(first posted 7/5/2017) Once upon a time, Corollas like this roamed the land. They were durable little boogers, providing thousands of miles of happy motoring to the folks who owned them.
So while the third generation Corolla, the predecessor to the fourth generation seen here, was the best selling car in the world (sayeth Toyota Global), my exposure to them was minimal as we in the Midwest did not imbibe as heavily from Toyota’s crown of flowers. Those vast and wonderful differences found throughout not only this country, but the world are something to behold.
Instead of Corollas, we generally preferred a car that dug deep into a happy spot in the soul and still provides warm memories three decades later….
….the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.
Despite its relative lack of popularity in the Midwest, these Corollas can still be found. This is the second one of this generation I have seen in the last twenty-seven years, so isn’t like they are nonexistent.
So it was a joyful occasion to find this Corolla, a creature which appears to have been roller-derbied with house paint. My unmitigated euphoria in finding this Corolla also triggered an abundance of long lost memories, memories that (tangentially) relate to that other 1.8 liter Corolla from long ago. But we’ll get to that.
It would be remiss to simply jump into random Corolla memories without giving recognition to Fumio Agetsuma, the gentleman who was the chief engineer during the development of this fourth generation Corolla. Having begun his career at Toyota in 1955, Mr. Agetsuma would also serve in the same capacity for the fifth generation Corolla.
Mr. Agetsuma was obviously very good at what he did, demonstrated by his developing a car that would surpass the VW Golf in worldwide production for the period of 1979 to 1982 and which would be exported to 116 countries by 1983.
This is a claim the Olds Cutlass Supreme couldn’t quite match.
So while there wasn’t a Cutlass Supreme parked at our neighbor’s house, there was an Oldsmobile. Mary Jean and Steve were excellent at finding older, low mileage cars for a pittance. When they moved to the house nearest us, sometime around 1982 or 1983, they had a 1974 Cadillac Coupe Deville that made way for the ’73 Olds Delta 88 that went away for a loaded and pristine 1972 Pontiac Bonneville with a 455 V8.
Yet always parked near their latest GM capture was their 1981 Corolla 1.8 SR-5 which was driven primarily by their son. Mary Jean preferred her V8 engines, so she was always drove one of her big GMs while Steve was away at work piloting boats on the Mississippi River. However she did drive the Toyota on occasion although it never gave her that “Oh What A Feeling” Toyota was touting in advertisements at the time. Rather, she would smile while mentioning there were malnourished squirrels under the hood.
If you are thinking their driveway presented a dollop of cognitive dissonance, that would not be an inaccurate assumption. However, Mary Jean and Steve did fall nicely into two of the areas in which Toyota researchers found Corolla buyers often landed – they had a taste for genuine articles and would purchase what they liked even if it was expensive.
What Toyota research could not capture was she had a killer sense of humor and it complemented his naturally drier personality.
Having had their son quite young, Mary Jean and Steve were approaching empty nest-hood in their late thirties. As is the case with many people, having his fortieth birthday looming before him presented Steve with considerable angst.
With his birthday approaching, the thought of hitting such a formidable milestone was daunting. It was so bad he told Mary Jean to just shoot him as he simply couldn’t face such a monumental birthday. A year younger, Mary Jean looked at him and simply said “okay”.
The fourth generation Corolla was designed to provide a distinctive shape. An attractive car, the Corolla was also deceptively aerodynamic. With a coefficient of drag of 0.35 (in European guise), it was much slicker than many cars of the time.
Intended to be powered by the 1.5 liter 1A-U engine found elsewhere in the Toyota range, Agutsumo took a shining to the 3A-U engine that was in the prototype stage. Still at 1.5 liters, Agutsumo was smitten with the vigorous power band of the 3A-U and decided to use this in the new Corolla.
Doing so presented two problems; the 1A-U and 3A-U engines were not easily interchangeable and Agutsumo decided to do this only six months prior to the introduction of the new Corolla in early 1979. Compounding this were cracks being found in the heads during early production trials.
Working around the clock, Agutsumo and team were able to overcome the cracking issues in time for the start of production. Agutsumo’s change of heart was also a wise move longterm as Toyota decided to cancel the 1A-U engine only 18 months after the fourth generation Corolla came to market. (Editor’s note: US Corollas came with the well-proven 3T-C pushrod hemi 1770cc engine as used in its predecessors. Some sources suggest the 4A-C 1587cc SOHC engine was also available in the US, perhaps in the last year or two of this generation)
The four-link coil with lateral rod rear suspension was introduced on this generation of Corolla, a suspension design that continued for successive generations. According to Toyota Global, the inspiration for this suspension came about when Agutsumo made a trip to Holland. When it was pointed out the third generation Corolla had the same rear suspension as a horse drawn cart seen going down a street, Agutsumo would later say this realization was “a major shock”.
Introduced in five body styles, the fourth generation Corolla also introduced a new interior design element. The Corolla’s instrument cluster was an early adopter of having all gauges under a single transparent cover. Intended to provide a television-like appearance, this presentation is being used almost universally in current times.
All of these various innovations provided another Corolla that grew upon its already rampant popularity.
