I don’t know about you, but my fondness of looking for old cars that used to be common comes in different degrees — from the ones that I dearly miss and wish to find desperately, to others that I never cared for in their day, but assumed were to be around forever… and then suddenly missed once I realize they’re gone. Such were these Coronas, once fairly common, but seemingly all gone sometime in the 1990s.
So, here’s a find by Matt Wilda uploaded at the Cohort that got an immediate reaction from me. As in, “Hey, old friend! I haven’t seen you in a looong time! Where have you been?”
Most, as many would tell me, have been rotting away, of course. Toyotas were well put together and long-lasting, but as with many cars from the pre-1980s era, tin worm often became terminal once it showed up. Still, the T40 Corona was the cornerstone on which Toyota rose from the mid-sixties to world dominance, and this fifth-generation T100 Corona just built on the older one’s attributes. A sort of large car taste on a small package, with decent assembly, sensible packaging, and conservative styling. That, along with lots of value for the money (More about that in the links below).
Talking about body issues, this one doesn’t seem to have terminal rust, but it’s certainly got its age blemishes. That’s a nasty rash on that passenger’s side fender. I hope someone takes care of that sooner rather than later.
But other than that, it is a Corona as one would’ve seen back in the day; the broughamy hubcaps, the fender emblem, and that Mercedes-inspired grille (the latter a styling update for ’78). Along the color, it was all quite in keeping with that polo shirt era. And did most Coronas come in beige? It certainly felt like it. If this were a wagon, it would belong to the When Harry Met Sally world (though that was a ’76).
These were anything but exciting during my childhood days. But I took their existence as normal; they were regulars around my streets. Like a ’70s Nova, just part of the landscape. Their conservative shrunken-American lines with Brougham sprinkling told my kid-self that grown-up preferences were beyond my grasp. Why didn’t everyone drive a Celica?
Oh yeah, adults had an odd habit of shunning small 2-doors with limited interior space. What a weird bunch of folks…
Of course, now a grown up and with a developed sense of “pragmatism” and enjoyment for a softer side of life, I can see what appealed to many about these. They did speak to the trends of the times, and, well, the economic upheavals of the era also played in their favor.
In all, this Corona showed that Toyota had learned its lessons well on how to please different markets. About which, this was the second-to-last line of Coronas that would be available in the US, as the model was to leave in ’83. The catered for the US Camry would show up in its place, which was a success story as is well known. But let’s leave that aside for now. Today, I just wish to keep my memories stuck with this one. Camrys? There are still a few around. Coronas? Those have become very rare, and old pals deserve attention after a long absence.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1978 Toyota Corona – Baseball, Apple Pie And Corona (by Paul N)
First car I ever bought was a used 71 Corona. I had looked at buying a new Pinto, Vega, or Cricket, but decided the Corona was a better buy. Had the 8-RC engine, much more power than either of the other little cars. It served me very well, good handling, got 30 MPG. It wasn’t my last Toyota.
Bench seats and column shift came with the automatic option in the US, the standard 4-speed manual was at least on the floor with buckets which made it at least a little more Celica-like. FWIU four-on-the-tree could still be had in RHD markets but that was something Toyota didn’t bother to tool up for left-hand drive after about 1968.
Someone in the building I lived , “circa 1985ish”, had a green “74-5″, Corona”. “Johns Hopkins”, window decals on the driver side rear window.
This caught one caught my eye a few days ago 20 miles away. A 67 Crown which, of course, is overpriced for it’s condition. Auto so there is that.
YAWN
Nice car.
Nice to see this survivor still out there doing yeoman duty .
I wonder where they’ll ever find a good used fender ? .
The ’67 TBM posted a picture of are the ones I like, especially the two doors .
-Nate
Yes, cars like this were all over the place…until they weren’t. I was driving a 1974 Datsun 710 when these were being sold new, and I wouldn’t have given one of them a second look, but now that they’re no longer common….yep, I’m now the target age for one but can’t find one to buy. Great car for an old fogey like I am now (50 years ago I wasn’t quite there and I admit my taste in cars has evolved as I’ve gotten older).
I think the Corona was the middle offering in Toyota’s lineup back then, as was the 710 (to be replaced with the 510 in later 70’s). The 610 then 810 became the larger sized Datsun offering.
For some reason we ended up being a Datsun/Nissan family rather than Toyota (though my middle sister briefly owned a Tercel)…said middle sister still has her 1997 Nissan 240 SX she bought new, and she had a ’95 before that (which was totalled in an accident). My departed youngest sister had an ’86 200 SX then a ’91 240SX. All coupes rather than hatchbacks (I’m a hatchback fan) and all of them automatics.
Spare a thought for the legion of chain-smoking, tireless Japanese salarymen who once knocked themselves out engineering decent, reliable cars, in spite of the sneers of European snobs and Detroit philistines.
These were really good cars, Ive owned several Coronas and they all were good reliable cars, But some Aussie built versions had a Holden 4 fitted to increase local content, they did nothing good for the Coronas rep,
Rust or crashing them takes them out of service but the rest of those cars was bullet proof.
The capture of the ad proves me wrong, (which I know I am) but man, did they ONLY sell them in this prosthetic beige? I’m certain I’ve never seen one in the wild in another color.