After 12 generations and 55 years of production, the 50-millionth Corolla has been sold, marking a major milestone for not only Toyota but the automotive industry as a whole. Introduced to the U.S. in the spring of ‘68, the Toyota Corolla was relatively unknown to American consumers but quickly grew to be the world’s top-selling car. Known for its reliability, the Corolla earned the trust and confidence of its owners, slowly forming a long list of lifelong followers with every car sold.
Generations of Reliability
With the first Corolla rolling onto U.S. shores in 1968, Toyota immediately began to make a name for themselves amongst automakers. The first-generation Corolla was a simple, clean, yet refined design, available in coupe, four-door sedan, and two-door wagon models, with its reliability, truly paving the way to popularity. Experiencing immediate success in the U.S. market, Corolla quickly became the poster child for value and reliability in its class, while also growing to be one of Toyota’s biggest assets.
Following the massive success of the first-generation Corolla, Toyota continued with the Corolla name and has produced over 50 years’ worth of ultra-reliable vehicles. Offering more comfort, convenience, and performance with each new generation, the Corolla further solidified itself as one of the best value and most reliable vehicles in existence. Such value, performance, and safety are hard to resist, resulting in millions of Corolla owners, spanning multiple generations of a family.
As sales continued to soar, the 1973 Oil Embargo was enacted and resulted in a major fuel crisis with long lines and sky-high prices at the pump. Fuel became so expensive that fuel rationing had to be put into effect, casting fear and doubt in millions. That fear and doubt led those millions to the Corolla and its fantastic fuel efficiency, further popularizing the Corolla and carrying Toyota even closer to the top.
In the mid-80s Toyota sales had skyrocketed due to their heroic performance during the Oil Embargo, leading Toyota to build a U.S. plant for Corollas. This move to the U.S. not only increased vehicle reliability, but consumer confidence as well because Americans love anything made in the United States. With such success in producing vehicles in the U.S. Toyota has continued to manufacture vehicles there, opening up the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, Inc. (TMMS) in 2011 which is home to Corolla production. Recently Toyota has even joined forces with Mazda and built a manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama which will be the home of the all-new Toyota Corolla Cross, Toyota’s all-new crossover SUV.
Onward and Upward
After over 50 years and 50 million Corollas sold, Toyota isn’t ready to stop there. With big plans for future generations of Corolla, Toyota is sure to stay at the top of its class as it plans to continue pumping out the ultra-reliable Corolla. As mentioned, for 2022 Toyota will be releasing the Corolla Cross, a highly anticipated crossover SUV that is sure to dominate its market. The Corolla lineup is a proud family of vehicles, boasting a variety of models including sedans, a hot hatchback, hybrids, and the upcoming Corolla Cross.
Seeing its latest refresh in 2019, the Corolla is ready to keep delighting families and making memories by offering updated models to fit the modern customer. Reviving the hatchback, the 2019 refresh of the Corolla was a huge hit among Toyota enthusiasts and even earned newly loyal fans. It’s no secret that in modern times Toyota continues to be a leader and innovator, with generations of loyal customers clinging on to their every move.
Not ready to stop at 50 million Corollas sold, Toyota has its sights set on the future, aiming to put even more cars in America’s driveways as the years go on. Toyota is a leader in offering stylish, safe, efficient, and dependable vehicles that are ready to help write endless chapters in your adventure story. With the Corolla Cross coming in 2022, Toyota is ready yet again to shake up the automotive industry and forge new precedents with its foray into small compact crossover SUVs that are affordable.
Thank You
As Toyota continues to make cars, they want to take time to reflect upon the journey and thank their millions of customers. With 50 million Corollas sold, Toyota is ready to carry on into the future, making memories and traveling millions of miles along the way. Become a part of the Toyota family today, stop in at Lithia Toyota of Abilene to check out our fantastic selection of Corollas and other Toyota models. Everyone has a Corolla story, what’s yours? Share your Corolla story by using #MyCorollaStory on your social media.