The 5th generation Corona that I admired in my youth
In 2024, I checked out a vehicle of interest at the Kanazawa Classic Car Meeting held at the Japan Automobile Museum in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture on Sunday, July 28. This time, we will introduce a 1975 5th generation Toyota “Corona” that has returned to the road after a spectacular restoration. It was an international bestseller, so it was saved in the restoration process.
The company took over the immobile car and spent a year getting it back on the road
I found a nostalgic one inside the venue of the Kanazawa Classic Car Meeting. It was a T100 series Toyota “Corona” that used to be driven around town in great numbers. The T100 series Coronas were equipped with a wide range of engines from 1.6L to 2L DOHC, but Matsumoto’s car was a 1975R-E with an injection-controlled SOHC 2L 18R-E engine.-E engine, a 1975 model called the 2000SL EFI.
“I found and acquired this car last year when it was immobile. All four brakes were dead, and it was quite a challenge to get it on the loading truck, but since Coronas are exported all over the world, we were able to obtain parts from overseas, and over a year, we were finally able to bring it back to this level.”
The T100 series Corona was a global bestseller
The T100 series Corona was the fifth generation model, and because it was exported to many foreign countries, it is known as the second most produced Corona among successive generations, and many Coronas could be seen on the road about 50 years ago.
The square body is an honorary design that does not look too old-fashioned even when seen today. On the other hand, it is not a unique vehicle, so the T100 series Coronas are not very popular in the old car world. Then why did Mr. Matsumoto choose this T100 series?
“When I was young, my uncle drove an 1800, and this Corona was the first car he let me drive. At the time, I didn’t have a license, so I only drove it on private property. That’s why I had a strong emotional attachment to it. Moreover, I had driven a late-model GT before acquiring the 2000SL.”
The body is in original condition with no repainting
The Corona 2000SL EFI was the first model in the series to be injection-controlled, and the engine compartment prominently features a huge square induction box and four separate intake pipes. The large “EFI” (Electronic Fuel Injection) lettering was probably because it was an equipment to be proud of in this era.
This car has been revived after an overhaul of the suspension and engine, but the body is in surprisingly good condition, and it has kept its original paint and original interior. The door panels are in surprisingly good condition, with the vinyl that was applied when the car was new still in place. The switches on the doors are aftermarket power window kits that were popular at the time. They are said to still be in good working order.
translated by DeepL
