(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!
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..