The long career of the Toyota Corona

For the Netherlands and Belgium (or rather: Europe) the name Toyota Corona is a sound from a distant past. 1982 was, for our part, the last Toyota Corona year. With that, the Corona story was over, you will think. Nothing is less true. Because Toyota's middle class was continued in many generations after the production stop of the T13 series. For years, the Toyota long-runner was one of the mainstays of the largest car manufacturer in the world. And he therefore deserves a description that came about thanks in part to Toyota expert Ron Moës.

The Toyota Corona's career is immense. In addition, don't forget that Toyota has built an unimaginably large number of delivery variants and body styles per model generation over the years. Especially the buyers in the home market Japan could always choose from a large arsenal of delivery variants; In that respect Europe was actually sparingly endowed.

Simple explanation of type names

Some Toyota Corona models are named individually in this article, however, the generation descriptions start with a T or with an X, with the first number of the series after it. The number after the first number indicates a specific body/execution combination. The letters stand for the platform, the letters for the platform designation stand for the engine type. The RT55 (the 1600 GT) has the 9R engine and the T-platform. And the Corona Liftback, which was available from 79 to 83 in the Netherlands and Belgium, is called TT132. It has the 3T (1.8) engine and the T platform. And this is a simple explanation of the choice that was huge at Toyota globally.

The first years

We go to the origins of the long-running middle class. The name Corona appeared from 1957, when Toyota started building the very first model series under this name. This continued until 1960, when the T2 series appeared on the scene. It was called Tiara (RT20 sedan and RT26 Pick-Up) for the US export market. Toyota made its European export debut with this series. In 1962 Toyota shipped two copies to Finland as an experiment. In the end, the Scandinavians decided not to bring the car to Europe. In 1963, Denmark became the first European sales country for Toyota, which was also the year that the T2 series was expanded with the T3# series. In 1964, thanks to the efforts of Louwman & Parqui, the Netherlands followed the import example. That was also the year that the third Corona generation officially set its sales foot in Europe.

Illustrious T5 models, sale in the Netherlands and Belgium ends with T13

The third Corona generation started as T4, and a year later the T5 versions were added. This model generation is seen as the series that ensured Toyota's global breakthrough. In the Netherlands and Belgium, the RT40 (with 2R 1.5 liter engine, optionally with a three-speed, four-speed or two-speed automatic transmission) was the only available variant from this series. But Toyota built a much larger amount of body styles from the T4/T5 series. The RT55, especially known and loved within classic Toyota circles, is the most popular and spicy version of it. This hardtop version (not a coupé) was presented as 1600GT4 and 5. The RT55 made its European rally debut on behalf of Toyota in 1968 during the Rallye Monte Carlo.

The first liftback

Another special version of the T4/T5 series is the five-door RT56. For inexplicable reasons, Toyota only supplied the car in Japan, but the assumption that this version is a formidable R16 competitor (production of both cars started in the same year) is justified. The RT56 (only available in combination with the 2R 1.5 engine) was the actual start of the Liftback variants within various model series such as the Corolla, the Carina and also the Corona T13 generation as we have had it here in the Netherlands. After the production stop of the T13 series, the fate of the name Corona in the Netherlands and Belgium was sealed.

Mark II, family tree split

Back to the sixties. Toyota launched the Toyota Corona Mark II (X1968.X1 series) in 2, this variant became the T6 and T7 series. As is often assumed, this model series was not the replacement for the T4//T5 generation. That became the T8/T9 series. Toyota launched this in 1970 and was introduced. The T6/T7 was created because there was a growing need in Japan for larger middle class cars. That is why Toyota decided to produce the T6/T7 alongside the current T4/T5 series. This is how the name Mark II also appeared in the model designation. The Corona's mentioned still all used Toyota's T-platform. But with the arrival of the Mark II, the Corona family tree did get a second root.

Toyota Mark II 2000 and Cressida

That split became final when Toyota launched the new Mark II in 1972 as a successor to the T8/T9 generation. This mid-sized car was called Toyota Mark II 2000. It got the X platform, which was later also used for the Mark II that became known to us as Cressida. The name Cressida was never used as a model name in Japan, but was still used in Europe. visible on the models until the 2007s. The Mark II was eventually built in several generations until XNUMX and, for example, also had a strong affinity with the Chaser generations, which were sold in Japan through the Toyota Vista Store channel.

T-platform gets front-wheel drive

Back to the history of the Coronas, or rather: the T-platform. That made a transition from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive in 1983, and it debuted on the T15# series. But Toyota wouldn't be Toyota if it made exceptions. In Japan they continued to supply the rear-wheel drive Corona, but this was then again on the A platform of the rear-wheel drive Carina, the series known in Japan as T14 series.  

Carina II, Carina E: actually also Corona's

We therefore know the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) Corona T15 series as Carina II. These different names actually continued until the T19# series. The successor of the first Carina II was also called that with us, and this car became a very serious business alternative. Meanwhile, the Corona Coupe (T160) appeared in Japan, and that was actually the rebadged Celica two-door from those years. It disappeared in 1992 in favor of the T19. In the Netherlands and Belgium (and also in other parts of Europe it was called that) it was sold as Carina E. This Toyota was the first Toyota built in Burneston, England. Home market Japan, on the other hand, simply stuck to the name Corona (FF).

2001. End of name Corona with T21#

Every Carina E rider from the past (and luckily they are still there, you may be the owner of a Carina E) so actually drives a descendant of the Corona family. Or rather: in a Corona. The station versions were called Caldina in Japan, and that also applied to the successor to the T19 that we know here as Avensis. Ultimately, Toyota said goodbye to the long-running Corona model name with the T21 series (Corona Premio). This T21 series - not under another name - was never brought to Europe. Successor T22 - known to us as the first Avensis generation - was never named Corona.

Collector's Items

The long Corona career resulted in a number of collector's items. The RT55 Hardtop 1600GT4 or 5 (with 9R engine and Yamaha cylinder head), the RT51 Hardtop 1600S, the RT56 five-door (liftback) and the very short-produced two-door version from the T10 series are in demand. The Corona series also seems to have been forgotten in Europe at all, that certainly applies to the model name. Regardless of series: good Corona's can be found sparsely in Europe. And with that, the survivors of Toyota's long-running success are, so to speak, rarer than a Porsche 911 or any other exotic.

Many thanks to Ron Moës

In Auto Motor Klassiek 10-2022 you can read an extensive report about the Toyota Corona RT40 of the Strikwerda family, and a description of the T4/T5 model series, the third Corona generation. We also provide a wonderful insight into the distant history of the Toyota dealership of Strikwerda.