The Toyota Corolla is one of the best-selling cars of all time and has spanned some 12 generations over more than 50 years. The name purportedly comes from the Latin, meaning ‘Small garland, chaplet or wreath’ and is used to denote the model as a smaller sibling of the successful Crown saloon model.
Introduced in 1966, the first generation was a four-door saloon with an 1100cc engine. The second generation followed four years later with a rounder body shape and larger engines – 1400cc and 1600cc as well as a double overhead cam version of the 1600cc motor. All models were rear-wheel drive with a four-speed manual gearbox.
The third generation of the Corolla was launched in 1974 and there were more changes. Externally similar to the second-generation model, the third-gen car features front-wing repeaters higher up, as well as a variety of body styles depending on the market. The Corolla saloon remained, as did the ‘Sprinter’ fast back while a shooting-brake style Liftback was also introduced. The Liftback style would continue to other models in the Toyota range, such as the Celica.
By the time the fourth-generation Corolla was launched in 1979, the car had begun to lose some of the charm and individuality of the older chrome-endowed models. The Corolla name continues to this day, with the 12th generation launched in 2018. The name disappeared for a period in the UK, where the Corolla was renamed the Auris to try to move away from a perception of the staid image but it returned for the 2018 model and is back on sale in the UK as it is around the globe.
This vehicle is a domestic Japanese model, brought into the UK just before the first coronavirus lockdown in 2020 by the seller who specialises in importing classic Japanese vehicles. It arrived in the UK as part of a five-car complement in a shipping container, sourced by the seller’s agent in Japan as an exceptionally solid example of a classic Toyota. The seller has serviced the vehicle and carried out an MoT test in order to obtain its UK registration although it is subsequently exempt from the MoT test and from UK road tax under the rolling 40-year exemption rule.
This is a particularly rare model, being the Deluxe. According to howmanyleft.co.uk, there are just five 1974 Toyota Corollas in the UK, of which three are currently licensed (tax-exempt vehicles still require licensing – the cost is zero) and two are declared SORN, highlighting the rarity of this particular example.
The car feels reminiscent of a Mk2 Ford Escort or a Hillman Avenger, the mainstay of everyday motoring in the early 1970s, though with better reliability and build quality.
Vehicles arriving as imports from Japan generally have no paperwork to accompany them and this Corolla is no exception. The car is presented for sale with its UK V5 registration document, signifying it has had its import duties paid and its NOVA (Notification of Vehicle Arrival) certification complete. It also comes with confirmation of the recent service by the seller.
For a vehicle that is almost 50 years old and has been used as a daily driver in Japan, the interior is in remarkable condition. The headliner is unmarked and other than a very small cut in the vinyl outer section of the driver’s seat base, the upholstery is also bereft of wear or damage.
The front seats feature three-point seatbelts but the rear has no belts. The dashboard has what appears to be a custom-made upholstered trim panel on top of it, commonly fitted in Middle and Far East markets to prevent damage to the plastic panel by sunlight or heat. However, the seller confirms that there is a crack in the plastic panel underneath the covering. Incidentally, the cover appears to feature the Moon Eyes logo, instantly recognisable to hot rod and American car fans and indeed, there is a sticker inside the boot lid that states; “Love is Mooneyes – I’ve got moon in my heart” in a sixties hippy style. There is a similar tailored cover over the rear parcel shelf and over the top of the rear seats.
The rest of the interior shows some age-related wear, particularly around the gear knob and there is some polishing of the steering-wheel outer rim. The interior is reasonably basic, even for the Deluxe specification, Japanese manufacturers adopting reliability as more important than specification.
The seller confirms that all the vehicle’s electrics work as they are intended to. The original AM radio remains fitted to the car’s dashboard but a previous owner has fitted a modern double-DIN head unit in the glovebox, connected to speakers hidden in the car. The car is also presented with the warning flare that all vehicles are supplied with – its absence is a fail in the Japanese equivalent of the MoT test.
A common practice in Japan when classic cars are used as daily drivers is to cover the door trims in plastic to protect them and this vehicle is no different – all four door trims have been covered in clear film to maintain the trim panels in excellent condition.
