On October 12, 2012, the Space Shuttle Endeavour was being transported through the streets of Los Angeles on its way to retirement after two decades in service. Then it reached the Manchester Boulevard overpass.
The shuttle weighs 292,000 pounds. The self-propelled dollies conveying it were enormous, robotic contraptions. Their combined weight would have risked collapsing the bridge. A lightweight, but powerful solution was needed to tow it across.
That solution was the Toyota Tundra.
A representative explained this was a plain, ordinary Tundra, without any aftermarket modifications. Though not normally equipped to tow more than 10,000 pounds safely, the Tundra had enough torque and unwavering reliability to pull the space shuttle slowly, carefully across the length of the overpass.
Here in New Mexico, we have a proud history of scientific discovery, and a connection with space -- from Spaceport America, to a legendary brush with little green men. We're proud of the role our best-selling pickup played in the story of the Endeavour, and we hope you'll come down to Permian Toyota to test drive some new vehicles, and learn more about Toyota's involvement in the sciences.
