Toyota Corona
Everyone has surely heard of the Toyota Corona, right? Launched in the year 1957, the Toyota Corona was initially marketed
as a compact car greatly loved and appreciated by the Japanese consumers. As its
name goes, the vehicle has been Toyota’s crown. Meaning, the car has been the
company’s principal export entrant. The very first model of the Corona to be exported
was the third generation which was launched in the year 1964. Indeed, the third
generation Toyota Corona models were exported in great quantities. With the often
exported model went the plusher version known as the Toyota Corona Mark II which
in its later years spun off into a separate platform.
With the large and reputed incarnation and export of the Toyota Corona in several
other areas worldwide, more and more consumers became drawn into it. In the United
States where more than half of the population utilizes private cars to take them
to places, Toyota Corona’s highest point was probably the 1970s. Due to the historical
fuel crises of 1973 and 1979 and also because Toyota Corona was able to fit into
the specific requirements in this area of fuel economy, its sales increased.
Other generations of the Toyota Corona such as that of the T142 model and the
Corona FF, which was marketed in some countries bearing the name Toyota Carina
were also bestsellers and attention-catchers. When Australia and New Zealand decided
to drop the production of the Corona to give way to the large Camry, another version
of the Corona evolved and that is the Corona Coupe which came out in the mid-1980s
bearing a unique sheetmetal. Later on, the four-door hardtop Corona EXIV replaced
the Coupe.
In Europe, the last export Corona was called the Carina E and the Corona SF was
the five-door model and the station wagon in separate line was called the Toyota
Caldina in Japan. Between 1996 and 2000, one particular and final eleventh version
was built. Soon the Toyota Corona Premio was spun off into an independent model
called the Premio. Also, the year 2000 marked the last stage of production of
the sedan in the Japanese home market.
