Even for those of us who like to think of ourselves as vintage Japanese car aficionados, seeing a car like this 1979 Toyota Corona LE liftback is a rare thing. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve seen one and finding a one-owner example is even better. This example can be found here on eBay in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is no reserve and as I write this, the bid price is $2,126.
We have seen a couple of Toyota Camry liftbacks but only one Corona liftback here on Barn Finds, as far as I know. I prefer the boxy styling of the Camry liftback but this is a great looking car and seeing one in black is nice and somewhat unusual. It makes the black bumpers not stand out as much, visually.
I see a lot of Audi influence in some of these angles. The sixth-generation Toyota Corona would be the last version of this model that we would be able to buy in showrooms in the US. These were rear-wheel-drive cars in this era which wasn’t a throwback to the glory days as they are today. Back then, front-wheel-drive cars were somewhat quirky and unusual.
The interior really lets this car down, unfortunately. It looks as if it was sitting in a parking lot in Phoenix for years, but the seller says that it’s a one-owner car and it only has 18,799 miles on it. I would tend to gravitate towards 118,799 in looking at the interior. The dash is cracked as is the steering wheel. The seats look decent both front and rear but many of the other interior bits appear to be faded and I’m not sure what’s going on with the hatchback luggage cover.
The engine is Toyota’s 20R which is a 2.2L inline-four with around 90 hp. The seller says that it’s a donated car and they have changed the oil and filters and it has fairly new tires and works great. Have any of you owned a sixth-generation Toyota Corona or any Toyota Corona?
Other than it’s condition, there is nothing special about this car. However, it is perfect for someone that is looking for an inexpensive car that will get attention at the local coffee and cars.
Steve R
If you look closely, the interior is way too beat up for this mileage.
The odometer has definitely spun at least once, but it’s a clean survivor nonetheless. Bidding already double the figure in the article with three days left this one should raise some eyebrows by the times it’s done.
18,000 miles on it!! Somebody is getting black coal for Christmas!!! We seen other Toyotas from that time period for sale with 30,000 miles and steering wheel was perfect and dash also. The seat very nice but this one. Yeah the paint can hold up as long you wash and wax it. Also the engine bay looks over 100,000 on it. I wish people would just tell the truth or prove it with paperwork. Somebody is going to be very disappointing getting this vehicle a realizing it wasn’t true but the mileage. Good luck.. 🇺🇸🐻
Lovely looking car. I find this way more attractive than anything offered today by Toyota. I’d buy it in a heartbeat if it was offered close to where I live.
Toyotas of that era were legendary for reliability. Hope that the small engine still holds up after three decades. New the Corona was far better than recall disasters like the 1980 Citation. I agree that the low mileage isn’t believable or verified. Still it offers a practical and economical collector car for someone to break into the hobby with something unique without breaking the bank.
Scotty, you could be right about this Corona sitting in a Phoenix parking lot because it sure did not sit inside any enclosed storage and it sure as hell would disintegrate if it sat that long in any Pennsylvania parking lot.
Not a huge fan of any vintage Japanese cars with automatics but like this one.
Working for Longo Toyota in El Monte, Ca). from 1974 to 1982 (with 2 years in the middle at a Nissan dealership and an utterly horrible Dodge joint in Costa Mesa) we sold a boat load of these. What made them so popular was their tremendous reliability. Two of my friends bought them and thanked me years later.
That 20R engine is practically bulletproof, but agree that 118,000 is closer to the truth. Toyotas are nice reliable cars. Like American cars used to be…maybe are again?