Toyota Corolla E10
Encyclopedia
The Corolla E10 was the first generation of cars sold by Toyota under the Corolla
nameplate.
The Corolla was launched in Japan
in November 1966 at a Japanese dealership sales channel called Toyota Corolla Store . Eiji Toyoda
said it worked hard to create popular demand, and disputes that Toyota rode a wave of private car ownership that was taking off in the mid-1960s. Its major competitor was the Datsun 1000
, released a few months before the Corolla. Its companion, the Toyota Sprinter
, was sold at a different dealership sales channel called Toyota Auto Store.
The initial car, the KE1x series was small, with a 90 in (2286 mm) wheelbase.
Transmission was by a 4-speed floor shift manual transmission
or a 2-speed floor or column shift automatic transmission
, with rear wheel drive. At the time, floor shift transmissions were considered only for trucks and 4 speeds implied that the engine did not have enough torque to drive through only 3 gears (more torque allows each gear to have a wider spread of engine revolutions, thus requiring fewer gears). This was a big risk for Toyota but the effectiveness of the new system gained in popularity.
The suspension in front was MacPherson strut
s supported by a transverse leaf spring beneath the engine cross-member, with leaf springs connected to a solid axle in back.
The engine was originally meant to be for the under 1000 cc tax class but was changed late in the design process to be 1077 cc in order to beat the forthcoming Datsun 1000. This put it into a 1000cc engine road tax class but gave it some prestige over the Datsun 1000 - helped by its "100 cc advantage" advertising campaign. In August 1969 the engine was upgraded to 1166 cc. Special twin carburettor K-B (1077 cc) and 3K-B (1166 cc) engines were used in the SL grade models for an extra 13 hp.
Japanese market chassis:
North American market engines:
North American market chassis:
Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, with over 35 million...
nameplate.
The Corolla was launched in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in November 1966 at a Japanese dealership sales channel called Toyota Corolla Store . Eiji Toyoda
Eiji Toyoda
is a prominent Japanese industrialist, who was largely responsible for bringing Toyota Motor Corporation to profitability and worldwide prominence during his tenure as president and later chairman.-Career:...
said it worked hard to create popular demand, and disputes that Toyota rode a wave of private car ownership that was taking off in the mid-1960s. Its major competitor was the Datsun 1000
Nissan Sunny
The Nissan Sunny is a small car from Nissan. It was launched in 1966 as the Datsun 1000 and although production in Japan ended in 2004, it remains in production today for the African, American and Sri Lankan markets. In the US, the later models were known as the Nissan Sentra; in Mexico, the Sunny...
, released a few months before the Corolla. Its companion, the Toyota Sprinter
Toyota Sprinter
The Toyota Sprinter was a compact car manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota as a variation of the Toyota Corolla. Each generation of the Corolla had a corresponding version of the Sprinter....
, was sold at a different dealership sales channel called Toyota Auto Store.
The initial car, the KE1x series was small, with a 90 in (2286 mm) wheelbase.
Transmission was by a 4-speed floor shift manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
or a 2-speed floor or column shift automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, with rear wheel drive. At the time, floor shift transmissions were considered only for trucks and 4 speeds implied that the engine did not have enough torque to drive through only 3 gears (more torque allows each gear to have a wider spread of engine revolutions, thus requiring fewer gears). This was a big risk for Toyota but the effectiveness of the new system gained in popularity.
The suspension in front was MacPherson strut
MacPherson strut
The MacPherson strut is a type of car suspension system which uses the axis of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in modern vehicles and named after Earle S. MacPherson, who developed the design.-History:...
s supported by a transverse leaf spring beneath the engine cross-member, with leaf springs connected to a solid axle in back.
The engine was originally meant to be for the under 1000 cc tax class but was changed late in the design process to be 1077 cc in order to beat the forthcoming Datsun 1000. This put it into a 1000cc engine road tax class but gave it some prestige over the Datsun 1000 - helped by its "100 cc advantage" advertising campaign. In August 1969 the engine was upgraded to 1166 cc. Special twin carburettor K-B (1077 cc) and 3K-B (1166 cc) engines were used in the SL grade models for an extra 13 hp.
Japan
Japanese market engines:- K — 1.1 L (1077 cc) I4, 8-valve OHV, carb, 60 hp (44 kW)
- K-B — 1.1 L (1077 cc) I4, 8-valve OHV, twin carb, 73 hp (54 kW)
- 3K — 1.2 L (1166 cc) I4, 8-valve OHV, carb, 65 hp (48 kW)
- 3K-B — 1.2 L (1166 cc) I4, 8-valve OHV, twin carb, 78 hp (57 kW)
Japanese market chassis:
- E-10 — 1077 cc Sedan (2-door/4-door)
- E-15 — 1077 cc Hardtop coupé
- E-16 — 1077 cc Wagon, 2-door
- E-11 — 1166 cc Sedan (2-door/4-door)
- E-17 — 1166 cc Hardtop coupé
- E-18 — 1166 cc Wagon, 2-door
North America
Toyota has been almost steadfast in facelifting each generation after two years, and replacing it with an all-new model every four years. Exports to the United States began in March 1968 at about US$1,700.North American market engines:
- K — 1.1 L (1077 cc) I4, 8-valve OHV, carb, 60 hp (44 kW)
- 3K — 1.2 L (1166 cc) I4, 8-valve OHV, carb, 65 hp (48 kW)
North American market chassis:
- E-10 — 1077 cc Sedan (2-door/4-door)
- E-15 — 1077 cc Hardtop coupé
- E-16 — 1077 cc Wagon, 2-door
- E-11 — 1166 cc Sedan (2-door/4-door)
- E-17 — 1166 cc Hardtop coupé
- E-18 — 1166 cc Wagon, 2-door