(first posted 3/26/2013) There are about 250 million cars on the streets across the United States. Most have not reached Curbside Classic Status, and those that have are often “common” classics such as an SS Chevy or Mustang. In addition, the ravages of rust and time have driven car after car into the jaws of the recycling center. Because of this, our roads are littered with the popular, the common, and the new. Despite this challenge, each of us searches for their own Curbside Classic Holy Grail. It may be a very rare car, an unusual body style, or a car we remember from our youth. My personal Holy Grail is the Toyota Carina.
From 1972-74 Toyota offered this coupe alongside the Corolla and the Celica. Toyota based the Carina on the Celica chassis, but installed a Corolla 1588cc 2-TC engine under the hood (US-bound Celicas had the larger 2L 18R engine). This created a coupe with the sportiness of a Celica and the fuel economy of a Corolla with a price somewhere in between. However, it seems Toyota buyers chose economy or sportiness, and passed on the compromise.
I never owned or rode in a Carina, but as a kid one parked in my neighborhood, and I liked its lines. The Carina had unusual tail lights that wrapped over the top of the rear fender, and grille mounted high beams inside the headlight bezels. While I wanted to find one for Curbside Classic, I knew they were rare as Hen’s teeth; few were sold, and 90% of them had dissolved into rust back in 1985.
However, living in Southern California, I knew I had a shot. Most of Toyota’s early sales were in California, and car bodies last for ever in this mild climate. Sure enough, several months ago a Carina crossed in front of me while I sat at a light on Redondo Beach Boulevard, but I could not take chase. While I whacked the steering wheel in frustration, my Holy Grail rolled off to the east.
But with time, I prevailed. My wife asked me to drive her to Starbucks this morning, and as I pulled up into the parking lot, I spotted this Carina. Of course, I had left both camera and phone at home, but Celeste offered to watch for the owner as I rushed back for the camera. To my relief, I returned to find the car still in place.
As you can see, this car is a true Curbside Classic. There are no signs of modifications outside the dealer installed trunk rack, and it still retains three of the factory wheel covers. Sadly, the car came equipped with a 2 speed Toyoglide automatic, so in addition to the smaller Corolla engine, power delivery is further hobbled by a power sucking torque converter and limited gear ratio options.
Inside, we see original door panels, typical Toyota door latch and lock hardware, and a watch cleverly mounted on the steering wheel. The exterior is complete, outside of a missing bumper guard. Both interior and exterior show signs of wear, but the exterior shows some signs of attempted restoration. In addition to the bondo adhered to the fenders, someone painted the grill the body color, since it came in a silver or argent shade from the factory.
That missing bumper guard and the structure underneath it indicates the car is a 1973, using the first generation of government mandated bumper protection. Toyota added large bumpers and shock absorbers to their 1974 models, and the cost of engineering these upgraded bumpers may have led to the Carina’s demise, given its low sales.
How low? According to Ward’s Automotive Yearbook, Carina sales in 1973 barely moved the needle. Toyota’s three bestselling nameplates were: Corolla (116,905), Corona (61,305), and Celica (59,600). In comparison, only 15,008 Carinas sold, behind every Toyota except the Land Cruiser. If you’re curious, total Toyota US sales in 1973 were 326,844, compared to over 2 million in 2012.
Anyway, that’s what I know about the Toyota Carina. I’m delighted to share my Holy Grail with you this week- Some of you may have forgotten this obscure Toyota, and most of you haven’t seen one in many years!
No only is that car rare, I have never seen one in person, but who could not not spot that yellow Mustang II hatchback. Maybe that parking lot attracts lost car souls…
Odd you should say that. As I was driving out of the parking lot, a mid sixties Datsun 411 (Bluebird) rolled past me going the other way.
This 511 predecessor isn’t as rare as the Carina, but perhaps I’ll get a shot of it for a future article.
The Mustang II? It’s story sas been covered here at Curbside Classics on several occasions. If I come up with a new angle, I’ll be sure to share it.
D/S
I did own one a 1973 carina and it was one of the best cars I ever owned I wish I still had it. if I knew then what I know Now I would never got rid of it I loved it and enjoyed driving it very much it’s one of a kind for sure
In chippewa Falls wi…on barter. There is a mint 1972 Carina. 42,000 miles. Pristine. 6,000.00 buckes. Arizona car.
I had a 73 Carina also, my first new car, a last minute upgrade from a planned Corolla purchase. Great little car, still think it’s attractive and was certainly reliable. Only sold it 5 years later because it didn’t have AC and I then had full time job.
