“You know what I got me, Raúl? These cool aftermarket… Uh, rams, or rockets. Don’t really know what they’re… but remember my Corona? Man, that’s gonna be one sweet ride now! You just wait and see!”
Some time ago I found the claim—on Japanese sites—that Toyota’s 3rd gen. Corona was penned with “American style” in mind. Not a claim I denied, but always found necessary to squint hard to see. Earlier Japanese efforts had European influences; either Brit in spirit, or downright Italian outsourcing.
With the Corona, Toyota’s designers took to Detroit (and who knows what else) for inspiration. Fix your gaze and do some hard squinting: What do you see? Ford influences seem most prominent to me: Engel’s boxy slabsideness, along Ford’s ever-present ‘shovel nose’ of the period.
The Corona’s dimensions had always made difficult to notice such American affectations. This sample however, with ‘rocket spears’ in place, has certainly proven the case to me! Yes, little Asian tin box, I can see those American lines tailored to you!
Never mind those spears belong to the wrong decade; if the Corona’s lines ape the Continental’s clean flanks, those Jet-Age add-ons are as incongruous as can be. Then again, those who follow posts of mine are well aware of the eclectic taste of Central America’s car owners. Label us accidental-post-modernists.
Talking about old posts, by now it must be clear Central America seems to be central station for old Japanese iron. Nissan and Toyota arrived to the region in the early ’60s, possessing accessible prices, good quality, and attainable amenities. Locals could finally afford mobility, with ‘luxury’ options to boot. In rather quick fashion the Asian newcomers took the market away from American and European brands.
After a couple of failed efforts, the 3rd gen. Corona was the game changer Toyota needed to establish the brand. The model sold in hearty numbers, displacing Nissan from the top perch in Japan and Western markets. The story has been told at CC before, and it’s worth revisiting.
Not surprisingly, Coronas of this age were rather common in my youth and have become scarce only until recent. A few are still to be found in rather original, if not pristine, condition. No idea of this sample’s exact age, but I’m guessing it belongs to the model’s early years.
As always, some creative resourcefulness has been applied to keep this Corona on the road. Besides the ‘rocket spears’; that’s a ‘Hetz’ (a Chinese brand I think) lock in the trunk, a fix that belongs to the ‘put-together’ department.
No idea where the ‘rocket spears’ are sourced from: Plymouth, Chevy, Ford? Talking about looks, it won’t come as a surprise to confess I always found these cars dowdy. My kind of dowdy, mind you. It would have been the perfect anti-hipster mobile, and would have loved to own and drive one back in my twenties. Then again, nowadays even old Falcons are hipster-mobiles (or so I’m told). Walter Mitty, no more daydreaming for you. We’re ready to finally accept you as cool.
The Corona’s 3rd gen. set Toyota on the path to world dominance. The model may be no more, but it took off and sent the company to lofty heights. And that with no need for rocket boosters.
More on the Corona:
These were not really common during my midwestern US childhood. The first time I paid attention to one was in college. Another kid in the dorm had one that was well worn, and had been repainted black (with a brush, no less). And had the Toyo Glide transmission. He asked me to do a maintenance/tune up work on it for him and I did. My most vivid memory was looking at that front end, wondering “did the Toyotas I occasionally saw as a kid have a front end that looked like THAT?”
The bonnet spears (sorta) match the smaller ones covering the holes for the hideous JDM mirror mounts. Coronas were never cool.
Am,erican influence? Hard to see. I always thought of those first Toyota and Datsun imports as British. The drivetrain configuration and driving position were certainly British, and the styling is closer to Hillman Minx than any American trend of the time.
The “American influence” has to be seen from a Japanese standpoint.
These cars were large for Japan in 1967, and the 1.9 litre motor was bigger than any small car available at the time. The Opel Cadet, for example, was sold with a 1 litre motor.
The availability of an automatic transmission was also American influence. The Toyoglide was a blatant Powerglide rip-off but with the lazy motor it worked just fine.
I don’t see American influences, but I love this car. There is so much in its design. I learned to love these Toyotas when they were worn out used cars in Colorado, on campus. They never quit – but they rusted like all-get-out. The space utilization was a revelation to me at the time. The quality was better than the American cars and the designs were better. The stylings weren’t the best – but the cars were respectable, frugal, and quicker than my old Valiants.
My first car I bought in California in 1978 was a blue ’67 Corona for 700 bucks I think, 4 speed on the floor and a zippy lil thing. They were all over the East Bay back then…..Now look at the size of ’22 Corolla! Sheesh………….
