Toyota Crown taxis were phased out in 2014, and the sight of one now would certainly be incredibly rare.

That must've been why when one Terence Hong happened to be at the right place at the right time, he knew he had to seize the opportunity for pictures.

Spotted at Simei

Hong took to Facebook group SGRetroCar to share several photos of what is now pretty much a relic, claiming that this one was one of the last two Toyota Crown taxis in Singapore.

And here's a look at the car's interior (because somehow he managed to get the door open and look inside):

According to the sticker in the cab, this cab's flag-down fare was just S$2.80:

According to Hong, the taxi was found at "St. Andrew's Nursing Home in Simei". However, one netizen pointed out that the location is likely St. Andrew's Community Hospital instead, as St. Andrew's Nursing Home is located in Buangkok.

History of Toyota Crown taxis in S'pore

Toyota Crown taxis were first rolled out in Singapore in 1982.

With its iconic boxy design, they were among the first Japanese car models to enter Singapore's taxi market.

32 years later in 2014, the Crown was phased out as it was unable to meet the Euro 4 diesel emission standards which applied to vehicles registered after September 2006.

As taxis were only allowed to be used for eight years, the last batch of Crown taxis had to be scrapped by 2014.

Even though the Crown was the most ubiquitous taxi model in the past, there are now at least 20 different taxi models on the road.

Very cool, nonetheless.

Top photo via Terence Hong's Facebook post.

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