A History of the Toyota Corolla
Since the late 1960’s Toyota Corolla has been a staple in the Japanese auto maker’s inventory. The Corolla has since become extremely popular among drivers from all walks of life from all over the world. It is estimated in the past 40 years a Corolla has been sold somewhere every 40 seconds. The name Corolla comes from the Latin world meaning “small crown” – fitting, seeing as Corolla is classified as a compact vehicle. With Ten Generations of automobile design (and still growing) there’s a lot of ground to cover in the history of this mighty-mini car. Toyotapedia takes a look back at the years when design and performance took on drastic adaptations.
First Generation Corolla – 1966-1970
The original Corolla was designed to compete with the other major Japanese compact of the day – the Datsun 1000. Customers could purchase both hard-top sedans or wagon version, and had the choice of a 4-speed manual (remember when standard was, well, standard?) or a 2-speed automatic. The shifter was mounted on the floor, which was a risk for Toyota. Floor shift transmissions were used predominantly in trucks, but the different configuration became popular as time and sales progressed.
Generation Three – 1974-1981
The third generation Corolla came at a rough time for the auto industry. Much like today, gas prices were exploding as people lined up for rationed fuel. Car sales were struggling, but Toyota pulled through with much of its help coming from Corolla sales. The 1974 model was a fuel efficient automobile with various (economical) motor sizes to choose from. You could get your Corolla with a 2, 3, 4 or 5 speed automatic/manual transmission.
Forth Generation – 1979-1983
Toyota drove into the 1980’s with a boxy redesign, popular at the time with many foreign and domestic vehicles. This generation set a standard for Corollas in the eyes of Toyota; vowing to make them quiet, efficient vehicles that should appeal to customers young and old. Most importantly – Corolla should “reflect the wishes of the consumer.”
The start of a new look – Corolla Generation Six – 1987-1992
Toyota entered the 1990’s with more aerodynamic curves and various “Special Edition” trims – Base, XL, GL, SE, and SE Limited. This became one of Corolla’s most recognizable looks, being compared to their Nissan competitor (and slightly boxier) Sentra.
Design Evolution – Generation Eight – 1998-2002
Bring in the era of the rounded quarter panels! The eighth generation Corolla is again extremely recognizable by auto enthusiasts – and was even copied in the form of Chevrolet’s Prizm. In fact, aside from their emblems, you can hardly tell the difference. Generation eight came at a time when Toyota was ordered to cut costs due to a recession. Still, they produced different variations including a successful hatchback model.
A fresh look for a young crowd – Ninth & Tenth Generation Corolla – 2002-2008
The latest generation of Corollas is popular with younger drivers throughout the world. This is due partially to their sleek new designs and faster 1.8L supercharge engines available in some models. These vehicles were designed for the Global market, catering to buyers worldwide. With this mindset Corolla will most likely continue to be a high-selling automobile for years to come.
photos courtesy of Wikipedia
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