The Toyota Corona was initially a Japanese compact car, launched in 1957. It finished production in 2000 as a mid-sized four-door sedan sold in the Japanese market.
In its heyday, the Corona (Latin for crown) was Toyota's principal export entrant. The first to be exported in any quantity was the third-generation model, launched in 1964, characterized by a front end reminiscent of a razor. With each incarnation, the Corona—and an associated, plusher model called the Corona Mark II (later spun off on to a separate platform)—grew larger.
In the United States, the 1970s were probably the Corona's high point, helped by the fuel crises of 1973 and 1979. It was not renewed for the 1983 model year, replaced by the Camry.
The longest-running model was the rear-wheel drive seventh-generation (T142) model, which began production in 1981 and was still manufactured in Australia in 1987, even though by that time a front-wheel-drive version (originally called the Toyota Corona FF and marketed in some countries as the Toyota Carina) had already been released.
The Corona was eventually dropped in Australia in favour of the larger Camry, but in New Zealand, Toyota continued to offer versions of the Corona, assembled locally at Toyota's plant in Thames. Later, Toyota New Zealand followed Australia and dropped the Corona, instead marketing the Australian-built Camry as its offering in the medium-size segment of the market.
A Corona Coupé was spun off in the mid-1980s and had unique sheetmetal. This was later succeeded by a four-door hardtop called the Corona EXIV.
It eventually faced competition from the smaller Toyota Carina as that model grew in size. Because of Japanese taxation laws, both models got to the maximum 1,700 mm permitted for a lower tax bracket and in the 1980s and early 1990s, were the same size.
The last export Corona was called the Carina E in Europe. The five-door model was called the Corona SF in Japan, while the station wagon had become a separate line there, from 1993, called the Toyota Caldina . Where it was still sold, it was replaced by the Toyota Avensis (in most of Europe) and the Toyota Camry (in other export markets). The second-generation Caldina was sold in Europe as part of the Avensis range.
A final eleventh generation was built between 1996 and 2000 for the Japanese home market, with one particular model called the Toyota Corona Premio that was spun off into an independent model called the Premio , and a related model called the Allion after 2001.
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