Toyota's first offices were opened at 6032 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, i
Priced at $1760, the Corona was an extremely simple, rear-wheel drive car built around a straightforward unibody, with a 90bhp, 1.9-liter four up front, backed by a three- or four-speed manual transmission, or the 'Toyoglide' automatic. With its slab sides and upright cabin, the Corona was a much more contemporary looking machine than the old Toyopets, its wedge-shaped nose gave it a distinctive profile. Front suspension consisted of A-arms and coil springs, while the solid rear axle was supported by leaf springs. Simple? Absolutely. Rugged? Almost certainly.
By today's standards, 90bhp seems pathetic, but in 1965 that was almost twice the number of ponies available in the VW Beetle-then the best-selling import in America. Plus, the Corona could be had with factory air conditioning and whitewalls. What's not to love? By 1967, Toyota was selling more than 31,000 Coronas a year to Americans. Suddenly, Toyota was the fourth largest importer of automobiles into the US.
The Corona would go through two more generations before being replaced by the front-drive Camry during the 1983 model year. The Camry did not share engineering with the Corona, but it was built with the same emphasis on simplicity, ruggedness and honest value. And that's worked pretty well for Toyota ever since.
2000GT: The Greatest Toyota Ever
First displayed at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show, the 2000GT was engineered in partnership with the motorcycle maker, Yamaha. The basic structure was a graceful backbone chassis (similar to that of many contemporary Lotus products), with a simple independent double-wishbone suspension system that incorporated coilover shock absorbers at each corner. Mounted in the front was an elegant, almost jewel-like, 2.0-liter DOHC in-line six feeding a five-speed manual transmission. The straight-six was based on the engine in Toyota's Crown sedan, but Yamaha's redesign was so extensive, it was almost unrecognizable. Breathing through three side-draft carburetors, it produced a great (for the time) 150bhp. Quarter-mile times ran in the mid-16s.
Even in prototype form, the 2000GT's chassis was naturally balanced and forgiving, thanks to a low center of gravity and minimal mass. But it's the 2000GT's astounding beauty that impressed everyone.
Two 1958 Toyopets arriving in America-not necessarily the car America was crying out for.
With flowing lines that hug the car's mechanical elements, the 2000GT is provocative in a way few cars have ever been. From its radically wrapped windshield to the sloping fastback roof, the 2000GT remains utterly and absolutely gorgeous.
Only about 350 2000GTs were made. Of those, about 70 made it over to the US between 1967 and the end of production in 1969. In Japan, the 2000GT was an instant success in numerous racing events. During one 72-hour speed trial at Yatabe, it set 13 FIA-recognized speed records.
In the US, two 2000GTs prepared by Carroll Shelby (yeah, that Carroll Shelby) competed in the SCCA's C-Production class during 1968 and scored three one-two finishes during the season, winning a total of four races. Unfortunately, the Shelby effort ended after only one year.
Corolla: The Best Seller
For 1968, Toyota brought out its second attempt at a truly small car for America (after the misbegotten Toyopet Tiara) in the form of the Corolla two-door sedan. This time, Toyota got it right. The Corolla has been a stalwart of Toyota's range ever since.
The first Corolla was absolutely dinky and incredibly simple: a unibody rear-driver with a 1.1-liter, 60bhp, OHV four mounted up front. The front suspension used MacPherson struts, while the rear solid axle rode on leaf springs. Priced under $1700, this was a small Toyota that could and would sell.