Gary I found a 1973 Toyota Carina in a barn in Colorado sitting for 30 years . I am in the process to restore it, I was reading your post that you had one of them. I live in Queen Creek Arizona.
Do you want to get rid of that Carina?
I worked for a company in 1973 that had purchased 3 dark blue Carinas. These cars were driven close to 50K a year and the only problems we had with them was the carburetors. They got an impressive 30 miles to the gallon and held up well to the abuse they got from so many drivers. They were comfortable to ride in and were the first Japanese cars I had come in contact with. All three were purchased from a local Toyota dealer located in East Rochester, NY.
I had a1972 Carina. Ran it (to 107,000 miles) when it was T boned. Still able to drive it but the insurance adjuster “totalled” it for $750.
Car did develop rust issue issues and did at the end did have a noisy timing chain at time of start up.
The cylinder head was replaced because it had mechanical lifters which I failed to keep adjusted. Mechanic told me the replacement cylinder head was a 3rd iteration model.
Had a head gasket replaced under warrantee. Developed a noisy rear end which the dealer in Stratford CT wouldn’t repair. Took it to the owner’s (other) home town dealership where they fixed with out protest.
Liked the style and the fact that there weren’t a lot of options It was $2700 new.
First Japanese car I ever drove…I never looked back to buy another car made in the US!
Tober I had just posted above you that I had found a 1973 Toyota Carina in a barn in La Veda Colorado sitting inside for 30 years in good condition and i am planning to restore it to original including the original off white color 007 , I also have a 1958 Toyopet Crown and a 1968 Crown and now a 1992 Crown JDM right hand drive ,
Frenchy Dehoux
David, I remember the Carina as the mother of a fellow student at the private school I attended back during the day drove one. The uniqueness of the head lamp and tail light treatments really made the car.
Now getting off-topic, do you ever encounter any 1986-87 Mitsubishi Galants in your area. Back in 1987, I came very close to purchasing one. What held me off was the fact that Mitsubishi was just setting up a network of dealers in North Carolina and the Galant was quite a technology laden car with air suspension and a lot of other things. I chose a new Camry instead as I didn’t want to be stuck in a situation that involved a lack of assistance in case a problem ever developed.
Fast forward 26 years and I would love to have one. I search Craigslist and Ebay hoping for one but they are simply non-existant.
Mr. Bill
Hamlet, NC
Mr. Bill-
Since I can’t recall what a the Galant of that vintage looks like, I probably wouldn’t notice one. However, I’d definitatly notice a Cordia or Tredia on the street, and I don’t recall seeing either one since arriving here in 2003.
I did look up Galant sales numbers for 86 and 87, and while the car is newer, sales were lower than the Carina’s:
1986- 14.363
1987- 10.856
So… Good luck!
Thanks Dave. Here is a picture of that particular Galant. With sales figures being what you posted, I do, indeed, need good luck.
Thank you
Mr. Bill
Hamlet, NC
Ah, the Galant, the most Frenchiest Japanese car ever.
Maybe the US should have adopted the wide-body Magna version produced in Australia? More interior space would not have gone astray. They didn’t escape the auto transmission issues though…
Found one just a few blocks away recently. Shall I get on it?
Sweet, Paul. Where is it located and is it for sale?
Mr. Bill
Hamlet, NC
I found it on W. 17th in Eugene. It didn’t have a For Sale sign, and it may have just been visiting.
Well, if you happen to see it again and don’t mind, would you inquire if it is for sale?
I still remember the day I kept the Galant to drive. It was a very nice driving car and felt more substantial than its size would suggest. While I was happy with the Camry I subsequently purchased, it didn’t seem to be the premium car the Mitsubishi was.
I guess my search continues….
Mr. Bill
Hamlet, NC
The transmissions in those is virtually biodegradable and the Astron blocks crack with crippling regularity, run like hell.
These didn’t get the Astron here. They got the 8v 2.4L 4G64, instead.
My brother bought a Mitsubishi Galant, the “followup” to his 1982 Plymouth Reliant. He felt it was smoother, quieter and more comfortable than the Toyota Camry.
I remember reading about the Carina in issues of Motor Trend, but I don’t believe I ever saw one in real life. Toyotas weren’t exactly unhead of in my small town during the early 1970s. We did have a smattering of imported cars, as the town was also home to a state college. Students from Philadelphia and other larger cities regularly brought their cars with them. But their favorite Toyotas appeared to be Corollas and Celicas, with an occasional Corona thrown into the mix.
