CORONA SERIES CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION TOPS FIVE MILLION

Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that cumulative production of the Toyota Corona (including passenger car and commercial vehicle models) has surpassed the five-million-unit mark.

The Corona dates back to May 1957, when it made its debut in Japan as a 1-liter small-size passenger car designed to carry four persons. Large-scale production began in August 1960 with the completion of the second expansion of the Toyota Motomachi Plant, the first Japanese factory devoted exclusively to passenger car production. And soon thereafter the Corona began to play a central role in the nation's motorization.

The Corona has continued to be a world leader among small-size family cars in both quality and performance, thanks to Toyota's continuing effort to provide the series with equipment and features always one step ahead of the times. July 1965, for example, saw the addition to the Corona series of Japan's first hardtop. In August 1973 the Toyota OK Monitor, Japan's first electronic malfunction detector (capable of detecting problems in II different areas) was mounted on the car.

Other records garnered by the Corona to date include becoming Japan's first million seller, in November 1967; becoming Japan's best selling car for 35 consecutive months (December 1973 to October 1976); and becoming the first small-size vehicle (including commercial use vehicles) to sell over three million units domestically in Japan, in February 1980. The Corona has also been a great export success since shipments began in 1958. With the focus on the Middle East, Oceania and Asia, cumulative exports as of the end of October this year were approximately 1,788,000 units.

In response to ever expanding customer demands for more diverse types of automobiles, Toyota released a full model change of the Corona in September 1978, under the theme, "A reliable, high quality family car to meet the demands of the age." This sixth generation of Coronas added a new liftback version to the previous sedan, hardtop and station wagon models. A minor model change followed in August 1980, greatly enhancing fuel efficiency and driving performance and expanding equipment and operating features throughout the entire series, further lengthening the Corona's commanding lead in Japan's small-size car market.

The Corona is the second Toyota vehicle to surpass the five-million-unit production mark. The first was the Corolla, in June 1976.