History of the Corolla

Toyota Motor Philippines just took the wraps off the 12^th generation Corolla Altis. It has been a long journey since its first inception in 1966, spanning 53 years, and over 40 million examples sold. With so many around, it’s very likely that you or someone you know has owned a Corolla at some point in their life. This year marks a significant milestone of a certain car from Toyota. With over 40 million examples sold, chances are it's the car you either grew up with, learned how to drive in or even probably the car you're driving now. With the arrival of the latest generation, we take this opportunity to look at the Corollas of the past that had led to its current, most impressive iteration yet. First Gen Corolla (1966-70) The idea for the Corolla first came about in 1962. This was to be the first Toyota offered in western markets like the US. As such, Toyota tasked its engineers with designing a car that was lightweight, efficient and of high quality. The final product was unveiled to the public on October 1966, with sales beginning just a month after. It was initially available as a two-door sedan, with a 4-door version and wagon following soon after. It was powered by a tiny 1.1 liter OHV with 60 PS, upgraded to a 1.2 liter with 68 PS later on. Struts in front and leaf springs behind kept it aloft while it was brought to a stop with drum brakes all around. Second Gen Corolla (1970-74) With the first one proving to be successful, Toyota sought to improve upon the Corolla with the next generation. The new, bigger, curvier car was released in 1970, powered by a 115-PS 2T-G 1.6-liter engine that was considered quite powerful at the time. This was also the first Corolla to be sold in the Philippine, arriving in 1972. Thanks to its round body shape, Pinoys affectionately called it “Mango.” Third Gen Corolla (1974-79) The third generation Corolla was released in 1974, during the peak of the middle eastern oil crisis. While many American brands saw poor sales owing to their cars’ high fuel consumption, the Corolla quickly became a favorite thanks to its fuel efficiency. It was powered by a 1.2-liter 3K engine, returning very good mileage. In the Philippines it was offered in a four-door sedan and two-door coupe form with a 1.6-liter engine, called the SR or Sprinter. This generation would eventually be nicknamed “Sprinter” after the sporty coupe. Fourth Gen Corolla (1979-83) Thanks to the Corolla’s efficient engine and reliability, it’s popularity grew in the late 70s and early 80s. In the Philippines, the Corolla was offered in four-door sedan and two-door liftback form. Corolla sedans were powered by a 1.3-liter 4K engine that put out 74 PS and 105 Nm of torque. The Liftback, called the Corolla DX, on the other hand, got a bigger 1.8-liter engine. In addition, new 4-link coil springs connected to a live axle and rack and pinion steering further improved the car's ride, handling and comfort. Fifth Gen Corolla (1983-87) By this time, an economic recession in the Philippines had effected vehicle production. As such, Filipinos never got to sample the fifth generation Corolla. This groundbreaking model was the first front-wheel driven one. This freed up space in the cabin and made it more comfortable for passengers. This also allowed the installation of fully independent suspension. The engine itself received upgrades like electronic fuel injection. While it was never sold here, imports of this model, particular the coupe, are quite sought after. After all, they were the iconic rear-wheel drive AE86 Corolla Sprinter Trueno and Levin. Sixth Gen Corolla (1987-92) The improving Philippine economy saw the return of Toyota to the automotive industry, this time as Toyota Motor Philippines. It was an appropriate time to reintroduce the Corolla too, as Toyota executives intended it to serve as a min-Cressida with some luxurious touches. As such, the fifth generation Corolla, introduced in the country in 1989, featured a larger body and better driving dynamics. This was the first Corolla built in the new Santa Rosa plant. It was sold in three variants, with a choice of 1.3-liter and 1.6-liter engines. It was later offered with a twin cam 1.6 liter. This served as Filipinos’ first taste of Toyota’s legendary high-performance 4A line of engines. Despite its larger size, it’s known by enthusiasts today as the “AE92” or “small body” in comparison to those that came after. Seventh Gen Corolla (1992-95) In this generation, Toyota sought to further improve the Corolla’s level of quality. Serving as inspiration was the LS400, a vehicle from Toyota’s then new luxury brand, Lexus. The larger and curvier Corolla offered more room, a higher quality interior, fuel injection, and the first automatic transmission. This, too, was built in Santa Rosa, and saw higher demand thanks to its popularity as a fleet vehicle and taxi cab. Toyota would later upgrade the vehicle to include airbags, ABS, and three-point seatbelts in the back. Today, this generation is known as the “AE101,” “GLI” after its top of the line trim, or “Big Body” owing to its size. Eighth Gen Corolla (1995-00) An economic crisis in Japan and the Asian Financial Crisis later on had greatly affected the creation of the seventh generation. Nonetheless, this generation saw a weight reduction, an improvement in safety, a quitter ride, and even greater fuel efficiency. It used similar engines with the previous AE101, ranging from a carbureted 1.3-liter, and fuel injected 1.3-liter and 1.6-liter. Airbags and ABS were fitted in the top-spec GLI. Later in its life, a sportier model with a 1.8-liter engine was introduced, called the Corolla Altis. Despite the introduction of the Altis name, Pinoys know this car as the “Love Life” thanks to the commercial and the slogan the car was promoted with. Ninth Gen Corolla (2000-2007) By this time, Toyota was thinking of changing the vehicle’s name. Some Japanese executives thought the Corolla would forever be associated with the poor quality of the previous model. As such, this generation was introduced as the Corolla Altis, regardless of the trim level. To change that stigma, Toyota decided to make the Corolla significantly larger, with more interior space. It was powered by a new range of ZZ engines. The typical trim names, XL, XE and GLI were replaced with J, E and G. Pinoys know this car as the “ZZ” or “Itlog” owing to its very large and round cabin. Tenth Gen Corolla (2006-13) Now a successful global model, the next Corolla was developed in Europe to focus on improving refinement and handling. Nonetheless, three separate Corollas were developed for the world: one for the US, one for Europe, and one for Asia. The Philippines received the Asian wide body version featuring a wider track for better handling and stability. It was offered in E and G trim, with the new top-of-the-line V trim introduced. TMP would later offer a 2.0-liter with a CVT, a first for the Corolla. Eleventh Gen Corolla (2013-current) The last Corolla was built on a completely new platform, called MC. With so much refinement over the years, Toyota executives felt that the Corolla had lost its fun factor and had sought to bring it back with this generation. The Corolla’s design was inspired by the Furia concept. Underneath the skin were vast improvements to the suspension and CVT transmission. It was also the first Corolla to receive a Dual-VVTi engine. TMP offered this Corolla in E (base), G (mid), and V (top) trim levels. The standard setter Over 12 generations, the Toyota Corolla transformed from a humble means of transport to the impressive and well-equipped C-segment sedan it is today. Despite all the changes, it continues to be a benchmark in its segment and a legend in its own right.