One wonders if Toyota employed former Chrysler stylists (or maybe Virgil Exner moonlighted as a consultant for Toyota). This car’s taillights remind me of those on the 1962 Chrysler, while the front with the “staggered” headlights recalls the 1962-64 “downsized” Dodges.
I see your Exner point. Also note that Pontiac apparently stole the taillights for the 74 LeMans.
I knew I saw Pontiac Colonnade in this car’s rear!
Yes, that also occured to me…they look like taillights from the ’62 Chrysler or the ’63 Imperial..
Interesting discussion on the “Crown” theme for the name…maybe another connection to Mopar, in that Imperial models were also known as “Crown”…does anyone know when this went away? I know Imperial was the brand and Crown was the model for awhile but then Chrysler seemed to make “Imperial” a model rather than a brand, and I think that might be when the “Crown” name went away. Maybe this is why Toyota named its model “Corona” rather than “Crown” since I think Imperial was still selling Crown models around the time the “Corona” was also available (mid-60’s?)
I’d guess by the time the Camry came out, the Imperial was gone (guess they could have named it Crown by then) though the last Imperial of the ’90s came out later, I don’t think Crown was part of the name as it was still a Chrysler model, not an Imperial brand onto itself by then.
We have some fuselage-Imperial guys here who may correct me, but I think 1970 was the last year for the Imperial Crown. That always seemed like an odd name, because there were also Crown Imperials (usually limos). Crown Imperial always sounded better than Imperial Crown, which was the “regular” (non-LeBaron) model. Literature was referring to a “Chrysler Imperial” by 1971, and I think that by then, the choices were Imperial or LeBaron. Good point about the possible conflict on the use of the Crown name, I had never thought of that one.
1970 was the last year for the Imperial Crown which was the “base” Imperial if you want to call it that. Crown was never used again by Chrysler, LeBaron was of course used on a new for 1977. The 81-83 & 90-93 models were just Imperials with no further name. Naming rights usually only carried in the US so its doubtful Toyota had to do anything to keep their car the Crown. The name was part of a multiple name use, Imperial Crown Coupe Crown Sedan along with Ford Crown Victoria. Usually how they can get away with the usage. Sort of like the legal concept of “generic trademark.” Sort of like the usage of Landau Brougham even Coupe Sedan fair usage. Ironically both the Toyota Crown and the Ford Crown Victoria were both introduced in 1955 although not in the same markets.
Meanwhile, Toyota was selling their Crown, including in the US.
Yes, I forgot about that model (as you mention it must have been sold at same time period as the Imperial Crown, at least some of it in the 60’s)
Toyota seemed to want to use as many forms of the name “Crown” as possible in these models…almost as much as they wanted the names of their car models to start with the letter “C” (well, I guess “Tercel”, “Yaris” “Prius” and “Avalon” are exceptions).
Maybe “Crown” eventually became “Lexus”? If so, it is kind of like Chrysler where the model eventually became a brand (then went back to being a model).
As I recall, the “Crown” was the Toyota top of the line at one point in the 60’s I think
Excellent find. I’ve been hoping to find one for years, but no such luck. As Dave points out, they were fairly common in CA.
The Carina went on to have a long life outside of the US, with the seventh generation ending just in 2001.
One of the reasons for its existence was to provide a mid-sized car for one of Toyota’s numerous sales channels in Japan. But the niche in the US between the Corolla and Corona just wasn’t big enough, obviously.
No one notices the Green Mustang II in the back?? Looks to be very clean too.
Corolla, Corona, Carina, Celica, Cressida, Crown… I can’t help but think these names were easily confused by the public and were something of a nightmare for US dealers to communicate to customers.
I feel like Corona would have been a much better name for Toyota’s bread-and-butter mid size sedan than the “dumbed down for us stupid Americans” non-word, Camry. But it would be too easily confused with Corolla.
“Camry” is actually a bastardization of the Japanese word “Kanmuri”, which supposedly translates to “crown” in English.
The Camry replaced the Corona, the new name was brought in for 1983 to mark the transition from rear to front wheel drive.
I almost forgot – the US market got one more bit if exposure to the Carina. Not many people remember it, but in the mid-1990s, there was a North American Touring Car Championship, modeled after the BTCC. The only manufacturers I recall getting involved with new cars were Dodge with the Stratus, and Honda with the European Accord. But other manufacturers were represented by older cars brought over from the BTCC. I distinctly remember the Toyotas being the “Carina E.”
