Toyota is marking 60 years of the Corolla, a nameplate that has passed 57 million global sales across 12 generations since 1966. The company says more cars have carried the Corolla name than any other. Today the model is built at 14 production centres in 11 countries, and Toyota is marking the milestone with 60th Anniversary editions.

A milestone measured in millions

Few nameplates have lasted as long as the Toyota Corolla, and none has sold in the same numbers. According to Toyota, global sales have now passed 57 million since the first car arrived in 1966. That figure is behind the company’s claim that the Corolla is “the world’s best-selling car”.

Over six decades the name has covered a wide range of body styles, including family sedans, hatchbacks, station wagons and sports coupes. Toyota says the core idea has not changed: a well-built, versatile car at an affordable price. Production now runs at 14 centres in 11 countries.

Born in a booming Japan

The Corolla came out of Japan’s rapid growth in the early 1960s. Cities and suburbs were spreading and the population had passed 100 million, so owning a car was becoming both desirable and necessary. Toyota saw room for a car that went beyond basic transport and offered comfort, modern equipment and some driving enjoyment.

Work on the concept began in 1962 under Chief Engineer Tatsuo Hasegawa. Toyota built a dedicated factory, the Takaoka plant in Toyota City, to make the car. Each car had to beat a benchmark quality score at every stage of assembly. The Corolla was revealed at the 1966 Tokyo Motor Show and went on sale in Japan that November. Its name refers to the crown of petals on a flower.

The first car was a two-door sedan with a 1.1-litre engine producing 60 DIN hp. A four-door sedan and a wagon followed in 1967, and the Corolla Sprinter fastback coupe arrived in 1968. Toyota says its floor-mounted four-speed manual gearbox was a first for a Japanese car. Within three years the Corolla had become Japan’s best-selling car.

Growth through the 1970s and 1980s

The second generation arrived in 1970, the same year the model reached one million sales. It added a two-door coupe and the first sporty Corolla, the Levin, with a 115 DIN hp twin-cam 1.6-litre engine. Toyota built 2.4 million of them. From 1971, partner Caetano assembled cars from kits in Portugal.

The third generation was the first Corolla shaped in a wind tunnel and the first designed with passive safety in mind, including crumple zones. More than 3.75 million were produced. The fourth generation brought rack-and-pinion steering, coil-sprung multi-link rear suspension and, from 1982, the first Corolla diesel, a 1.8-litre unit.

The fifth generation, launched in May 1983, was the biggest change yet. It moved to front-wheel drive, while rear-wheel-drive versions stayed on for keener drivers. Among them was the AE86 coupe, the last front-engined, rear-wheel-drive Corolla and later a cult car.

A European focus

Later generations added more comfort and refinement. The sixth generation offered the first four-wheel-drive options and seven engines from 64 to 145 DIN hp. The seventh took design cues from Lexus, and a driver’s airbag became standard from September 1994.

The eighth generation was a turning point for Europe. Toyota developed versions specifically for European buyers and began full-scale Corolla production in the region. The ninth generation’s hatchbacks were built in the UK, and the Corolla Verso MPV was made in Turkey. In Europe and Japan the tenth-generation hatchback was sold as the Auris. In 2010 it was joined by the Auris Hybrid, the first Toyota hybrid mass-produced in Europe. The eleventh generation’s hybrid recorded CO2 emissions of 87 g/km.

Hybrid-only today

The current, twelfth-generation Corolla launched in 2019 on Toyota’s TNGA C-platform. In Europe it has been sold only as a hybrid, with 1.8- and 2.0-litre systems. It was also the first Corolla to offer a GR Sport grade, and the European family has since grown to include the Corolla Cross SUV.

What it means

The Corolla has stayed relevant by changing with what buyers wanted, from cheap Japanese transport to a European-built hybrid. In the compact segment it competes with cars such as the Volkswagen Golf. The anniversary is a reminder of how central the model remains to Toyota’s line-up.

Facts: Toyota Corolla at 60

  • First revealed: 1966 Tokyo Motor Show; on sale in Japan from November 1966
  • Global sales: more than 57 million
  • Generations: 12
  • Production today: 14 production centres in 11 countries
  • Original engine: 1.1-litre, 60 DIN hp
  • Current European range: hybrid only (1.8- and 2.0-litre systems)

Toyota is celebrating the anniversary with exclusive 60th Anniversary editions of the current hybrid range.

Source: newsroom.toyota.eu