The Toyota Corolla may be the least glamorous car in this series, but it might be the most influential. Over more than five decades, it has become the best-selling car nameplate in history.
Quick facts
| Launched | 1966, Japan |
|---|---|
| Maker | Toyota Motor Corporation |
| Sales | More than 50 million by 2021 |
| Generations | Twelve and counting |
| Known for | Reliability, value and low running costs |
The story
In the mid-1960s, Japan's economy was booming and families wanted their first car. Toyota launched the Corolla in 1966 as an affordable, comfortable family car that offered a little more than rivals, including a slightly larger engine and better features, at a sensible price.
Going global
The Corolla arrived in the United States in 1968. When the oil crises of the 1970s hit, buyers turned to small, fuel-efficient cars, and the Corolla's reputation for reliability and low running costs helped Toyota grow rapidly worldwide. Today it is built and sold in dozens of countries.
The secret weapon: how it was built
The Corolla's success is closely tied to the Toyota Production System, which introduced ideas now studied in business schools worldwide:
- Just-in-time production: parts arrive exactly when needed, reducing waste and storage.
- Jidoka: machines and workers can stop the line when a problem is detected, so defects are fixed at the source.
- Kaizen: continuous, small improvements by everyone on the team.
These methods, often called "lean manufacturing", spread far beyond cars to hospitals, software companies and factories of every kind.
Why it changed the world
- Reliability as a selling point: the Corolla helped make dependability the expectation for every car.
- Global brand: it helped turn Toyota into one of the world's largest carmakers.
- Smart evolution: it has adapted with each era, now including efficient hybrid versions.
Legacy
The Corolla proves that a car does not need to be exciting to change the world. By doing the basics extremely well, year after year, it earned the trust of tens of millions of drivers.
Cars That Changed the World: the full series
- Part 1: Ford Model T
- Part 2: Volkswagen Beetle
- Part 3: The Original Mini
- Part 4: Porsche 911
- Part 5: Toyota Corolla (you are here)
- Part 6: Land Rover and Defender
- Part 7: Ford Mustang
- Part 8: Toyota Prius
- Part 9: Tesla Model S
- Part 10: Ferrari F40
Figures such as production numbers, prices and specifications are commonly cited historical values and may vary slightly between sources.