Steve and Mary Jean’s son would, over time, personalize and enhance the appearance of that Corolla in some very tasteful ways, such as darkening the windows and painting the rocker panels to contrast with its factory applied silver. While Toyotas consistently fail to excite me, their Corolla is the exception as it’s the only Toyota I’ve ever been enamored with.
Then again, this Corolla had a lot going for it in addition to triggering memories. Not only is it still chugging along after 36 years, it made me think of a neighbor’s fortieth birthday and how he was catapulted out of his age-related stupor.
On the morning of Steve’s fortieth birthday, Mary Jean woke up early and left the room. Walking back in, she woke Steve up as she was loading their 0.38 caliber Smith & Wesson. She looked down at him upon finishing and asked “So, do you want it now or after breakfast? I’m ready for all this pouting to be over.”
There was no more moping about his age. And Steve would go on to buy more Toyotas.
Thank you, little Corolla, for making my day when I found you.
Found April 2017
Jefferson City, Missouri
I thought for sure from the title as I started to read that breakfast was going to be served off of that black countertop hanging off the back of the car… holy crap that’s huge.
This made me smile. Car, context, customer profile…it’s all there.
I agree with Jim. This is a fun article to read. Thans for giving us a smile. Tom
Haha, one of the best CC endings ever.
Like you, these Toyotas weren’t that thick on the ground in my part of the upper Midwest. I definitely lived in CutlassLand. I am trying to remember the first person I knew who bought a Toyota, and it was not until the mid 80s when they bought a used Celica from the late 70s.
Oops, I just remembered another – a guy in my college dorm around 1979 or so had a well-used early 70s Corona.
I think if I had been able to read this excellent write-up back in 1981-82 I might have been more inclined to buy a new Corolla instead of a new J2000.
Being a sucker for a yellow car, I really thought the Corolla featured in those magazine ads was THE most attractive small car offered for sale in the U.S. But stupid me, I wanted GM’s reliable A/C and the more modern FWD GM (and Ford) were offering.
A nitpick: ” The Corolla’s instrument cluster was the first to have all gauges under a single transparent cover.”
A first for Toyota perhaps. Holden managed it back in 1968. Isuzu with the Gemini in the mid 1970s. I’m sure there’s more out there.
Thank you for saying that. I’ll revise the text.
The 1958 Lincoln dash is one of the earlier I can think of. The 1967 Chevy full-size and many subsequent big Chevys did the same.
Great ending!
One point from the editors’ note – the 4A-C engine replaced the 3T-C for the 1983 model year. You can tell them from the lack of an engine callout on the hatch/trunk lid.
_After_ breakfast of course ~ Cackleberry Fruit and roasted Swine Flesh wait for no one .
-Nate
I have never really been a fan of the Corollas. If I had been alive and of car buying age during the early 80s, I doubt that the Corolla would have been on my shopping list.
However, last year at the Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, I ran across one that I thought was stunning looking. It actually had me browsing CL for a hot minute for one. Everything about this car just clicked with me. Slightly lowered, Supra wheels (maybe Celica, not sure), subtle flares, chin spoiler… and the 80s 2-tone paint. Love it.
While not exactly thick on the ground, this was the sort of Toyota that was building a presence in the Midwest. The dealer network was in place in force, and the cars were simply better. I sort of like this Corolla. The hardtop roof and reasonably integrated sail panel window look decent enough.
A lot of early Japanese greenhouses may have been functional, but they sure were ugly. The lazy miss-matched look repelled me from even vaguely considering such a car. With all the kind comments about the Tercel a few days back, I could not bring myself to say something negative. But, now that we see a properly done Japanese greenhouse, lets review a greenhouse that makes the original VW Beetle sexy…….
It looks a LOT better in DX form with the window frames and B-pillar blacked out. Toyota’s (still ongoing!) habit of holding that aside for mid-series and higher trims when so many people buy the base model is a bit perplexing to say the least.
Oh yes, those louvres on the backlight – definitely a throwback to the ’80s. Who started that?
I always thought it was aping the Lamborghini Miura, but I could be wrong. Sure was a popular look, and kept the sun off your back seat passengers. Though I will say they showed up on some cars of decidedly un-Miuralike performance.
I took a very hard look at the preceding generation Liftback in 78. Loved the engine, in that gen the 1.6 pushrod hemi. Seemed smooth and willing and made a nice whirr as it worked. The reverse lockout was a downer. Reverse was below 5th and required the shifter be pulled up to get over the lockout. An easy maneuver in a right hand drive model as you would be pulling the shifter toward you, but in an LHD model, required pulling the lever up and away from the driver. The other problem was I am tall from my butt up and Toyota was still designing for short people, so the car really was a no go.
C&D had tested the Liftback when it came out in 76, and really liked it. They said the Liftback’s only issue was it came out at the same time as the first Accord, which was even more impressive.
I saw a lot of the first gen Liftbacks around in the late 70s. The second gen Coupe and Liftback never seemed to enjoy the same success, and they were the end of the line for the concept.