Anyone else remember this race series? I think it lasted about two seasons, and some of the cars ended up in the Speed World Challenge later on. I think the cars all ran 2.0L engines making close to 300 hp naturally aspirated. Most were FWD and 4 cylinders, but BMW 3-series were run and I can’t remember whether they were fours or sixes.
The NATCC. It sure didn’t last long. I was a big Dodge fan back then, and glad to see the Stratus taking on the best from around the world, but the series only lasted two seasons. What a shame, really, because we still have nothing quite like a Touring Car Series in the States…
This is an amazing find. Good job with this one. Did we get a Carina sedan in the US?
Even though this car left our shores, the dreaded Scion tC is its successor. The Corona/Carina/Celica/Avensis/Caldina are all on the same platform. The RAV4’s is derived from it as well.
My recollection is 2 door coupe only. The ad Paul posted in the article makes no meniton of a four door, although I know they were offered in other markets.
D/S
It was there to fill a perceived model gap not only between the smaller Corolla and the pricier Celica but between the Corona four-door sedan and two-door hardtop. The Corona was redesigned for 1974 and gained a two-door sedan that effectively replaced the Carina.
I have only seen one, and it was a rotted mess. Most of them in the rust belt were eaten away before Carter had left office.
Most had rotted here in n.e. Ohio BEFORE Carter entered office…
This Celica based Carina really looked like its slightly smaller sibling the Corolla from that same era as well. The Coronas were a bit much larger than both.
What a fantastic find! I don’t recall ever seeing one these on the road. The rear lights are quite unique looking. Reminds me a bit of the “hockey sticks” on the Hillman Avenger.
Another car that I had forgotten existed. I really love the look from the rear. Those taillights are far from a typical Japanese design of the era.
Here in the Milwaukee-Chicago corridor, imports were not nearly as scarce as they were in the rest of Middle America. There were a handful of Carinas around my area.
I remember there being one next to the 1974 Mazda RX-4 that I purchased from a Chevrolet dealer in Antioch, IL in 1976. Same color as this CC. Same weird taillights too.
Do I see a lime green Mustang II hatch in the second last photo?
Is it lime green? Bright yellow? Somewhere in between?
Based on the fastback body style and blacked out rocker panels, let’s say it’s the top trim level (Mach I).
D/S
Are any of the Toyota names actual words? As a medical person, I recall that the carina is a ridge in the trachea where it branches off into the two main bronchi. Not a very lovely image for an automobile.
Toyota often uses the western alphabet to phonetically represent Japanese words-
For example, “Camry” is the Japanese pronounciation for “Crown.”
I have no idea if they went this route for Carina.
I do find it interesting that native Japanese speakers have a hard time pronouncing the name of their top selling model- Corolla.
So Camry is roughly how Crown is pronounced in Japanese, Corona is the Latin word for Crown and Toyota also sold a model called the Crown, but never in English speaking countries? Weird…
My poor knowledge of Spanish makes me believe that Carina is just a feminine form of Corona – which, by the way, has several non-Toyota associations in my mind. First and foremost, Mexican beer… then lemon ices, then Shea Stadium. All four were a good combination.
Oops… didn’t see Andre Roy’s comment before posting this.
The Crown was sold in the US during the late sixties and seventies.
Yes it was, & it was widely regarded as a flop.
Actually, the S50 Crown was fairly popular, especially on the West Coast.
It was its successor, the S60, that went over very poorly, due to its rather bizarre front end styling. It was pulled from the US market after two years.
If it helps, Carina means “cute” in Italian. This car really is carina.
I have heard of the Toyota Carina, but have never really understood what it was or how it fit into Toyota’s U.S. model lineup. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen one. There must have been a few around here when I was kid in the ’70s, but the only Toyota car models I really remember being aware of were the Corolla, Celica and Corona, and most Japanese cars from that era rusted away years ago (I’m in Massachusetts).
Another Toyota model that had a longer history internationally but was only sold for a few years in the U.S. was the Starlet, which Paul covered in a CC a while back.
While older production or sales figures for American brands seem to be easy to come by, I don’t often see similar data for foreign brands imported to the U.S. That could be the subject of a future post (or series of posts) in and of itself.
Many of the Toyota names are words. And some are close to words. I wonder if some of the close ones were simply lost in translation or in the way Japanese forms syllables.
I took the following from the online Oxford English Dictionary. I left out some definitions, just got the gist of them.
Corolla
1. A little crown, coronet; a figure shaped like a coronet.
Obs. rare.
