The is an automobile manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota across eleven generations between 1957 and 2001. On launch, the Corona was Toyota's second-highest product in their range, just below the Crown. The Corona was marketed in the JDM at Toyota's Toyopet Store dealership channels, and the Corona was one of Toyota's first models exported to other global markets, followed by the smaller Toyota Corolla.
The Corona played a key role in Toyota's North American success. Having previously entered the North American passenger car market in 1957 as Toyopet, the company met little success, withdrawing in 1961. The company re-entered the North American market in June 1964, rebranded as Toyota, introducing its third-generation Corona with more modern technology and numerous standard features. Toyota advertised the car prominently, with the company's first television commercial featuring the Corona. The car was well received, winning the 1969 Road Test Import Car of the Year.
By 1968, the Corona name was used on a larger platform, marketed as the Corona Mark II. The Corona itself was marketed under numerous nameplates worldwide, including in European markets as Carinas, and a variant of the Corona was offered in various markets as the Carina. The Corona was ultimately replaced in Japan by the Toyota Premio; in Europe by the Toyota Avensis; and in Asia, Pacific markets, and the Americas by the Toyota Camry.
The nameplate corona derives from the Latin word for "crown", the sedan taking its place just below Toyota's similarly named flagship, the Toyota Crown.
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First generation (T10; 1957)
The first-generation Corona, introduced in May 1957 and became available on the market two months later, was designed with parts from the previous-generation Crown and Master following a major restyle and enlargement of the Crown. The design of many of the body panels were cut down from the Master which had ceased production. Aside from the 4-door T10 sedan, the T16V 3-door van version was introduced in October 1958 as Toyopet Coronaline. Originally, the T10/16 Corona was fitted with the old sidevalve "S" engine, with . In April 1958 the Corona underwent a light facelift, with a new bonnet ornament and door handles. The tail light design of this generation is reminiscent of the 1949 Ford sedan.
The OHV P series engine replaced the old S in October 1959, The car also underwent another facelift, including a mesh grille and a new rear seat which allowed seating for five rather than the previous four. As regulations regarding taxis at the time required engines no larger than , dealers restricted the power for taxi vehicles. Due to the upgrade in dimensions of the Crown, Toyota needed to continue manufacturing a vehicle with similar size dimensions to the first Crown, primarily to be used for taxi usage. This vehicle was also the first Toyota's car with a monocoque chassis structure,
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This generation of the Corona was also known as the Tiara (in keeping with the crown naming convention) when exported by Toyota Motor Corporation. It was introduced at a critical time for the company in North America. Their first flagship car, the Toyopet Crown, was unsuccessful in the US market, and the Corona was added to offer a choice along with the Land Cruiser. At the time, there was little market for an off-road vehicle like the Land Cruiser. The front mask of the T20 Corona is reminiscent of the 1955–1957 Ford Thunderbird, and shares its appearance with the entry-level offering, called the Toyota Publica.
The Tiara was introduced to sell alongside the Crown, as a smaller companion. Introduced in March 1960, the car was powered by a 1.0 L "P" series motor. With a three-speed manual transmission, top speed was a mere . were introduced in July and September 1960 with rigid axle semi-oval leaf spring rear suspension and 500 kg payload capacity,
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