The boot appears in good condition and contains the spare steel wheel as well as a box of miscellaneous parts for the car, including suspension components, points and condenser and manual for the vehicle. Alongside the Mooneyes sticker is one for neoclassic.jp, what appears to be a Japanese speed shop selling, among other things, a range of Mooneyes merchandise and products.
Like the majority of imported Japanese vehicles, the Corolla’s exterior is in excellent condition. The seller states that the climate in japan doesn't seem to affect bodywork and chassis’ like it does in the UK and as a result, the paint on this car is in excellent condition, particularly for its age.
He reports that there are very slight micro-blisters in the paint on the bonnet but there is no evidence of repair or faded paint, for example. There are only two small areas of rust on the car; one on the lower inner edge of the driver’s door and two on the front of the B-pillar on the same side. The seller states that the B-pillar area appears to be a simple repair and that paint is easily accessible in the correct colour.
The rest of the exterior is in excellent shape. The paint glimmers with a nice shine; the brightwork around the front of the car is in excellent condition, particularly on the bumpers and the front grille while at the rear, the bumper and rear-lamp surrounds are also very nice. With the exception of the rust already mentioned, the door shuts are in excellent shape and the grilles in the bonnet and the rear quarters, as well as the front-wing mounted mirrors, are also very good.
The badges around the vehicle are also in good condition; the front-grille badge has some loss of black paint revealing the silver base-coat, as have the ‘Corolla’ badges on the front wings and the boot lid. There is some pitting on the boot badge but again, this is commensurate with age and some time with polish would help bring these back to life. It also shows a crack across the ‘L’ and ‘A’ at the end of ‘Corolla’.
The 12-inch steel wheels are fitted with black and chrome wheel-trims but show some signs of rust underneath the hubcaps. The tyres all show good tread depth but the seller states that they are of indeterminate age and with cracked sidewalls, so he will be replacing them – and the spare – prior to the auction beginning.
There is no evidence to suggest that the car has undergone restoration work on its exterior, other than the exceptional condition for a near-50 year old vehicle but if indeed it has, it has been carried out sympathetically and with superb attention to detail.
The exterior is finished off with British number plates but sized to the correct dimensions for the rear to fill in the aperture for the Japanese identification plates, otherwise, as the seller says, a normal-sized British plate would look out of place.
One feature that Japanese imports famously lack is underseal; it is renowned as one of the first jobs that needs doing to imported cars, along with fitting a rear fog lamp. However, this vehicle has had a spray-on treatment applied to the underside prior to being loaded into the container in Japan, which gives more protection than the traditional paint alone and looks far nicer than any underseal treatment. The seller would recommend leaving this finish, as it should protect the car but maintain the exceptional underbody appearance.
The engine is the standard 1160cc four-cylinder unit with a single carburettor. It doesn't have the highest power output but it is sufficient to propel the vehicle to modern speeds. It starts easily on the choke and doesn't make any disturbing noises or produce excessive smoke and establishes a smooth idle. The four-speed manual transmission works as intended, with no noises or whines from either the gearbox or the differential in the rear axle. The suspension works well with no crashing or noises and the brakes operate correctly.
The under bonnet area is in good condition – there is surface rust on several cover panels on the bulkhead and on the seam that crosses the front of the bulkhead but the inner wings and chassis runners appear to be in excellent condition. The seller added a new battery as part of the car’s recent service, which also included new spark plugs, points and condenser, oil change and filters.
This is an exceptional opportunity to own a rare example of Japanese classic motoring. The Corolla is not the sportiest or the most luxurious but it is in excellent condition and, according to the owner, drivers perfectly and is ready to travel anywhere.
He feels that the car could easily be used as a daily driver or for special occasions but that a British winter would cause untold harm to it. He would recommend that its use is reserved for the warmer – and drier – months when there is at least no salt left on the roads from the winter.
A car of this nature should be used as it was intended – it is too interesting and has too much character to spend its life locked away in a garage or museum. Having said that, it would also be a waste if it were spoiled by British winters so it would suit a gentle life enjoying British roads from spring through to autumn and resting over winter.
** The photos in this listing have been provided to us by the seller **
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Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
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