2. Bot. The whorl of leaves (petals) either separate or
grown together, forming the inner envelope of the flower,
and generally its most conspicuous part;
Corona
1. A small circle or disc of light (usually prismatically
coloured) appearing round the sun or moon.
2. Astron. The halo of radiating white light seen around the
disc of the moon in a total eclipse of the sun
Carina
a. the two petals forming the base of a papilionaceous
corolla.
b. the median ridge on the mericarp of an umbelliferous
fruit.
c. the median ridge on the sternum of birds.
d. the dorsal single plate of the shell of Cirripedes.
e. the vertebral column of an embryo.
Close, but no cigar.
Celica
celic, adj.
Etymology: < late Latin caelicus, < caelum heaven. Obs.
(no actual definition given)
Cressida,
crest, n.
Etymology: Middle English < Old French creste (13th cent.
in Littré, also creiste), modern French crête, = Provençal
cresta, Spanish cresta, Italian cresta < Latin crista tuft,
plume.
a. A ‘comb’, a tuft of feathers, or similar excrescence,
upon an animal's head.
So, it seems a lot of these words relate to 'crown' or some sort of surrounding embellishment. Even the ones that are 'close'. Of course, there's also the Crown model, and as someone mentioned, Camry seems to be a translation of 'Crown', also. In google translate, the second translation of the word 'crown' is 冠 which sounds pretty much like 'Camry'. Well, maybe 'cam-u-ri'
(translate.google.com), enter 'crown' in the left field, select from English, to Japanese, then pick that character and tell it to speak it.
I always figured the Carina was named after the constellation, since there are star shapes in the emblems.
The Carina engine cross members are gold as well. It allows early Celica’s to do some engine swaps.
As a kid, I always liked the Carina–a step up from the basic Corolla. But in the next to last photo, the roof of the Carina is level with the beltlines of the swollen SUVs on either side… it looks more like a step up from a kid’s pedal car.
I knew a guy in college that bought one of these new. Light green metallic. I don’t remember them being very common in the Bay Area at all. Every time I saw a light green one it was same car.
You’ll get no hate from me on that Mustang II; it looks sharp!
I remember Carinas in the Bay Area, but not many, and I haven’t seen one for years (maybe decades). I have ridden in a colleague’s more recent (perhaps late ’90’s-early 2000’s) Carina in Taiwan. Can’t say that I have seen an early Galant or any Cordias or Tredias for a while either. I think I have to concede that Eugene is better CC territory than Santa Cruz, Berkeley and Palo Alto combined.
LOL-
The Carina was not in Eugene- The photos were taken in Rancho Palos Verdes, a peninsula on the south end of the Los Angeles basin.
Thanks,
D/S
Dave– how bad do you need to become owner of an all-original ’72 Carina Deluxe?? Email me at jparello@yahoo.com… I own the “holy grail” that some are referencing here in Wisconsin..
And the moral of the story is: a cheap old digital camera in the glove box of every potential CC submitter. (Paul’s is a Nikon.)
Great find. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one and I’m a fan of old Toyotas.
Nikon? A cheap Lumix. And my third now, as I keep getting dust inside the lens from carrying it in my pants pocket.
Even cheaper! 😀
I knew the Carina was not in Eugene. But the Galant and a zillion other long-forgotten cars still seem to be cozying up to the curbs in Eugene.
What a great find and a cool car! These were before my time and until now I wasn’t even aware they were ever sold in the US. Toyotas were at least somewhat popular in my neck of the woods in 1973, but unfortunately not as popular as rust. I can count on one hand how many pre-1975 Japanese cars I’ve seen up close and personal in my life (excluding Land Cruisers). This article is probably the closest I’ll ever get to a Carina.
326k Toyotas sold in this country for ’73 seems pretty impressive to me, would’ve thought the number was less than half that. I know it’s only a drop in the bucket compared to what they were doing even ten years later, but considering that there were still many large sections of the US where you’d have had a better chance of selling a dead cat than a Corolla at that time, it’s not too shabby. I can see why the Carina was a flop in this part of the world, though. Good looking car, but I’d say the Corolla coupe was better looking, and with the same engine in a package that offered more performance and economy for not all that much less space it must’ve been a no-brainer. Didn’t make much sense unless you really loved those zany taillights (which I do!)
I remember seeing that Carina ad in an old Nation Geographic, but I have never seen a Carina in person.
