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60 Years Of The Toyota Corolla: These Are All The Generations

A whopping 57 million Corollas have been built to date.

Toyota Corolla KE25 (1974)

Photo by: Motor1.com Deutschland

By: Roland Hildebrandt

Translated by: Adrian Padeanu

Published by: Adrian Padeanu

Oct 27, at 7:15am ET

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With more than 57 million units sold and 12 model generations, the Toyota Corolla is widely regarded as the best-selling car in the world. At least among vehicles wearing the same name on the trunk. In case you didn’t know, “Corolla” comes from the Latin term for the wreath of petals around a flower, often considered its most beautiful part.

The Toyota Corolla is found in nearly every country on the planet, and its model history since 1966 is so varied that only true specialists can track every detail. Customers, however, have largely cared about something else: rock-solid reliability, strong quality, and fair value for money.

toyota-gr-corolla-uk-made

Toyota Corolla 60th Anniversary

Image by: Toyota

A New Compact Car For A New Middle Class

In the early 1960s, Japan was experiencing rapid economic growth, much like Western Europe. As the population grew and cities stretched into new suburbs, more and more Japanese people wanted an affordable car of their own.

Nearly every major automaker already offered small cars at the time. But the new middle class wanted something a bit more substantial. Toyota responded to this social shift with a new kind of vehicle, developed under chief engineer Tatsuo Hasegawa and built at the newly constructed Takaoka plant.

Toyota Corolla E10 (1966-1970)

Source: Toyota

The Corolla's story began with the first generation (E10 series, 1966–1970), which debuted in Japan in November 1966. With a modern, sporty design, a 1.1-liter engine producing 59 hp, disc brakes, and a four-speed manual transmission with a floor-mounted shifter, it made an immediate impression.

Corolla exports to the United States, where Toyota had been active since 1958, began in the summer of 1968 with prices starting at $1,668. For comparison, an Opel Kadett B started at $1,785. The Corolla E10 wasn't offered in Germany, though it sold in other European markets such as Switzerland, where it started at 6,990 Swiss francs (Kadett 1100: from 6,600 Swiss francs). In Japan, the new-car price was 495,000 yen.

Toyota Corolla E20 (1970-1974)

Source: Toyota

Driving A 1974 Toyota Corolla

With the second generation (E20 series, 1970–1974), Toyota responded to changing tastes and expanded the lineup with an elegant coupe and the Corolla Levin, powered by a 1.6-liter twin-cam engine producing 113 hp. The E20 also had a two-inch longer wheelbase.

By June 1970, Toyota had already passed the one-million-Corolla milestone, and in 1973 a Corolla TE25 delivered the brand’s first historic WRC victory in the United States. In Germany, the Corolla went on sale in March 1971 as a sedan and coupe (6,890 DM and 7,650 DM), followed a year later by a three-door wagon (7,795 DM). All German-market versions used the 1.2-liter engine with 57 hp, later 54 hp.

Toyota Corolla KE25 (1974)

Source: Motor1.com Germany

I take a spin in the Corolla KE25, the coupe from the second generation, and I’m surprised by how well this 1974 car still drives today. A modern Corolla is roomier, of course. But the shifter moves precisely through its four gears with short throws, and the simple four-cylinder pulls nicely from low revs. The only real sign of the era is the steering, which has plenty of play.

Even on my short drive, it’s easy to understand what made the Corolla successful: simple controls, good equipment, and no major surprises. This Toyota offers mobility and gets you where you need to go. As with the Volkswagen Golf, some may find that boring. But a Corolla is a bit like a McDonald’s cheeseburger or a Snickers bar: You can find it almost anywhere in the world, you know what you’re getting, and it does the job.

My passenger in the KE25 sums it up neatly: “This would still make a good daily driver.” He’s right, if only the oldest Corollas weren’t so rare and parts weren’t even harder to find. So let’s roll the history forward...