Not really much “American influence” on its styling, but the Corona was much more like a 7/8 scale American car otherwise than a VW or Simca or Renault. It had an exceptionally large and powerful 1.9 L engine, a bench front seat, column shifter and available automatic. These were the qualities that allowed it to become such a success, along with its rapidly growing reputation for quality.
In 1973, Hydro Quebec tried to banish us to a French only area, hoping upon hope to drive the Mon Dieu Anglais from their employment. By 1976, all of the bilingual system operators were gone. Dad then worked for BC Hydro until 1987, when he went into business full time.
Mum was horrified. We were part of large Irish families, and it was very hard for her to be away from them. We moved to a wealthy English speaking neighbourhood called Rosemere, a suburb of Montreal. Dad worked a shocking 20 km away, so Mum insisted on a car. Dad bought her a 1970 Corona. It was a great second car until 1974-when my dear brother got his licence.
He then proceeded beat the bark of off it. His crowning achievement was blowing up the motor. This is quite the accomplishment for a 3RB. Dad told him not to drive it. He promptly rear ended a truck.
Dad straightened the front end and installed a used motor. By the time we left in 1976, it was a smoking $50 beater.
I have never destroyed a car. By brother would never destroy his own car but he always destroyed the taxi he was driving.
I feel for your family. I have a friend who has just moved from Quebec to Nova Scotia, because despite living there all his life, his poor French made him unemployable nowadays.
Ha!!! Had one of those in the 80’s! Got it for free. My father tells me a friend of his has this car she wants to get rid of, won’t run, many people tried fixing it but were unsuccessful. Tells us come and get it if you want it. We go look at it, has no spark. Find out that the terminal that goes through the distributor body was shorted out. Go back home to get what I need to fix it, then we went back. Told my dad to get the title from her cause I’ll be done any minute here. Hit the key and it fires right up! The look on her face was priceless! Wasn’t a bad car, my dad used it to commute, I used it occasionally, got good gas mileage. It had the “Toyoglide” auto trans that had a slow fluid leak. When it was low on fluid during full throttle it would flare for a half a second before it shifted to high gear and chirp the tires. It blew a rod a year or two later. All well, it was free.
Ah, the old Shovel-Nose Corona. Very common in sixties Australia. This one seems to be a peculiar mix of early-style taillights with later style grille – probably whatever could be sourced to keep the car on the road, I’d guess. And the ornate trim panel between the taillights hints at a level of appointments beyond anything Australia ever received.
I always thought these were pretty style-less, flat panels looking at odds with the overly-ornate front and rear. Kind of reminds me of an economy-size Toyota Century rather then anything American.
I love these .
Side view they look like they’re leaning backwards a bit, very English to me .
The 3RB was indeed a stout little engine, my high school but got his girl one of these then beat the poor thing to death repeatedly .
The “ToyoGlide” two speed slush box was GM’s PowerGlide under license .
It had a fairly weak reverse bank, those who stupidly engaged reverse with the car rolling forwards *instantly* had no reverse, good thing they were light and easy to push .
Eveyrone I knew had used four doors, cheaper to buy , I always wanted a two door to play with .
Here in Southern California they didn’t rust too badly and until the last year or so I’d occasionally run across a nice original one in Pick-A-Part, decent paint and all, some granma/grampa’s car no one wanted .
The JDM mirrors mounted on the fenders, the blanking plates are clearly visible .
-Nate
Rare cars here even new the Japanese brands didnt have a lot of traction in the 60s but Hino Contessas and Isuzu Bellets also sold in similar numbers plus the Colt F by Mitsubishi they all set up shop with varying results, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota remain while Hino and Isuzu sell a lot of trucks in all sizes from puddle jumpers to full size semis.
Tasmania seemed to be a haven for shovel nosed Coronas when I lived there wagons, utes and sedans were all still in use around the Huon valley early this century actually old Coronas were in abundance there even I had a MK2 Corona sedan
These would not have been a blip on my radar as an early teen, had not a local Italian mason purchased a bright blue one new in 1965. He would not have been anyone’s candidate to betray his roots with a furrin car, but his purchase reflected the practicality of a free nation when it comes to choosing a vehicle that fits their needs. He taved about the car to skeptical neighbors, and I was pretty impressed with the looks, which I found extremely modern compared to imports I knew. The dealer was a hardware store in the center of town, who kept three or four of them in stock. They still look clean and useful to me now.