ROGER MOORE TO REPRESENT NEW CORONA

Toyota Motor Company and Toyota Motor Sales Company have picked British actor Roger Moore for the central figure in advertising for the new Corona. Moore is famous in Japan for his starring role as James Bond in the popular 007 movie series.

The compact-size Corona is one of Toyota's most important passenger cars. Since introduced to the Japanese market in 1957, the Corona has played a key role in the development of Japan's automobile industry, posting aggregate sales of more than 5 million units and winning applause as a high-performance, high-quality family car both at home and abroad.

In developing the new Corona, Toyota has striven to carry this great tradition to even higher peaks, aiming to create a new epitome of luxury in a compact car―together with enhanced performance and fuel efficiency and sporty styling designed to appeal to younger drivers as well as the families who have been the Corona's primary users so far.

Advertising for the new Corona will aim at giving the car a "grand," "flamboyant," "dynamic" image and will center on the catchphrase, "The Stage has been Waiting for a New Star." Roger Moore, the well-known hero of the action-packed 007 movies, has been chosen to personify these themes, to give them greater impact.

Moore was born in London in October 1927. After graduating from art school, he attended the Royal Academy of Arts, he found his first major movie role in the 1954 film "Babylon Revisited" and then went on to parts in the "Ivanhoe" and "Maverick" TV programs. Beginning in 1973 with "Live and Let Die," he started playing the role of James Bond in the 007 film series, a role he has played ever since in "The Man with the Golden Gun" (1974), "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977), "Moonraker" (1979) and "For Your Eyes Only" (1981).

The 007 series has been extremely successful in Japan, with "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Moonraker" No. 6 and No. 10 respectively in the list of the ten greatest box-office hits among foreign films shown in postwar Japan.