Access Cab · DestinationFearFan · CC BY-SA 4.0 International
More than a set of wheels.
Toyota began building the Tundra in Princeton, Indiana, in May 1999 for the 2000 model year. This page follows a U.S.-market SR5 Access Cab 4x4 with the optional 4.7-litre V8 and four-speed automatic. Regular Cab, two-wheel-drive and V6 versions had different dimensions, weight and equipment. The first Tundra was smaller than some contemporary American full-size pickups, but it marked Toyota's serious entry into that market.
Look a little closer.
Toyota originally planned to call the truck T150, but chose Tundra before launch—an appropriately big landscape name for its biggest pickup yet.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A truck built in Indiana
Tundra production started at Toyota's Princeton plant in May 1999. Toyota describes it as the first full-size pickup from a Japanese manufacturer built in North America, making the truck both a global-company project and an American manufacturing story.
Source: Toyota · Twenty years of Tundra ↗Access Cab means extra room
The Access Cab adds a small second seating row and rear-hinged back doors behind the front doors. It balances passenger space with an open cargo bed, but it is longer and heavier than the Regular Cab, so its numbers must be kept separate.
Source: Toyota · first-generation Tundra media archive ↗Where these facts come from
- Toyota · 2000 Tundra owner's manual
- Toyota · Twenty years of Tundra
- Motor Trend · 2000 Toyota Tundra road test
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.