It’s getting hot out here. Definitely the season to be out and about in a drop-top. So for the next couple of weeks, we’re going to have a look at a few of those – ‘tis the season, after all. Let’s kick things off with a real JDM rarity: the AE86 cabriolet.
No need to introduce the AE86 Sprinter Trueno, I trust. Just to make sure though, the TL: DR is that these RWD Corolla-based notchback and hatchback coupés, made between 1983 and 1987, are truly the stuff of legend, both at home and abroad. Sold abroad as the Corolla GT-S or SR-5, they were known as either the Sprinter Trueno or the Corolla Levin in Japan. The Trueno, like the export version, had pop-up headlamps, but the Levin did not.
In JDM spec, the 1.6 litre DOHC 4-cyl. churns out 130hp. The AE86 became a firm favourite of the drift crowd for its great power-to-weight ratio, lively and dependable mechanicals, supremely rigid structure and affordability. But if you wanted an unaffordable one with less structural stiffness, it turns out there was a solution.
I haven’t been able to suss out the whole story about these, but the word on the web is that a small run of these were made by a Toyota dealer in Tama, just west of Tokyo. And by small run, I mean 20-odd units, so this is a genuine black swan of an AE86!
All the convertibles were made in the early months of 1987, just before the platform switched over to FWD in May. At the time, a regular-issue Sprinter Trueno Apex (i.e., the highest grade) notchback cost just over ¥2m, but the convertible was a hefty ¥3.6m. Clearly, that Tama dealership figured that a run of a couple dozen cars would be more than enough: that kind of money could get you a Soarer in 1987.
But we’re not dealing with a home-made circular saw scalping here, so the price seems to be justified. I have no idea whether the chassis was beefed up to make up for the lack of roof and B-pillar, but it’s likely some kind of reinforcement was devised.
The result is quite handsome, for a non-official effort. There are plenty of home-made convertibles out there, and the end product is not always great. Sometimes, it’s because the donor car is ill-suited to the operation, sometimes it’s because the vision exceeded the maker’s ability. In this case, one really wonders whether someone at Toyota gave that dealership a set of blueprints and the discreet assistance of a few skilled hands from their Kanto Auto Works…
Whatever the case may be, it would be just the ticket to fight off the oppressive heat of August. Just because it’s so cool.
Related posts:
Curbside Classic: 1985 Toyota Corolla GT-S – The Legendary AE86, by PN
CC Capsule: 1984 Toyota Corolla Levin (AE85) – You’re Tired, You’re Poor, You’re A Huddled Mess, by T87
CC Analysis: An Objective View Of The Corolla AE86, by Geraldo Solis
Vintage R&T Review: 1985 Toyota Corolla (AE86) GT-S – The Exciting TwinCam 16 – An Honest High Performance Weapon, by Rich Baron
Despite being very well versed in Japanese Toyota-dom, even I had no idea of the existence of these. Wow. It looks very nice indeed. Curiosity piqued, I of course needed to learn more. Web searching away, I was able to discover that these came with a very satisfying looking boot cover for when the roof is stowed. I also found the primary purpose of my search, that being what the top looks like in its upright position. Let’s just say that as a whole package, I’m not sure I could live with it:
Appears a bit “slap, dash”.
Hmmm…from that angle, there are too many TR7 vibes for it to be really at ease with itself
Top up, not so good as is often the case. However, the top goes all the way down into a well which improves the looks greatly top down. Also, there seems to be a sound bar there. Is that part of the car or something tossed in the back seat?
The top looks the same as the awkward ragtop conversion for Triumph Herald sedans the whole conversion is amateurish
Great writeup, as per usual, about a model variant I had no idea existed. I love it in the same way I loved my mid-’80 boombox – full of so much period-specific technology, with a look to match.
I spotted a Corolla coupe of this generation in my neighborhood not too long ago that was the ditect opposite of this in terms of condition, configuration, etc. It was like a cross-continental twist on the CC Effect.