By Theodore Opara
FROM inception 55 years ago, Toyota Corolla was designed to be a great car given the antecedents of the designers and the Toyota family.
It was in November 1966 that the development was led by the then chief engineer, Tatsuo Hasegawa, a former aircraft designer who wanted to create a compact car that offers everything desired in an automobile.
So the goal was to use the experience to create a car that would offer comfort, safety and performance in a very quiet cabin and yet sporty. The Toyota team achieved and surpassed the goal. Hence, every model of Corolla that hits the showroom since 1966 has been a success story.
Toyota has sold over 50 million Corolla cars across the continents of the world, a record that no other car maker has dared to beat. This crowned the Corolla as the world’s most popular nameplate.
In 2020 alone, despite the ravaging effects of the Corona virus, Toyota sold more than 1.1 million cars in more than 150 countries which shows that one Corolla was sold in every 28 seconds, what a record!
As the world car that it is, the Corolla is produced in no less than a dozen plants around the world. Designed to succeed from the beginning, the Corolla reflects its name in every way. The word Corolla refers to the ring of petals around a flower, which is considered to be the most beautiful part of the flower.
The name was intended to evoke the image of a beautifully styled, eye-catching, high quality compact car and was deemed as an aspiration car in some markets.
Corolla has been designed in many variants including saloon, hatchback, estate, and as the market demands. It has come in two doors, four doors, and five doors and none has failed in any market.
The engine variants have grown from 1.1 to 1.8-litre making the Corolla one of the most improved cars of all time. With its reach history, the Corolla Export started almost immediately after its launch in Japan.
Australia was the first to get the first shipment of export of the Corolla and this was followed later by local production of the car in 1968, which was Toyota’s first factory outside Japan.
In Nigeria the Corolla has won more awards than any other car. Its continuous improvement has made it the highest winner of the revered Nigeria Auto Journalists award and several others. Corolla competes with the Honda Civic, Kia Cerato and Hyundai Elantra.
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