Cars - Toyota Corolla

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	Cars - Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla is a compact car produced by Toyota of Japan, known worldwide for its reliability, conventional engineering and low fuel consumption. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world. Toyota has made 30 million cars under the Corolla name since its launch in 1966, making it the best selling car of all time. . Corollas are currently manufactured in Japan, the United States (California), the United Kingdom, Canada (Cambridge, Ontario), India, South Africa, Brazil, Turkey and Thailand.

The Corolla's chassis designation code is "E", as described in Toyota's chassis and engine codes.

Alternative versions

A slightly upmarket version is called the Toyota Sprinter, sold in the Japanese home market. It was replaced in 2001 by the Toyota Allex. There have also been several spin-offs over the years, including the Corolla II hatchback, Corolla Ceres (and similar Sprinter Marino) hardtop, Corolla Levin and Sprinter Trueno sports coupes and hatchbacks, and the Corolla FX hatckback (now Corolla Runx).

The Toyota Tercel was a front wheel drive spinoff of the rear wheel drive Corolla introduced in 1980, called the "Corolla Tercel" which later became its own model in 1983.

Over the years, there have been rebadged versions of the Corolla, including the 1980s’ Holden Nova of Australia, and the Sprinter-based Chevrolet Nova, Geo Prizm and Chevrolet Prizm of the United States. In Australia, the Corolla liftback (TE72) was at one point badged the T-18.

First Generation - E10 series - October 1966

Japan (1966-1969)

The Corolla was launched in Japan in October 1966. Eiji Toyoda, chairman of the company, said it worked hard to create popular demand, and disputes that Toyota rode a wave of private car ownership that was taking off in the mid-1960s.

The initial car, the KE1x series, was small, with a 90 in (2286 mm) wheelbase, and came in two- and four-door sedan (KE10 and KE11), two-door coupe (KE15), and three-door station wagon (KE16 and KE18) versions. Power came from either a 1.1 L (1077 cc/65 in³) OHV I4, the K, which produced 60 hp (45 kW), or the 1.2 L (1166 cc/71 in³) 3K in later models. A 4-speed manual transmission or 2 speed automatic transmission was available, and the car used rear wheel drive. The suspension in front was MacPherson struts supported by a transverse leaf spring beneath the engine crossmember, with leaf springs connected to a solid axle in back.

USA (1968-1970)

Toyota has been almost steadfast in facelifting each generation after two years, and replacing it with an all-new model every four years. Exports to the United States began in 1968 at about $1,700USD, and the car has been popular since.

Second Generation - E20 series - 1970

Japan (1969-1978)

The second-generation KE2x model , launched 1970, had "coke-bottle" styling. It had a longer 91.9 in (2334 mm) wheelbase, and used the 1.2 L (1166 cc/71 in³) 3K I4 which made 73 hp (54 kW). The front suspension design was improved greatly, using a swaybar, however the rear remained relatively the same. There was a two and four-door sedan (KE20) available, as well as a two-door coupe (KE25), and three-door wagon (KE26). The Corolla became the second-best selling car in the world that year.

Japanese engines:

2T-G - 1.6 L (1588 cc) I4, 8-valve DOHC, carb, 124 hp (93 kW)
2T-C - 1.6 L (1588 cc) I4, 2-valve OHV, carb, 75 hp (56 kW)
3K-C - 1.2 L (1166 cc) I4, 2-valve OHV, carb, 55 hp (41 kW)

JPN-market chassis:

TE-21 - Sedan, 2 Door Sedan
TE-25 - Wagon, DX
TE-27 - Hardtop Coupe (Levin/Trueno)

USA (1971-1974)

The above models were available, as well as a hardtop coupe called the "SR-5". A 1.6 L (1588 cc/96 in³) 102 hp (76 kW) 2T engine came in 1971, quite impressive for the time, and the sporty SR5 (aka: Levin in Japan) was introduced in 1973. Corollas with this engine were designated TE21 or TE27.

American engines:

2T-C - 1.6 L (1588 cc) I4, 2-valve OHV, carb, 102 hp (76 kW)
3K-C - 1.2 L (1166 cc) I4, 2-valve OHV, carb, 55 hp (41 kW)

US-market chassis:

TE-21 - Sedan, 2 Door Sedan
TE-25 - Wagon, DX
TE-27 - Hardtop Coupe, SR5

Third Generation - E30, E40, E50 series - April 1974

Japan (1974-1981)

The third-generation Toyota Corolla, built from 1974–81 (worldwide versions) (KE3x/KE5x), marked Toyota's greatest growth in the United States in the wake of the fuel crisis. In addition to the Sprinter, there was a rebodied version built by Toyota affiliate Daihatsu, called the Daihatsu Charmant. While there were certain fourth-generation models with a longer model life, this generation, when considered as a whole, was the longest-lived one, possibly due to the worldwide recession in the 1970s.

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