Toyota Corolla E30 (1974-1979)

Source: Toyota

The Corolla Takes On A More European Flavor

The third generation (E30/E50 series, 1974–1979) faced stricter emissions laws, pushing Toyota into genuine pioneering work on catalytic-converter systems. Detailed wind-tunnel research also informed the car’s first aerodynamic refinements. In Germany, the least expensive Corolla cost 9,395 DM in the fall of 1977, while a far more sparsely equipped VW Golf was 200 marks more.

Toyota Corolla E70 (1979-1987)

Source: Toyota

The fourth generation (E70 series, 1979–1983) spent more than 400 hours in the wind tunnel and adopted a sharper, more angular shape that finally aligned more closely with European tastes. It also added a new four-link suspension and a fuel-efficient 1.8-liter diesel engine. In March 1983, cumulative production broke through the 10-million-unit barrier.

Toyota Corolla AE82 (1983-1987)

Source: Toyota

The fifth generation (E80 series, 1983–1987) marked a major technical milestone. Under chief engineer Fumio Agetsuma, it became the first Corolla developed with computer assistance, leading to a full shift to space-efficient front-wheel drive for high-volume models.

The sporty coupes, however, retained classic rear-wheel drive. Among them was the legendary AE86 (sold in Europe as the Corolla GT and GTi), whose high-revving 1.6-liter 4A-GE engine made 128 hp. Thanks to its low weight, it became an undisputed icon in motorsports and the global drift scene. The “Hachi-Roku” (“eight-six” in Japanese) also gained immortality through its role in the anime series “Initial D,” making it arguably the most famous—and one of the most expensive—Corollas of all.

Toyota Corolla E90 (1987-1992)

Source: Toyota

The sixth generation (E90 series, 1987–1991) made front-wheel drive standard across the range and, for a time, even offered all-wheel drive on sedans and wagons. More than 100 suppliers worked on over 2,000 detail improvements to reduce noise levels and noticeably raise interior material quality.

Toyota Corolla E100 (1991-1997)

Source: Toyota

With the seventh generation (E100 series, 1992–1995), the Corolla grew in size and comfort, while a driver airbag became standard equipment in September 1994. That same year, TMMT began large-scale European production at its plant in Turkey.

Toyota Corolla E110 (1995-2002)

Source: Toyota

The eighth generation (E110 series, 1995–2000) received a distinct design tailored specifically to European tastes. Starting in 1998, the five-door model rolled off the line in the United Kingdom. This era also brought sporting success through the Corolla WRC, which scored three rally victories in 1998 and helped Toyota secure the manufacturers’ world championship in 1999.

Toyota Corolla E120 (2000-2007)

Source: Toyota

The ninth generation (E120 series, 2000–2006) was based on an all-new platform with a 5.3-inch longer wheelbase and brought modern VVT-i gasoline engines as well as efficient D-4D diesels to Europe.

Toyota Corolla E150 (2006-2013)

Source: Toyota

The 10th generation (E150 series, 2007–2012) split the lineup in Europe: The hatchback was renamed Auris—arguably one of Toyota’s stranger decisions—while the sedan kept the Corolla name. In 2010, the Auris Hybrid, built in Burnaston, England, marked the start of Toyota’s large-scale hybrid rollout in Europe.

Toyota Corolla E170 (2013-2019)

Source: Toyota

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The 11th generation (E170/E180 series, 2013–2018) brought a revised Auris to Europe, including the practical Touring Sports wagon, while the current 12th generation (since 2019) rides on the modern TNGA-C platform. It uses highly efficient fifth-generation full-hybrid powertrains in 1.8- and 2.0-liter forms, and the lineup was expanded in 2022 with the Corolla Cross.

2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid: First Drive

2023 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid

So what comes next for the Corolla? The Toyota Corolla Concept shown at the Japan Mobility Show 2025 suggests the model could keep evolving while staying a car for everyone. With that in mind, here’s to the next 60 years.