I was perusing my files for Toyotas I’ve shot but not posted when I stumbled into this gem of a find from some years ago, shot on a cliff overlooking the Pacific near Big Sur. It’s my first and only gen1 Corolla, and it’s still in regular use, by the same owner since 1984. So what was I waiting for?
Actually, I did show you one shot of it in my post about our trip on this stretch of Hwy 1. To think I have hundreds of cars shot and still awaiting their day of fame on CC. Someday soon for this one? How many times have I said that?
Given that we had several vintage reviews of the first generation Corolla in the past, I won’t repeat a lot of the details. The Corolla was a big step for Toyota both in Japan and the US, to expand the brand’s reach into the huge market for low-cost but quite functional transportation. And in the US, the Corolla’s task was to take on the VW Beetle, which it did with gusto.
The Corolla’s success was explosive. In only its second year on the US market, it jumped right to the #2 position among import cars, behind the Beetle. And within a few more years, it leapfrogged right over it.
There aren’t many of these left anywhere, and the most common explanation is rust. Well, that’s certainly part of it, and this Corolla, which has lived near the salt air of the Pacific all its life, is showing signs of that.
But I have another theory: let’s face it, the great majority of the old American cars that we find in nice original shape were “grandma cars”, driven gently by older folks, and eventually stored in a garage until they passed on. Or even longer. Except for the valuable wrecks that folks will pay big bucks to restore, most of the marginal ones fell by the wayside a long time ago, or are sitting somewhere rotting away.
Why does that include so few old Japanese cars? Because almost invariably the buyers of them in the 60s and 70s and even into the 80s were young, or young-ish. They bought them specifically because they wanted reliable transportation for their commutes, and the cars racked up miles fast and furiously.
Toyotas made their reputation in California as freeway commuter cars; who doesn’t want the most reliable car possible when you have an hour or more commute every day? There weren’t a whole lot of old folks buying Toyotas back then, to pamper and keep safely in the garage for 30 years. Toyotas were run into the ground, one way or another. But I’m sure 20 years from now there’ll be plenty of pristine Camrys to be inherited from grandma.
There was obviously a driver sitting in this Corolla wagon, enjoying the view. So I went up and introduced myself and explained my interest. I remember her name—Gwen. And that she bought it in 1984. And that she was clearly living out of the Corolla—she was having a meal at the time. The passenger side seat was gone to make room for a slender bed down the length of the Corolla. And something about living in someone’s back yard? And being on the road a fair amount of time as a consequence, in her Corolla.
Well, if you’re going to be homeless, she picked a good spot and a pretty durable automotive companion.
We had a pleasant chat, and enjoyed the spectacular vistas, and then parted company. I hope she finds a permanent abode before her Corolla dissolves, although at this rate, that might yet be a while.
Note: a rerun of an older post.
My college roommate drove his parent’s coupe. I had no experiences with Japanese cars at this time, and spending the next few years touring Colorado with him and all our mountain gear. This left nothing but admiration over a perfectly engineered subcompact car. Within a day, I realized the immense challenge Detroit was facing from Toyota.
The spacial usability found in that Corolla put anything Detroit was selling to shame. We had two 60 pound backpacks, size 12 hiking boots, skis and two full sized college men riding comfortably in a vehicle the size of a Beetle. There was no wasted space. The little 4 cylinder climbed up every Rocky mountain in front of us. Gas mileage was doubled what the other small cars got.
The car’s weakness was body integrity and rust. By 1982 the little Corolla was worn out after 14 years of heavy living.
Consequently, I have a lot of respect and fond memories of these Corollas. I’m never owned any of them, but I admit they’re remarkable cars.
An ex GF had a corolla sedan that model set up at some stage of its life for rally driving but no cage, it was a fun little car no rust and tidyish, Ive never seen a gen 1 wagon,
NZ had 2 door wagons in the next model 5 door wagons came in from OZ, and finding one would be an event now, they rusted like mad. a friend had a 71 wagon in the early 80s that had very little Toyota body left and huge amounts of bondo in it, but it ran great.
Wow, this thing almost looks unsafe .
Nice to see it still being used and loved .
-Nate
I owned a 1970 Corolla and went cross-country in another. They are as quick as a pair of roller skates and can’t go up a 10% grade or run faster than 65mph without overheating. They’ve come a long way. They’ve gotten bigger than a 1964 Ford Falcon in the process.
I basically agree with your theory Paul, but many of those Grandma cars were passed down after 20 or more years to have another life as 2nd, 3rd or 4th gen beaters. US cars of the 60s and 70s survived as had much thicker steel and very durable, if inefficient, drivetrains, so many that we now see now survived despite much abuse and neglect, and we see many of them right here on CC.
As for living in one, I’d much prefer a big US wagon, but with 12 mpg typical it’d have to be parked much of the time. For 2 years a lady often parked her ancient ’80s Accord at the end of our daughter’s street in Denver, it was apparent she and her dog were living in it. My daughter spoke to her several times offering her water &c in the summer, but eventually she moved on, we know not where. If it were me I’d pick a minivan, much more room and some are not too bad on gas.
While a 1999 Camry was passed down three generations of our family, I see many late 90’s-early 2000’s Buick LeSabre grandma cars around here.
In Southern California these Corolla wagons were the #1 choice for young families that could afford a new car.
For some reason, Oz got the Corollary in early ’67, and I have actually driven one such from that year, a really nice example, in 1987. (Even then, a survivor, now worth plenty of large, one presumes). I’ve driven plenty of descendants since, and for shame, currently drive one from 2005 (and good grief, it really is a gorgeously-made dull, dull machine, but I digress).
That ’67 drove like all the rest of Corolla-dom pretty much until FWD time 20 years later, which is, ultra-Japanese. Crap steering, awful seats, a feeling of flimsy-osity, under-geared, wind-blowsy, stuff-all damping, conversely stiff ride – and very, very easy to drive. And very nicely-made, and well-equipped, of course.
My theory is that the car sold so well because it was cheap and quickly proved very hard to break. A to B, what else do most folk want?