Few people have heard of it, yet many consider John Blankenbaker's KENBAK-1 to be the first commercial personal computer.
Toyota RV-2 Mini RV
By James Grahame
The Toyota RV-2 prototype was unveiled at the 1972 Tokyo Motor Show. This bizarre 4-person camperwagon concept car was built around a Corona Mark II chassis and drivetrain. It seems that Toyota was attempting to capitalize on the popularity of the VW camper bus, but with a vehicle small enough to fit in a standard garage and practical enough to serve as everyday transport.
The rear clamshell roof pops open to reveal a tent-sized sleeping area, although I suspect the canvas top and side panels would be like sleeping under a $20 fabric tent equipped with a kick-ass 8-track stereo sound system. Alas, there was little interest from distributors or the public and the quirky design faded into the mists of time.
Of course, the biggest problem with this thing is that there's no way any sane parent would lend one to their teenage offspring for the evening....
Featured in Popular Science, July 1973 [via Modern Mechanix]
