Joseph Dennis’ evocative shot of an early Chevette in front of a Wal Mart reminded me of a similar vintage economy car I shot in front of another WallyMart recently. Two differences: this one is in the daytime, and seeing a 70s Corolla still haulin’ the groceries is a lot more common—in these parts at least—than seeing a Chevette. Yes, there’s still a couple of Chevettes around, but these Corollas are still around in some numbers. And contrary to the rep the newer ones have now, these were one of the more fun to drive economy cars you could buy at the time.
This one is a five speed at that, even though it’s a totally base Corolla sedan. Want to tell me how many other economy cars sported a slick-shifting five-speed? American ones? Toyota pioneered the concept.
Contrary to their common image nowadays, these 1600cc Corollas were reasonably brisk. The 1588cc 2T-C hemi-head engine was quite powerful for the times, with 75 net hp, roughly equal to the Rabbit’s.
I had a lot of seat time in one almost exactly the same, and on a highly memorable trip to Death Valley, I topped 100 across the Mojave Desert. And you wonder why I get a bit touchy when folks lump all Corollas and their drivers into the equivalent of automotive pariahs?
No, it wasn’t exactly a BMW 2002, suspension-wise. A solid driven rear axle, suspended on leaf springs; just like a Cadillac Seville of the same era (oops; now I asked for it). But it worked, and with nary an issue. Yes, the Corolla’s rep as being exceptionally dependable was already well established. I wonder what it would feel like taking this one a road trip across the deserts of Eastern Oregon?
Related reading:
Autobiography: 1975 Toyota Corolla – Driving Nirvana
Automotive History: The Toyota Five Speed Transmission Takes On The World
Nice find. Caught this first gen Cressida at a Walmart outside Tulsa yesterday, still doing its chores on a freezing, raining day.
That’s actually a second gen.
I haven’t had any experience with the ’75 and up 2TC cars, but I suspect under the skin they were very like the ’74. My Mom had a ’74 sedan with a 4 speed and a high school buddy a ’74 SR-5 coupe . The SR-5 was as sporty as it got for anything close the kind of money they cost, and was a hoot to drive. The 4 speed car was reliable and economical, just not as much fun. It was a pretty decent winter car with snow tires and a couple sandbags in the trunk. The heater even worked, which is something not all Japanese cars of the era could claim.
Corollas of this vintage were popular, and a common sight until the late ’80s when rust usually got them. I haven’t seen one this nice in a long time.
The E30/E50 Corolla is very similar mechanically to the E20 — it’s a little bigger, but the major changes were related to emissions and safety compliance, both for the U.S. and Japan.
I owned a 77-1/2 Corolla wagon…yes it was updated mid year with new grille, trim and hood vent…It had the 5 speed transmission and the OHV 1.6 liter engine….I replaced it with a 1980 VW scirocco with virtually the same sized engine, albeit OHC engine and it was light years ahead in handling and it felt noticeably quicker….Remember the same could probably be said about a contemporary Rabbit which had the same engine and platform as the Scirocco.
Unfortunately neither were good at surviving the salt of Buffalo’s streets departments in the winter
I am on record as saying while both these and the Chevette are not normally my type of car, I find them irresistible anyway. When I think “compact car” designed to be affordable, efficient and simple, I think of vehicles like this (not so much their bloaty current versions with power everything). It’s great to see one still doing its duty as a grocery getter.
“…there’s still a couple of Chevettes around, but these Corollas are plentiful.”
I don’t know where you live, but where I live, a Chevette is something you see about once or twice a year and a Corolla of that vintage simply does not exist at all. I think Its been ten years since I’ve seen one.
So you don’t like the Corolla, well, that’s your right. But to stereotype those of us who do as non car people is rather elitist. You know nothing about me. And since when is driving a car that prioritizes responsiveness a litmus test for inclusion to the “car person” club? Who makes these rules?
I think that a car that was designed with durability as it’s main priority is just as respectable as one prioritizing responsiveness. Its not as if the rest of the car is bad, either. Have you driven a late model Corolla? And please, if you’re going to slag on the automatic transmission, at least admit that the 4 speed is only available on the L model, the rest get a CVT like so many other cars in today’s marketplace.
Some, like myself, would say this was the last true Corolla:
The last true Corolla (as John calls it, I can’t reply to his comment) was sold here 5 years ago. Its successor was the Auris, this is the current model. Available as hatchback and wagon. Gasoline, diesel and (gasoline) hybrid.
