Before there was the Camry, the best-selling passenger car in America since 2002, there was the Corona, the car that put Toyota on the map here in the States in the 1970’s. When the Oil Embargo hit in 1973 with rationed gas and long lines at the pump, consumers needed gas sippers, not gas guzzlers. And, the Corona was just what the buying public needed: a rather refined no-nonsense, well-built, reliable, and economical small car (something that Detroit offered, but came up short in comparison). Here’s a surviving fourth-generation Corona Station Wagon that isn’t perfect, but it’s well preserved for a 53-year-old Toyota station wagon and has 78,000 original miles. Located in Lufkin, Texas, this Corona is for sale here on Facebook Marketplace for $16,000. Thanks, JDC, for spotting this old ‘Yota and sending it our way!
The seller is listing the car for his father-in-law, but says he’s the second owner. It has been well maintained and garaged given its overall condition, and the seller claims it is 95% original. The Metallic Gold paint is shiny and presentable. I thought the photos showed some thin spots on the hood, but it turned out to be cloud reflections. I did spot some streaking under the locked filler cap – a very popular item in the 70’s to deter siphoning. It also has some parking lot dents and dings on several of the doors, but I’m not spotting any rust and the glass, trim, and shiny things look good.
The Corona’s interior is clean and impressive. The Corona’s sales brochure called it a luxury car with a headline that read, “The test of a true luxury car is on the inside.” Sure, it’s not as luxurious as the lush, plush cars coming out of Detroit, but it wasn’t a cheap looking, stripped-down econobox either. The durable brown ribbed seats aren’t showing wear and I’m not seeing cracks in the dash or any major wear and tear. The door panels and headliner are in great shape as well and this Corona Deluxe has air conditioning, which I’m assuming is working.
The Corona’s sales brochure stated, “The Mark II Wagon is elegant enough for Saturday night, yet big enough for Saturday afternoon.” The cargo area holds 60-65 cubic feet of cargo with the rear seat folded flat and is in very good condition for a station wagon. The carpeting on the floor and on the back of the rear seat looks good. There are a few scuffs on the wheel wells that you’d expect from hauling around stuff over the past 50 years, but it’s nothing major.
Under that gold hood is the Model 18R-C engine, a 1.8-liter inline four cylinder that generated 97 horsepower when new. It’s mated to a 4-speed manual transmission and has 78,000 original miles. The seller says that due to infrequent use, the Corona will likely need a tune-up. Regarding the asking price, Hagerty values a highly original ’73 Corona Wagon like this in the $12,000 – $18,000 range, so the $16,000 asking price is in line. These Corona Wagon’s were driven hard for many years, racked up a lot of miles, and then were discarded (usually replaced by another Toyota). There aren’t many highly original time capsules like this around. It’s a golden opportunity for someone interested in owning a vintage Toyota.
I remember my Dad having at least 3 different friends who had Toyota wagons similar to this. I was a just a little kid when these were new, but I definitely remember the body style and the wheel covers. I remember sitting behind the steering wheel of one of them, I asked my Dads friend Bill why he had 3 horn buttons. Man, the strange memories I have that get the cobwebs blown off after 5 decades. Thank you for the write up on this old Toyota Ron. It looks amazing, its held up so well over the years.
The Texas location explains this car surviving all this time. In the salt belt Japanese cars of this vintage melted back into the earth a long time ago.
I don’t see an AC compressor in the engine photo but the hoses and pipes are visible. The compressor may be mounted too low to see. In the 1970s the AC in many if not most imports was dealer-installed.