It was a sad, yet momentous day on October 12, 2012. The U.S. Space Shuttle Endeavour was being retired after 20 long years of service ferrying astronauts into orbit and back again. It ran dozens of missions, but after the tragic loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003, NASA believed it was wise to play it safe, and set a date to phase out its older shuttles before any signs of aging could create a hazard -- the same way you replace your old cars.
The shuttle's wistful retirement offered a deep honor for Toyota, however.
As it was making its way from the Los Angeles International Airport to the California Science Center, Endeavour found itself in need of assistance from a half-ton pickup truck. Its robotic, self-propelled dollies were far too heavy to make it safely across the Manchester Boulevard overpass.
Instead, the Toyota Tundra was called upon to tow it across.
The shuttle's 292,000 pounds far exceeded the unmodified, stock Tundra's tow rating of 10,000 pounds, but the little-truck-that-could took it slow and completed the short haul over the bridge without problems.
Some proud Americans were confused by a Japanese-brand pickup getting the right to tow the U.S. Space Shuttle, but, as previously discussed, the Tundra is assembled in Texas, making it as American as it gets, and Toyota Motor Corporation has been supporting science education programs at the California Science Center for about as long as the Endeavour has been in operation!
If you'd like to learn more about this rugged and versatile pickup with a strong work-and-play duality, we at Cavender Toyota/a> would love to show you. Feel free to contact us at your convenience, or come visit us in person to get set up with a test drive. It will be our pleasure to show you around.