As a very young child in the late 70s and early 80s, I do recall spotting Carinas once in a while, but I could never figure out what their place in the Toyota model lineup was supposed to be. The Celica was sporty, the Corona semi-luxurious, and the Corolla was an economy car. The Carina left me scratching my 6-year old head.
Carina page at Toyota global site, including classic brochure (“catalog”)
http://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/75years/vehicle_lineage/car/id60002214/
Later Carinas were UK market Coronas same power unit slightly different panels we have ex JDM Carinas here though not that old.
What a great and rare find! I remember these as a kid…there was a Toyota dealer just a 30-minute bike ride away and I spent a lot of time there since my parents wouldn’t get cable TV.
This was about as ‘wild’ as Toyota got style-wise…they certainly weren’t Datsun/Nissan.
I’ve always loved the Corona wagon, which has been CC’ed before….
A co-worker had one of these used in the early ’80’s. It was red like the magazine ad car. I agree with the Exner comments regarding the front and rear light designs!
I am a huge fan of early 1970s Toyotas and this is really a great find. Amazing that it is still seemingly being used as a daily driver after all these years. I remember occasionally seeing these as a kid, but here on the east coast these and any other early 1970s Toyotas are truly and sadly extinct.
A far cry from the Toyota Corolla concept at Press Day NY Auto Show.
I had a ’72. Bought it for $200 and probably spent another $200 in repairs. Drove it for 10K miles and replaced it with a V8 Cutlass. The car had some strange issues like the points melting together twice and the starter bolts lossening. It handled well and seemed powerful compared to the Datsun 310 I had just drove for 80K miles. My best story about it is selling it. I had left it in my parents yard after buying the Cutlass. An old schoolmate remembered I had it and called wanting to buy it. I tried to talk him out of it but he insisted. So he comes over and tries to jump it. It takes 45 minutes to start and when it did my old schoolmate jumped up and said “Oh what a feeling Toyota”. I saw it couple of times after but don’t know what happened to it. Oddly enough I knew someone else who had one in CT. of all places.
coolness that I happen to have one of these in my back yard then. ..:-) My dad drowe with it when I was small and now I am determined to get it fixed. It has been standing for 10 years and the winters have donw its cruel work on it. The engine is as it was then, perfectly running. if anybody knows where I can order one waterpump online for this one then let me know. It`s the 1973 release.
My first car in 1975 was a used maroon 1973 Carina. I drove the wheels off the car and passed it down to my younger brother, who did the same. Very reliable, despite our efforts. It wasn’t fast, but it didn’t handle that well either. Not much did either in the 70’s. I remember I had to pick my fights with it, though I made up for it’s shortcomings by being fearless. It was an auto, though I don’t remember it being only a 2-speed. I couldn’t afford a lot of custom parts, though I did add mag wheels and an after market stereo. No internet or local custom shops back then. I wish I could get my hands on one now.
My very first car ever was a 1973 Red Toyota Carina. I paid $2,700.00 brand new off the showroom floor. Loved this car!!!
My father bought a new ’73 in Nashville, TN when I was a wee lad. I only remember seeing a couple of others on the road, ever. Ours was a very dark green with slotted hubcaps different from the one featured here – not sure the three hubcaps shown are original to the car.
My first car was a used 1972 Toyota Carina. This was in 1984; the car had significant rust, the paint was heavily crazed, and we had to tow it home. I paid $300 for the car. My brothers and I ultimately rebuilt the engine and I sold it after driving it nearly 80,000 miles (I wanted a car with air conditioning in souther Florida and bought a 1980 Celica).
I’ve owned many, many Toyota’s over the years, but the Carina was special (and very, very simple). It taught me a lot about car maintenance and repair, which less and less people do themselves today. I repaired everything myself on that car, including bodywork and paint (only took it in to get tires installed and wheel alignments).
I did know it was an unusual car at the time, seeing very few others even back in the early 80’s. Cars tended to rust away quickly then in Sourh Florida.
Great find. Those aren’t the original wheel covers, though. Here’s a photo from a brochure.
I owned a 1973 Carina. Loved that car! Got great mileage. and I put a good bit of mileage on it commuting to college 50 miles a day on the freeways in So Cal. It had a red body with a black hard top and automatic transmission. A friend also had one in an odd purplish blue color. Sadly I had to sell mine after 18 months when I went out of state to finish my education. A coworker of my dad’s bought it and it was still running great 14 years later when my dad retired.
