The History of the Toyota Corolla

The Industry’s Best-Selling Car

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Having recently celebrated half a century on the market, the Toyota Corolla is a vehicle with genuine staying power. So what has made the Corolla such a popular pick among Miami and Fort Lauderdale residents and helped it earn its best-seller status in the industry? To be perfectly clear, for the Corolla it’s about common sense: reliability, affordability, and quality. This Toyota sedan has come a long way since its early days, now offering premium features like Entune™ infotainment and the Toyota Safety Sense™ P (TSS-P) driver assistance, but the underlying winning formula has always remained the same.

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First Generation

The first generation of the Toyota Corolla began production in Japan for the 1966 model year, but it wasn’t until a couple years later that it hit the American market. The first rendition of the Corolla set a precedent for reliability that would continue over the arc of this model’s storied career. Back then, it was powered by a 1.1L four-cylinder engine that made 60 hp.

Second Generation

The early ’70s introduced a new generation of the Toyota Corolla, and with the help of a more rounded exterior body style and a performance boost to 73 hp, this Corolla became the second best-selling vehicle in the world. In 1972, new Corolla Levin and Corolla Sprinter models got an even more powerful engine option.

Third Generation

The 1975 Toyota Corolla marked a considerable upgrade in terms of performance and sophistication for the Corolla, including a bigger and heavier body as well as important engineering advancements like a catalytic converter. This helped significantly improve the popularity of the Corolla among American buyers, and interest was further bolstered by the introduction of the Corolla Sport Coupe later in the generation.

Fourth Generation

The last version of the Corolla to use the T-series engines, the fourth generation ran from 1979 through 1983 and was the biggest rendition of the Corolla yet. The sedan also included coil springs, which notably improved the quality of the ride.

Fifth Generation

Later in the 1983 model year, Toyota introduced a new aluminum-cylinder engine with direct injection and a cam set up with an SOHC design. Shortly thereafter, they introduced a front-wheel drive setup, as well as a return to more sharply angled exterior design language.

Sixth Generation

The sixth generation started in 1987 and ended up featuring a wide range of engine options, including a significantly more powerful 1.3L inline-four for the U.S. market, which put out 165 hp. Most models were fitted with a front-wheel drive setup, though there were also some 4WD All-Trac models available.

Seventh Generation

The seventh generation started in the early ’90s and marked the transition from “subcompact” to “compact,” bringing significantly more appeal to a wider range of buyers. It was in this generation that the Corolla surpassed all other vehicles to become the best-selling vehicle ever manufactured!

Eighth Generation

Introduced in the U.S. market for the 1998 model year, the eighth generation included a mild redesign. This was also the first time Toyota fitted a Corolla with an aluminum engine block, which had the effect of significantly reducing weight for better efficiency and acceleration.

Ninth Generation

Rolling into the 21st century with a significant bump in size and sophistication, the ninth generation Corolla was offered with a 2.4L four-cylinder engine that made 170 hp, as well as a new manual transmission and more rigid suspension tuning that helped improve responsiveness.

Tenth Generation

The tenth generation arrived in 2009 and brought the Corolla to the point of competing with more expensive midsize cars by offering in-demand modern features like Bluetooth® hands-free calling, audio and cruise control, and the improved handling of traction control.

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Current Generation

The latest generation of the Toyota Corolla has, like many other models in the industry, put a prime focus on technology, but in addition to features like Entune™ and a wide array of driver assist safety features, the new Toyota Corolla is also incredibly efficient. Starting at just $18,500*, the new Corolla is capable of getting up to an EPA-estimated 40 mpg highway and 30 mpg city, and it’s built to last. That leads to greater savings for Miami drivers at the beginning, middle, and end.

Find a New or Pre-Owned Toyota Corolla in Miami, FL

Learn more about the history of Toyota’s best-selling compact sedan from the experts at Toyota of North Miami, where we have a wide inventory of new Toyota Corollas for sale, as well as high-quality used Corollas. Become a part of the tradition today by visiting our dealership, located at 16600 N.W. 2nd Avenue in Miami, FL, south of Jackson North Medical Center and just 25 minutes from Fort Lauderdale. We’re open seven days a week, so stop on in!

*MSRP excludes the Delivery, Processing, and Handling Fee of $895 for Cars (Yaris, Yaris iA, 86, Corolla, Corolla iM, Camry, Camry HV, Prius LB, Prius c, Prius v, Prius Prime, Mirai, Avalon, Avalon HV), $995 for Small/Medium Trucks, SUVs and Van (C-HR, RAV4, RAV4 HV, Highlander, Highlander HV, 4Runner, Sienna, Tacoma), $1,295 for Large SUVs (Sequoia, Land Cruiser), and $1,295 for Large Truck (Tundra). (Historically, vehicle manufacturers and distributors have charged a separate fee for processing, handling and delivering vehicles to dealerships. Toyota’s charge for these services is called the “Delivery, Processing and Handling Fee” and is based on the value of the processing, handling and delivery services Toyota provides as well as Toyota’s overall pricing structure. Toyota may make a profit on the Delivery, Processing and Handling Fee.) Excludes taxes, license, title and available or regionally required equipment. Actual dealer price will vary.

Toyota of North Miami 25.9266, -80.205138.