Nicest One Left? 1974 Toyota Corolla

Toyota began selling imports in the U.S. in 1958. And added the subcompact Corolla in 1969, which has turned out to be one of its most enduring nameplates. Though well-built for their time, the 1970s Corollas have all but disappeared – except for the seller’s 1974 edition, which looks like a great survivor. Located in Richmond, British Columbia, this simple beauty is available here on craigslist. But the price may be hard to digest at $22,250 (whether USD or CDN). A thumbs up to “Curvette” for the tip.

The third generation of the Toyota Corolla debuted in 1974 and ran through 1978 with annual updates. I bought a ’77 2-door stripped-down model when it was a few months old for $2,400, and it was one of the most enjoyable cars I ever owned. The little machines had 1.2- to 1.6-liter inline-4s (we assume the seller’s car has the smaller one), and they were usually paired with a 4-speed manual transmission. Nothing fancy here as mine had a rubber floor covering and plastic trim. The Corolla’s main competition from Japan was the Datsun B210.

This 1974 Corolla could be one of the nicest ones left. The seller is few on details and says it has just 41,000 miles. We’re also told it has an automatic transmission in one part of the listing, but a clutch pedal is distinctly visible in the photos. Its dark brown exterior and interior are said to be original and in mint condition. So, it makes you wonder how this happened since most of the cars were ridden hard and sent to the graveyard in the 1980s.

A car like this should appeal to Japanese car collectors. It’s not a crotch rocket but a super nice example of what kind of new car you could get 50+ years ago for $2,000 or so. The seller will entertain trades but seems interested in construction and farm equipment. We wish we knew the story and history of this little transport.