The Toyota Corona was the modest sedan that finally won Toyota a foothold in America
Toyota's first try at selling cars in North America flopped, and it pulled out in 1961. It came back in 1964 with the third-generation Corona, a well-equipped small sedan named after the Latin for crown, and that car helped open the market that later made Toyota a giant.
The Corona ran through eleven generations from 1957 to 2001. Its name comes from the Latin for crown, fitting its place just beneath Toyota's flagship, the Crown. The first version, launched in May 1957, was assembled partly from parts of earlier Crown and Master models, with many body panels cut down from the discontinued Master. In late 1959 a new 997 cc engine gave 45 PS and raised top speed to 105 km/h, and a new rear seat made room for five.
Export versions of the second generation were called Tiara, keeping the royal theme. They arrived at a hard moment: the Toyopet Crown had failed in the United States, and there was little demand for the Land Cruiser off-roader, so Toyota needed something more suitable. The company withdrew from the American passenger car market in 1961 and returned in June 1964 under the Toyota name, with a more modern Corona carrying plenty of standard equipment and backed by the company's first television advertising.
That third generation appeared in September 1964, a month before the Tokyo Olympics, in bodies ranging from sedan and hardtop to van, wagon and pickup. To prove its toughness Toyota ran it 100,000 km on the Meishin Expressway, sustaining 140 km/h. This version introduced Toyota's Toyoglide automatic gearbox and front disc brakes. A sporty 1600GT with a Yamaha-built twin-cam head, a junior sibling to the exotic 2000GT, was made for just 13 months, totalling 2,222 cars, and inspired later coupés such as the Celica GT.
The Corona travelled widely. It was the first Toyota assembled in New Zealand, starting in February 1967 in Christchurch, and was also put together in Melbourne and in South Korea by Shinjin Motor from 1966 to 1972. Eventually its role passed to the Premio in Japan, the Avensis in Europe and the Camry across Asia, the Pacific and the Americas.
Source: Toyota Corona