A very dear friend of mine had one of those in grad school in grad school between 1978-82 and she kept it after graduating. The only Corolla I had ever ridden. Dark blue with a four speed. Sadly my friend was murdered by her husband in 1989. I think of her every time the end of May rolls around and when I see a Corolla like this one which doesn’t happen often anymore. Nonetheless, it was good to remember Debbie.
A friend had one of these in red. The SR5 trim level too. I had an opportunity to drive it about once or twice a month for a year (just for short rides), and quite liked it. Very sporty ride, great handling and pickup, and lots of room for cargo. Just a bit of body roll, perhaps just the right amount.
Around the same time, I also drove a Renault Le Car and a Lada, belongings of other friends. Both of which were no match for the Corolla.
Though Hertz primarily rented Fords in the mid-late 70’s at my location, they did dabble in a few Toyotas and Datsuns. The Toyota they had was a Corolla liftback. I liked it a lot; I’m a hatchback fan.
Fast forward about 5 years to 1983, I’ve moved to my 2nd job, one of my co-workers has one of these Corollas, but a manual (Hertz had automatic). He mentioned to me the odd spotlight that shown down from the brow of the dash down to his shift lever and I recalled that’s how they lighted the automatic shift quadrant on the one I drove. Apparently a rare lack of attention to detail, Toyota failed to delete the light on manual transmission models (at least for the vintage he owned).
I had a Datsun 710 in the 70’s myself; never owned a Toyota, though I’ve been to Toyota City for my job, my family has mostly owned Nissans (and my Datsun) for some reason.
I dig it. Clearly the owner is mindful of what they’ve got as well, note how far away they park relative to the Camry, lest the owner of said Camry just lets a door fly open and possibly dings the little Corolla.
Of course the way others are parked, well, that red F-150 looks more like it was abandoned in a getaway than anything else, I’m surprised the doors aren’t hanging open 🙂
These are my favorite Corolla shape of all the generations (all five variants) with the possible exception of the 5th gen GTS”, everything you need, nothing you don’t.
I wonder what color is was originally, there is a little red (or maybe the metallic brown color option?) peeking out near the front bumper but that could just be a different primer coat.
Lots of folks around here park like that – it minimizes door dings.
A nice article and a good find indeed. These are not terribly common in Oregon unless they blend into the background quite well. Amazing how stained that parking lot is, but I guess when you have no safety or emissions testing that is what happens. I remember several Montana parking lots looking like that.
Missouri has safety inspections with emissions testing only in St. Louis and parts of the Kansas City area.
Also, this parking lot is OLD and it’s surface hasn’t been touched in years. However, the dribbles are helping keep the surface sealed so that’s not a bad thing.
Gotcha.
Called a T18 liftback here all ous were Jap assembled, the SR5 was the five speed option on the regular K engined Corolla or Toyota ute the liftback all had five speeds no fourspeed available.
‘Our’ T18 was based on the Liftback body with the slanted pillar, longer roofline and more vertical hatch like the yellow car pictured in the ad, not this ‘sport coupe’ body with the vertical pillar, more slanted hatch and shorter roof. Why Toyota felt the need for two different yet so superficially similar bodies, I have no idea!
This was back when the Corolla was available in six or seven different body styles with different rooflines and Toyota was selling a million or so of them a year.
I was lucky enough to have driven this 81 “sport coupe” during my college days on Long Island. Here it is getting a new front bumper skin.
In the northeast this generation of Corolla was popular, but the fastback hatch and (late arriving) two-door hardtop were the rarest. Two-door sedans (the cheapest) and wagons seem to have been the most common, with four-doors and the “with rear headroom” hatchback coupe somewhere in between.
Thanks for answering my unspoken question in your very last paragraph, Jason.
I was just thinking “I wonder what they would be driving nowadays” and then got to your last line about Steve going on to buy many Toyotas!
He bought the first of the new for 1988 Chevrolet pickups I ever saw and also the first Toyota T-100 I ever saw. One led to the other.
Ah my first new car, except in the new-to-market 1981.5 coupe version. I loved that thing, and soon had it spoilered up and with a cool tape job on the taillights. Or so I thought.
I put 180k miles on it before I gave it to my dad when I bought a Nissan truck for new-old house duties.
Loved this piece so much. Don’t know where I was six years ago, but I’m glad this hit reruns. Thank you, Jason.
I wouldn’t mind being 40 again!
I respect these Toyotas, they were good cars. My experience was with Hondas and Datsuns.
These ‘cars at speed in rainstorms’ images in print ads, and commercials, were/are marketing gold.
They not only convey safety and security, but show off their aerodynamic efficiency. Recreating a wind tunnel look.
Sad to see, truly stalwart historical cars, in such rough shape.
Oh so true on how long it took Japanese imports to even be noticed here in the Midwest. “Roller-derbied with house paint” is such an apt description that it’s going into my vocabulary.
This was my first new car at age 19. I managed to get in an accident after about a year, and soon after got my first real job that came with a company car…a Fairmont Futura 4 door, which was quite an ego downgrade. Loved the look…had the maroonish color with the shiny wheels shown in the pics. It felt very refined for the time, but in typical Toyota fashion the ride was much better than the handling. Count me as a former proud owner.