NaijaCarNews goes back in history to bring you a quick overview of a more than 53-year transformation process that has occurred particularly to one of Nigerians’ loved sedan car model – the Toyota Corolla from 1966 to present.

The Japanese automaker – Toyota has won the heart of many Nigerians over the years and this could be easily proven by mere looking around and seeing result lots of its vehicle models present in every nook and crannies of the country today. And the Toyota Corolla sedan is undoubtedly one of the most popular among them all.

There is hardly anywhere one would turn on a Nigerian street and not find at least one Toyota Corolla car because of some common reasons such as easy maintenance, good resale value, good fuel economy, longevity and its durability.

You will hardly believe that the Toyota Corolla lineup of cars you are seeing today began their journey with this model

For many that do not know; the popular Toyota Corolla is actually pronounced “Toyota Karōra” in the Japanese language. It’s a model that has been introduced as far back as the year 1966 and in 1974, it became the world’s best-selling car; even till today, it is still among the best-selling car model worldwide.

Earlier models of the Toyota Corolla usually come with a rear-wheel-drive system but nowadays the latest models come with a front-wheel-drive system.

And now, let’s take you through a quick historical evolution of the renowned Toyota Corolla from 1966 – present;

1. Toyota Corolla – First Generation (E10) [1966 – 1970]

This was the first-ever Toyota car to carry the model name “Toyota Corolla”. It was rolled out in the year 1966 and it featured a pushrod engine (1100cc K) back then.

This is the first-ever “Toyota Corolla” sedan model that was introduced back in the year 1966

2. Toyota Corolla – Second Generation (E20) [1970 – 1974]

This was a restyled version of the first Corolla. It featured 1,400 T and 1,600cc 2T OHV engines and a more rounded body at its exterior.

The second-generation Toyota Corolla model had a more rounded body than the first

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3. Toyota Corolla – Third Generation (E30, E40, E50, E60) [1974 – 1979]

Toyota made the third generation Corolla heavier, rounder, and bigger than its predecessors. In the year 1976, the automaker added retractable front seat belts to the Corolla and also a 2-door liftback model to the lineup.

The 3^rd generation Toyota Corolla was made bigger, rounder, and heavier with fitted retractable seat belts

4. Toyota Corolla – Fourth Generation (E70) [1979 – 1983]

Toyota added a twist to the design story of the Corolla during this generation as the automaker replace the usual round body with a new square-edge design.

There was a noticeable reduction in the size of its taillights, headlights and grille.

It was the last in the Corolla lineup to use the T series engines and K “hicam”.

The 4th generation Toyota Corolla got a design twist with a complete replacement of the conventional round body with a new square-edge design

5. Toyota Corolla – Fifth Generation (E80) [1983 – 1987]

This Corolla generation was styled to go with the trend of that period which included sharp-edges, no-frills and a sloping bonnet.

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The 5th generation Toyota Corolla was styled to flow with the trend of its period

6. Toyota Corolla – Sixth Generation (E90) [1981 – 1991]

This generation of the Corolla was rolled out in the year 1987 with a more aerodynamic styling and a more rounded body with a featured front-wheel-drive system.

More aerodynamic styling and rounded body were the visible changes on the sixth-generation (E90) Toyota Corolla

7. Toyota Corolla – Seventh Generation (E100) [1991 – 1995]

The Toyota Corolla E100 rolled out in the year 1991 got a redesign featuring a completely rounded, heavier, larger and more aerodynamic shape that was common with the cars of the ‘90s.

Just like with other cars of the ‘90s; the sixth generation (E100) Toyota Corolla got a redesigned rounded, heavier, larger and more aerodynamic shape

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8. Toyota Corolla – Eight Generation (E110) [1995 – 2002]

Toyota began the production of the 8^th-generation Corolla in the year 1995.

This generation looked very similar to the previous (E100) Corollas but still has an overall slightly altered design.

The 8^th generation (E110) Toyota Corolla models look very similar to the previous ones but definitely had much more to them

In the year 1998, some models of this Corolla that are non-Japanese received a new (1ZZ-FE) engine for the first time. This engine became the first to be fitted in a Toyota car as it featured aluminium cylinder heads and aluminium engine block, making this generation of the Corolla to be much lighter in overall weight compared to the older E100 Corollas.

9. Toyota Corolla – Ninth Generation (E120, E130) [2003 – 2007]

This generation of the Corolla was rolled out in the year 2000 with newer technology added to it and an edgier styling in order to blend the nameplate with the 21st-century vibes.

The early versions of the 9th generation (E120) Toyota Corolla models rolled out in the year 2000 with more of 21^st Century vibes

Later in the mid-2002, the North American version and 2003 model year of the Toyota Corolla got released as the E130 which got sold out in volume between 2003 and 2008 in North America.

The E130 version of the 9th generation Toyota Corolla models was majorly sold in North America between the year 2003 and 2008

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10. Toyota Corolla – Tenth Generation (E140, E150) [2008 – 2013]

In this generation, the Toyota Corolla got a complete overhaul to its body and exterior design.

Both the E140 and E150 versions of the 10th generation Toyota Corolla model looks very different from all of their predecessors

11. Toyota Corolla – Eleventh Generation (E160, E170) [2014 – 2017]

This generation of the Toyota Corolla also featured quite a lot of visible changes/overhaul on its exterior and some additional features in its interior that distinguish it from the older ones.

Mere looking at the E160 and E170 versions of the 10th generation Toyota Corolla model is enough to see how it differs from the older ones

12. Toyota Corolla – Twelfth Generation (E210) [2018 – present]

At the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, the hatchback body-style (version) of the twelfth generation Toyota Corolla was revealed as a pre-production Corolla model.

The 12th generation Toyota Corolla hatchback version was the first to be unveiled in 2018 as a pre-production model

Later at the 2018 Guangzhou International Motor Show in November of the same year, the sedan variation of the twelfth generation Toyota Corolla also got introduced just a day after it was also unveiled in “Carmel by the Sea”, California in the United States.

The sedan variation of the 12th generation Toyota Corolla version was later revealed in November 2018 in China and the US

>>> To see more auto-related fun and historical articles like this, Navigate to -> Auto fun.