The Toyota Corolla debuted in 1966 as a subcompact and is still going strong in 2022 on its 12th generation. It helped Toyota to firmly establish its presence in the U.S. car market, and over time became a very reliable little machine (I had a ‘77 Corolla, and it was flawless while I owned it). This 1971 edition looks like a solid survivor with a few rough edges yet is going strong long after most of its contemporaries went to the automotive graveyard. Located with a dealer in Burlingame, California, this “little engine that could” is available here on eBay where bidders have raised the ante to $6,100.
Sales were so brisk that the Corolla became the best-selling car worldwide by 1974 and has been one of the best-selling cars overall since then. In 1997, it surpassed the VW Beetle and 50 million of them have been built as of 2021. Sounds like Toyota got it right then and has kept it that way for more than 55 years. The name Corolla came about as part of Toyota’s then-naming tradition of using monikers derived from the Toyota Crown, with “corolla” Latin for “small crown”. Toyota rolled out the second generation of the Corolla in 1970 with improvements made in the handling department.
The seller’s Corolla has the 1.6-liter, 8-valve OHV inline-4 that produced 102 hp. A 4-speed manual transmission was also standard fare. The odometer reads 95,000 miles which means it’s a well-used car, but also well-maintained as supporting documentation will back up. While this a basic means of transport, it comes with options like a jack mounted inside the engine bay and a package tray under the dash (my heart, be still!).
This automobile came out of an estate sale in Riverside about 18 months ago. It appears to be complete and runs and drives okay, riding on a set of new tires. However, the carburetor will need some tinkering to get it to hold an idle. There is a bit of rust on the bottom of the radiator support and there is a small dent in the rear bumper and tailgate. The interior is fair, but the driver’s seat needs new upholstery, the dash pad is cracked, and the headliner is in bad shape. This looks like a neat little wagon that begs the question, “when was the last time you saw one of these?”
Uuuuf, this was my first car! I haven’t seen one in years, maybe over a decade, I thought they were all long gone by now. Mine had the smaller 1.2-liter engine so it was quite a bit slower, and it was fairly rusty, but it was only $400 in 1980. It developed a bad bearing and my dad and I rebuilt the engine in our unheated single-car garage. After that, it ran like a sewing machine.
Since they were right-hand-drive in Japan, they had a weird pulley-type cable wheel under the passenger side of the dash that the now-left-side clutch pedal cable ran through. That cable pulley/wheel bracket used to bend every so often because of the pressure from the clutch cable running across from the left side. I got so good at fixing it that I could take it off, weld it, and put it back under there again in a half-hour. I used to take that car down to the ice racing track in the frozen harbor in Duluth, MN, which was a kick. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Russ!
I knew THAT was coming,, :)
I bought one of these that was just a few years old
with an automatic for something like $500.Got a used motor,
fixed up other things,& sold it for $1700.
I really miss those days of cheap,decent cars,& cheap-
parts.
Ready,,aim,, FIRE!! I’ve made peace , kind of, with the Asians decimating our car culture, but if one was to have a smoking gun, it was this car right here. Ironically, I had a early 70s Corolla too, one of the few Asian vehicles I had. $100 bucks, you know, didn’t matter what it was. Toyota knocked it out of the park with these, with maybe an Opel, it’s nearest competitor. Nobody offered a small wagon of any merit, early 70s. Classic American denial, “oh, please, our big cars will never go away”,,or so we thought. I remember, the 1st Toyota dealer in Milwaukee, Jack Safro, couldn’t have a dealer in the city, as vandalism towards these was high. They simply were not welcome in AMC/Harleytown, and for good reason. Milwaukee was the absolute epitome of American life, we built our own products, we bought our own products, what ever happened to that? The Corolla changed everything, and loyal buyers still drive Corollas today, it had that big an influence, and never looked back. A success story rivaled only by the Model T and the VW bug. They are great cars and a fantastic find and again, imagine, a car this simple was good enough. A note, the 5 speed was a welcome addition ( ’79?) and this will holler on the freeway with that RAM dually riding your azz, so caution is advised. California is about the only place you’ll find one. And for those of you that think I’m FOS, “carb won’t hold an idle”,,,, I told you so!!
Well there was the Pinto wagon , which was a dependable car and not as prone to rust disintegration , and the infamous Vega which was just as bad as the imports in regards to rusting away, but with a lot worse engine . These Toyotas ran like sewing machines, but rust likely killed 99% of them while they were still good running cars
For the “won’t hold idle ” problem, I have one word Weber carburetor
They had 5 speeds in the coupes in ’74 (SR5),& in the
wagons in ’75 (E5).
Visiting a friend’s garage years back, there was a young guy restoring a 1972 two door corolla. He must have adored that car as it had been totally stripped out and had just been professionally resprayed. It was sitting in the garage sans interior and running gear. I ‘pinged’ the roof (carefully) and the sound back was of a cheap biscuit tin; without the biscuits. Ah ha; that’s how they got such amazing milage. Wafer thin metal to reduce the gross weight.
And, yeah, it’s got a Hemi.
I had one of these in Okinawa in the late 70s and it was bulletproof. Also had Datsun 1200 coupe which was a blast and I keep looking for, but they were throw away cars and hardly any lasted.
Doug,
There’s still a couple here (not many though)
I had a 78 back in 89 here in Oki it was great island car.
Just had to get rid of my 77 Toyota Lite Ace because I couldn’t get a new or used short block for the 1200. That thing must’ve had over 300,000 km’s on it
My folks bought a ’68 Corolla brand new. It was as reliable as any car they ever owned. It actually towed a 1942 ex-military Dodge business coupe (one of my many “deals” as a kid) 20 plus miles to our home. Dad was hesitant about undertaking the task with that little sedan. Didn’t miss a beat! Definitely the little car that could.
My sister and BIL bought a 73 Corolla Wagon in 74 from a neighbor. It was red with black interior. I was a teenager and looks didn’t appeal to me but once I started driving it I liked it a lot. It had that hemi head 4cyl 4speed with a/c. She drove it until 1980 and traded for a used T-Bird. It was the best car for reliability and economical to own and drive.
Back in them days, if you wanted a small Toyota, you bought a Corolla. Want one a little bigger and fancier? A Corona was offered. And if you wanted Toyota’s version of a luxury car, you got a Crown (if you could find one)..
Had a 78 2 door. My 3rd car and one of most reliable I’ve ever had. Bought it when I was 18and starting collage . Hardly a babe magnet but after blowing a motor in a fairlane and a dodge dart that simply refused to run. There was a lot to be said for get in set the choke , hit the key and that Corolla always started. Actually had a lot if fun in that little car
I had a ’74 Corolla with a 4-speed stick and it was one of the most fun and reliable little cars I’ve ever had. Why can’t an automaker make simple, cheap car like this now? oh wait, there is the Chevy Spark I guess.
I hear Chevy has stopped importing the spark. Just like Ford with the focus and fiesta. Want a small car. Gotta buy a used one or a import
I bought my first new car in 1971…a ‘British Racing Green’ (or similar anyway) 1971 Toyota Corolla Coupe with the 1100cc slant 4 and a 4 speed. They advertised it would cruise at 78 mph and that was all she had. Got great gas mileage, required zero repairs during my tenure and regular maintenance. There was a factory recall regarding that package shelf….seems things were sliding off the drivers side and interfering with the gas pedal…so there recall was a spring load clip on ‘dam’ that prevented the slide offs.