Vehicle code "three-zero."
Pulling through headwinds and emerging as a world class car.
"The ultimate family car born after an uphill battle."
"This Corolla is the ultimate family car." As stated by Shirou Sasaki, Development leader, the third generation Corolla was introduced with safety and comfort features equivalent to that of higher grade vehicles, while maintaining the most important aspect of family cars โ a high level of economic efficiency. This new model cleared the strict emission standards for environmental pollution, which had become a social problem on a global scale, and became a Corolla that made the world acknowledge its high level technical strength. This third generation Corolla earned the status as the bestselling car domestically and globally with its superior overall performance, high level quality and reliability. Its popularity overseas was especially high, and the number of vehicles exported increased rapidly, exceeding 300,000 units annually. Living up to its reputation in name and substance, this new model grew to become an international product representative of Japan.
Shirou Sasaki, Development leader of the third generation Corolla, took direct command of developments of the second generation Corolla under the direction of Tatsuo Hasegawa and took charge as the Chief Engineer beginning with the third generation model. As he kicked off the development concept for this third generation, Sasaki studied the third shogun, Iemitsu Tokugawa of the Tokugawa Shogunate (feudal government), which governed Japan back in the Edo Period (1603โ1867). From these studies, Sasaki found Iemitsu soundly solidified the foundation for the Tokugawas, who established a long history of 300 years. With this information, Sasaki decided to make the third generation Corolla "the Iemitsu of Corollas" that would firmly solidify Corolla's foundation, rather than merely adopting a showy concept.
To create a model that perfects the strengths of its predecessors and to further increase Corolla loyalty, Sasaki proposed a concept called "third generation fulfillment."
First, the team focused on improving driving performance, function, interior comfort and quietness. Next, the vehicle width was increased to express a style with a sense of newness, and the sense of interior quality was improved. The team then endeavored to improve the areas that primarily appeal to the senses and implemented developments with focus on feelings that passengers actually experience.
However, from the time of initial developments, the team faced strict conditions due to regulations on emissions, which had rapidly become a social problem. The Muskie Act was enacted in the United States, and strict regulations equivalent to those in the Muskie Act were also adopted in Japan. As a result, vehicles that did not clear these regulations could not be sold. To handle this problem, a companywide project was started, and the Higashi-Fuji Technical Center was established as a specialized research organization for exhaust gas countermeasures. The engineers, primarily from the Engine Department, continued their efforts night and day, and eventually perfected the catalyst-based exhaust gas purification system that remains the standard even today. In addition, regulations that became stricter year after year were cleared by amassing technology original to Toyota, such as a lean combustion and Turbulence Generating Pod (TGP) combustion methods. With this, the inevitable decrease in output was gradually restored.As company-wide attention focused on exhaust gas countermeasures, the members of the Design Department adopted a somewhat angular, sharp design for the third generation Corolla. The new design portrayed a somewhat robust image compared to the soft lines of the second generation, and the Corolla's individual flare was emphasized. Also, wind tunnel equipment was introduced around this time, making it possible to tweak the design based on drag coefficient figures. Results from these wind tunnel studies were incorporated into the exterior design for the first time in the history of Corolla.
In addition to the sedan and van that were available with the previous models, a center pillar-less hardtop body was newly adopted for the third generation Corolla. This marked the first time a hardtop design, which was a trend in higher grade models, was adopted on a family car โ this feature became a major characteristic of the third generation model. When the new model was first released, the coupe model was temporarily discontinued in order to clearly define the new Corolla from other vehicle segments, but was later added due to market demands. Also, a liftback model (also known as a hatchback) was added to the lineup as a "sporty wagon for multipurpose use." The liftback gained popularity overseas, more so than in the domestic market, and the production volume greatly exceeded the initial plan.
At the time that the third generation Corolla was released, Japan was experiencing a social environment that was not very conducive to cars, and sales did not grow like anticipated. However, overseas sales significantly exceeded the initial plan, and record-setting figures were achieved in annual exports. This was clearly the result of developments that pursued international quality standards and firmly grasping the needs of overseas markets. For instance, when Sasaki, the Chief Engineer, conducted a market research trip in Germany, a lack of cargo capacity was pointed out. An actual demonstration was made in front of Sasaki's eyes to show that a standard load of cargo simply wouldn't fit in the trunk. Sasaki immediately studied vehicles that served as the standard for ease of trunk use in overseas markets and reflected those findings in developments.
In addition, the expansion of an ambitious product lineup that matched the needs of the era, including a hardtop and liftback model, led to favorable results overseas. In the end, this model achieved a total production volume of 3,755,029 units.
A total of three body types were available when the third generation Corolla was first released, including the traditional sedan (2-door and 4-door), van and the newly added hardtop. Later liftback and coupe models were added to the lineup for a total of five body types.
At the time of its initial release, four types of engine variations were available, including the 1.2-liter 3K-H engine, the 1.4-liter T engine, the 1.6-liter 2T engine and the 2T-G DOHC (Double Over Head Camshaft) engine for the Corolla Levin.
However, these engines were temporarily deleted from the lineup due to emissions regulations, leaving only the 1.6-liter 2T-U engine and the 1.4-liter T-U engine. After that, the lineup was gradually enhanced with the 1.2-liter 3K-U engine, the 1.6-liter 12T and 12T-U engines, the 1.3-liter 4K-U engine and the 2T-GEU DOHC engine for the Corolla Levin.