The Corolla has sort of fragmented into several very different cars: The European version was replaced by the Auris/Blade and there are now completely separate Japanese-market and North American Corollas, which have almost nothing in common except the name.
I have 3 cars that are fun for me, a 1964 Fairlane 260/Ford-O-Matic, a 1972 Pinto wagon 2.0L/4 speed, and a 383 V-8 powered S10 pickup with a 5 speed. It was built for drag racing and doesn’t handle well, but it is a screamer in a straight line. None of these are sports cars, but I consider all of them fun. I have one transportation appliance, a 2001 Malibu 3.1L/auto that is reliable and gets me where I want to go in comfort (it has A/C). I bought it with ‘86,000 miles on it and it is rapidly closing in on 200,000. Almost all of that is highway mileage from long trips. It’s cruise control comes in real handy out on the highway. It is the most boring car I have ever owned. I bought it for comfort, reliability, and mpg. It’s replacement may very well be a used Toyota Corolla.
To me, a “car enthusiast” usually means someone who is into vintage cars, or high performance late models. I never saw someone who drives a bland late model eggmobile as a car enthusiast. They make fine reliable transportation, but not much else. Even the C6 Corvette is mostly an image car to me. Yes it’s fast and handles well, but you would never know it from behind the wheel. GM did a great job insulating the driver from the car.
Again these are just MY feelings. They are not intended to be more important than anyone else’s feelings. I just now discovered there is a forum for 1997 and up Malibus. There is probably one, or several, for late model Toyota Corollas as well.
I wonder if Corolla was also the last three speed auto car, I remember renting one in the early 2000’s. Though the Chevy Metro may have had that honour.
I researched a while back, the Daihatsu Charade was likely the last two speed auto- though I’m often wrong.
Oddly I’m ok with four speed autos, they get the job done with decent freeway rpm’s, and that Toyota unit I bet is bullet proof. CVT’s are getting better in feel, but I’m still not convinced of their longevity, and the rebuild costs tend to be higher. I’ve heard several late model, just post warranty Nissan owners tales of woe.
This reply was to ohwonesten, don’t know what I did to get it here.
The Neon stuck with a three-speed automatic longer than the Corolla did. I don’t know whether it was the last, though.
It appears the site is not properly saving the “parent ID” data that notes when a comment is a reply to another one.
We got em with Kseries engines same car minus the fun part gutless was a more apt description, I got upgraded by Avis one time when a near new BLMC Mini split the harmonic balancer I was placed in a brand new 78 Corolla which proved very susceptible to cross winds and lacked any tossability it was bigger than the Mini but that was where the upgrade stopped.
The U.S. got the 3K for a while as well, but it disappeared in the mid-seventies because it was just not up to emissions gear and 5-mph bumpers. An extra 400cc (and better breathing) is a lot when you’re talking about ’70s engine tech.
Yeah, that K motor really killed any chance of being a fun car. Probably why you never see one these days. If we’d got the 2T-C it might have been different.
I almost can’t believe that I’ve never so much as sat in one of these. Kind of wish I could take one for a spin to experience it.
My kind of car. Plain, simple and fun to drive. Me want.
I rented a 2014 Corolla and liked it just fine. I am an enthusiast for most vehicles that probably will reach 300k. It’s a bonus when they are fun to drive and I firmly believe driving a slow car fast is the way to go. Was that worth $.02?
@ Lee Wilcox – couldn’t agree more.
I rented one back in 2010, and kept pining for the Mazda 3 I left at home. The Toyota just wouldn’t talk to me.
I really liked these cars back in the day, and wouldn’t mind having one today. For someone like me they were definitely car enthusiast material. RWD, carb, no electronics, available as a 2 door, that wonderful 5 speed, and decent performance, which could be improved upon back then.
There is a major difference between this car and Corollas (and pretty much any car) made today. These were lively little cars, they were not over insulated, you could hear the engine clearly as you were zipping through the gears, you could hear wind and tire noise, and actually feel the tires on the road. There was feedback through the controls.
Today’s Corollas, like all cars, are about as boring as it gets, even with the manual transmission. The feel and sound of the driving experience has been almost completely eliminated. They have become reliable but drop dead boring transportation appliances. FWD, and no longer available with 2 doors.