I purchased a used 1972 Toyota Carina for $400 with ~80k miles on it in 1984. It was my first car, and I loved it in spite of the hard life it had lived and its many quirks. Mine had a perfect interior and the 3-speed automatic. It felt like a little luxury car to me, but I was used to the broken-down family Pinto and behemoth ’72 Lincoln station wagons I drove in high-school.
In comparison, it felt light, nimble, and frugal. It certainly wasn’t fast, but it was cheap and reliable, mostly. It was rear-wheel drive, which felt “normal” then. Mine was a bland shade of dark brown, had four-doors, and got me through an important couple of years. I haven’t seen one in person in many years. A great little car!
I just sent an email to Curbside Classic in regards to a 1972 Toyota Deluxe Carina that is coming up for sale near me in the next couple of days. It only has 40,837 original miles on it and was an Arizona car. If you would like the information on it Dave Skinner feel free to call me at 715-628-1597.
Hello I have for sale a 1973 toyota carina. My grandfather bought it new in California in 73 off the showroom floor. I was in the works of trying to restore it as a friend of mine told me he would help me to do so as he knew how to do paint and body work. We proceeded to take the car apart and start work I sourced out two very nice doors and a nice trunk lid as mine was rusted my friend ended up moving and the cars sits in the garage life less it deserves to be driven and loved and I am hoping to find someone who will do this car a favor and bring it back to life.
still have thAT ? 203-804=3936
No i dont wish i did though
I have just recently found by accident a 1973 Toyota Carina that this old Japanese lady has had since 1975 it was her first car.
It has been sitting in her garage since mid 1980s and desperately trying to buy the car from her but she is having a difficult time letting go.
Here it is.
i hAVE A 71 2dr carina in connecticut its incomplete but still very rare 203-804-3936
Corina? I think it’s a 1972 Toyota Corina……barn find?
Love it! This is the same color as mine, but in waaaaay better condition 🙂
Hi, Carina guys (… mebbies some girls too?)
I acquired my ’91 Carina II (FWD AT171 = known as Corona elsewhere, not Europe) Aug 1st 2016.
[img]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4229/34969491893_10bbf3debd_m.jpg[/img]
The guy I bought it from, a fellow forum member elsewhere, had secured it from the roadside [for sale card in window] just as some local ‘destruction derby/banger racers’ had made enquiries about whisking it away on their lowloader…. A very, very close call!!
The car is very clean and low miles (80k) for 26 yrs old. Terminal rot (UK is ‘rustbelt’, with local authorities using salt in winter) has seen almost all gone from the UK.
There is, however, also a strong market for Toyota products in Africa… rotted old hulks would be totally stripped for spares and a lot have left these shores.
The reason it had lasted well and been preserved may be through very long original ownership – 4 total, I’m the fourth – and low miles/likely home garaged & in a very mild weathered region [The Wirral].
One small scab was all I could find when I got it… and it was plated, and fully waxed inside.
[img]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4133/35648166721_6fec138851_m.jpg[/img]
The original steel wheels were ok but the tyres were a mixup… My particular take around cars runs to a smart, restrained aesthetic >>>
[img]https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3948/33894668255_afca4d7687_m.jpg[/img]
>>> Well? … I like it, so there!
The whole car was wallowing like a pontoon in a storm, however. I arranged for the supply of 4 shocks – the fronts are inserts type – and Droplinks & Swaybar bushings through Micks Garage, Ireland. They are very good for Toyota obscura, I couldn’t find any parts anywhere around local motor factors.
A garage I use regularly did all the work and gave it the Annual Test (M.O.T. UK) which it passed straight off…Hooray!
Coming up to a year now of ownership and, well… I guess you will all know this…
Boring Boring Boring >> Reliable as a Turnip watch !!
I absolutely love this car… and so do all of my, slightly envious, friends + family.
Cheers for Now
carina2
Pictures not showing above are >>
… and with welding done….
And now, with new wheels….
I have the 1972 Carina that my dad bought brand new. It doesn’t run, and is in desperate need of restoration. It’s now parked indoors, and when I have the money and can find parts, I intend to restore it! I love that car 🙂
For people really wanting a Carina here is one that is supposed to be coming in soon. http://sodo-moto.com/listings/1972-toyota-carina/ not sure that it is in good enough condition to warrant importing it but looks like someone thinks (hopes) so.
Missed this posting the first time around…….
At the time Toyota introduced the Carina, I think it was supposed to ‘plug the gap’ between the Corolla on the small side, and the Corona one size up. Toyota was REALLY trying to offer something for everybody. I thought, however, that it was pretty much a wasted effort, since there wasn’t THAT MUCH size difference between the two models, and then Toyota ONLY offers the Carina in a 2-door sedan body style. I can’t remember if they ever offered a Carina 4-door in the states, but there was one abroad.