The Corolla has moved up the food chain, and the Yaris is now closer to what the Corolla used to be. The base model Yaris is available with 2 doors and a 5 speed. It’s a long way from being the fun machine the old RWD Corollas were, but it is about as close as you can get, and with the windows down, you can still even get some sensation that you are actually driving a car.
Just so this is not misunderstood, all of the above is my personal opinion only. It is not presented as fact, and I realize others will have different opinions.
I share your opinion, pretty much word for word. Well said JunkyardDog.
I don`t really care for `em either.My brother had a 2007. I found it very cheap on the inside, and I wasn`t exactly cowed by its performance though it did get good gas economy, especially in the spring-summer of 2008 when gas prices really shot through the roof. Boring? To be sure, but Toyota probably realizes that many Americans aren`t car people, so bland and boring does sell-and sells well. Its amazing what turns up in Wally World parking lots, I can probably do many articles on that.
The standard E30/E50 Corolla strikes me as sort of a 5/8ths-scale American intermediate: slow steering, soft springs, sleepy damping, but a pretty slick drivetrain and painless utility. The SR5 and Levin were a lot stiffer and had more tire, so they were more sporty and less, well, junior Buick.
Lord, I remember when we went to Hawaii in 1977. Especially on Maui, there were droves of these Corolla 2-doors as rental cars. White, orange, ocher, dark blue, red, all with automatic transmissions and no other frills. We got up early and joined the Toyota Parade up to the summit of Haleakala; another day we were in the Toyota Parade on the road to Hana. Good times….
I remember lots and lots of these around when I was a kid, all over the place really. Seems central North Carolina had really embraced the Corolla by the late 70’s. And they were still very common well into the 1990’s, after which it seems they disappeared all at once. I’ve only seen a handful since the late 90’s. While the roads there don’t get a lot of salt (it only snows a couple of times a year) I guess they got just enough that the tin worm finally won the battle against most 70’s Japanese iron.
I must say that, now, I rather like them, while I found them somewhat homely when I was younger.
I’ve been trying to remember last time I saw 70s vintage Toyotas running around. I think it would be the mid 90s. I never owned a Toyota but I’ve owned other Japanese brands. The engine always outlasts the car. They were disposable cars. The body and the interior disintegrates faster than American cars. American cars of that vintage seemed to me to be less disposable. The engines and transmissions did not last as long(on average) but they were more rebuildable and the rest of the car tended to be more durable and stand up better to weather and fender-benders, with exceptions of course. The Japanese cars were more fun to drive though…at legal speeds that is.
I simply will not buy a car with a CVT. They are a cheap crappy way of transferring power. They are not being used because they are better, but as a cost cutting measure. I have never worked on a car CVT, many are not repairable, they are factory sealed, and after about 100,000 miles, sometimes much less, when they fail, you simply replace the unit. Cost about $3000-$3500. If you buy a CVT car, add that to the cost of the car up front, if you plan on keeping it for awhile. It will likely fail, just after the warranty runs out.
While I have no experience with car CVTs, I have a Honda Silverwing 600 scooter with a CVT. So far I’ve had nothing but trouble with it. Only the CVT. Everything else is fine. It is currently for sale.
So, Ergo, since the CVT on your nine year old scooter is bad, all CVT’s are bad.
Okay…….
Love the look of this generation Corolla. Make it a liftback or a longroof and it’s even better. Never driven one though. My first Corolla experience was a ’72 corroded wagon with the 2-speed semi-automatic. Didn’t have another until the ’89 sedan with auto.
I knew a lot of people who had Corollas in between but strangely enough never had so much as a ride in any of them. Weird.
Out in the arid western climes, I still encounter these machines from time to time, going about their business of providing dependable and cost effective transportation. Of course, in lieu of rust desiccation, sun has baked the interiors and the paint jobs which as lovers of patina know, is no big deal.
LOL I haven’t seen one of these in over 20 years driving anywhere in Upstate, NY. Chevettes however are still seen maybe 2-3 times per year. There is an orange 1978 2 door in fact that was just traded in by a little old man at our Chrysler dealer. Word is he finally splurged on 2008 Dodge Avenger!
My 87 FX is one of the funnest cars I’ve ever driven. Love these old things!
Get to see a few of these quite frequently … one of the oval tracks that my son races at has a racing division devoted to this era of Corolla.
Hi, GOD bless, they describe the car in all ways, but never provide the price.