Now, as to those of you who are fascinated with the mid 80’s Mitsubishi Galant…… I bought one new in ’86……great automobile, rode really nice, and was quite smooth with that balance-shaft 4……
I was taking a pic of our house at the time, in Orange, CA. The Galant just happened to be in the driveway.
Excellent — Haven’t seen these in many years.
“Carina, Corona, Corolla” — these are all technical Botanical terms, referring to various floral structures. Someone at Toyota was interested in Plant Science.
(Meantime, someone at Datsun was an Ornithologist, naming the vehicular “Bluebird.”)
I actually saw a green one of these sitting in someone’s driveway a few months back, wasn’t able to get a picture of it, but found it on google street view.
While I haven’t seen one of these in years, I do remember seeing quite a few of them on the streets back in the 1970s and ’80s. I also remember a few Toyota Crowns and a lot of Corona Mark IIs (which was larger than a plain Corona, but smaller than a Crown). I lived in a town near Butte, Montana where the Toyota dealer was “Knievel Imports.” It was owned and run by Evel Knievel’s grandfather. He sold a lot of Toyotas.
I miss those Toyota car names that began with a “C”. The only surviving in the U.S. is “Corolla”. Any names that Andre listed are still being used in the non-US market?
I’ve seen exactly one in these parts, back on 4/8/14
Rear view
One has just reappeared near me that i haven’t seen since 2002. It’s a daily driver with some ’70s style aftermarket broad rims, and over here they only came in 4-door form. There’s another scrapped one in a garage close to a family friend of ours, but i don’t think there’s any coming back for that one.
Great find!
I actually daily drive a Carina. It is a 95 wagon…..it’s the LHD version of the JDM Caldina wagon which is the estate version of the corona sedan. If you’re not confused now: My wagon was one of the last produced in Japan before production for the European market Carinas was switched to the UK. Reliability and fuel economy are out of this world. 35 mpg at a steady 100 mph!
Total cost of ownership is near nil. Walking would be more expensive from the wear on my shoes’ soles.
I must be feeling nostalgic. Surfing the web I decided to do a search on my first car all those years ago. A ’72 Carina I named “The Little Brown Pig” Nice to see they are still remembered if only by a few.
I’ll just leave this here..
I bought mine new in 1972. I had differential bearing issue as well as a head gasket problem that the dealer took care of under warrantee. 12,000 or 12 months which ever came first.
I didn’t have the solid lifters adjusted as often as required. Toyota must have had some issues too because the cylinder head was replaced with a third production model.
At just before 100,000 miles the timing chain became noisy. The car did rust. I finally was T boned on the passenger’s side. The adjuster from Allstate Insurance finally showed up to declare the car a total loss. He gave me a check for $750.
It was still driveable but the passenger door could no longer be opened.
I then used it to haul salvaged bricks, but I eventually traded it for a new Corolla which had a plainer interior. Not as powerful either.
The Carina 4 cylinder motor had a hemispherical combustion chamber as I recall, because the plugs were directly in the middle top of the block.
anyone with any leads on 1975 carina back light with frame and front complete set of lights and frame?
My late friend Damion Sisely found a 1972 Carina in Colorado, went and fetched it, it was white all original and no engine .
Being a Journeyman Mechanic and Toyota lover he wasted no time assembling some newer Toyota engine that he peaked & tweaked, it looked like a factory install to me .
I wonder where it is now .
BTW : If Frenchy Dehoux is still here, thanx for the solid on the ’53 VW fenders long ago ! .
-Nate
I’ve seen these listed in parts manuals since the mid 70s. Thought I’d never seen on in person, but something about those odd taillights looks vaguely familiar, so maybe I have seen one, but didn’t realize it. To me, it looks like a Corolla with odd taillights, which I guess is pretty close to what it was.
Mitsubishi Galant. Didn’t realize those were all that rare or even unusual. A coworker had one, or was it two, my Dad had a couple, all were well liked. Curious the comment “Ah, the Galant, the most Frenchiest Japanese car ever.” My Dad, while he never really settled into one Marque, had spent some time in England and Europe and had a couple of Renaults he was fond of.
The Toyota Starlet was another model they tried to sell here . It was about the same size as the original Toyota Tercel hatchback that had front wheel drive . The Starlet didn’t . Maybe that’s why they decided not to market the Starlet here any more..