Single-number Corolla purchased new by the owner in Ishikawa, Japan
In 2024, we checked out a vehicle of interest at the Kanazawa Classic Car Meeting held at the Japan Automobile Museum in Komatsu, Ishikawa on Sunday, July 28. We spoke with the owner of a first-generation Toyota KE10 “Corolla” that carried the “Ishi 5” number issued when the car was new.
This first-generation Corolla has been driven by two generations of parents and children
Walking around the venue of the Kanazawa Classic Car Meeting, the entries from the three Hokuriku prefectures, especially from Ishikawa Prefecture, stood out. Among them, I was particularly interested in a first-generation Toyota Corolla 2-door sedan with the old single number “Ishi 5”. When we spoke to the owner, Mr. Yagi, he told us that it was a 1968 Deluxe that his father had purchased new and that it was a true one-owner car, with the name still in his father’s name.
By the way, this first-generation Corolla was introduced in 1966 and was the most advanced car of its time, with many mechanisms that were first adopted in the mass-market car class, such as a 4-speed manual transmission and MacPherson struts. It also adopted an 1100 cc engine in a hurry to compete with the 1000 cc engine of its rival at the time, the Nissan “Sunny. It became the leading car in its class.
The car is kept in amazing condition with options from when it was new
Mr. Yagi’s father was a carpenter, and he used this car to go around the job site. Although the car is in excellent condition for having been driven so often, it is still prone to rust on the exterior, especially on the underside, as it is located in a snowy area, and has been repaired frequently.
By the way, the front radiator is in good condition.
By the way, the front radiator grille is made of pressed material, so it is almost a miracle that it has been kept in such a beautiful condition. Other chrome parts such as headlight bezels and moldings on various parts of the body are also shining brightly.
Mr. Yagi says that only the “HI DELUXE” emblem on the rear gate may not be original (the original emblem was a written “Deluxe” emblem). Other than that, the car was equipped with window visors and corner poles, which were options when it was new, and considering that Mr. Yagi’s father used the car for work at the time, it is clear that he took good care of it regularly.
Hachitora and underwater flower shift knob, the interior of the car is a space that reminds us of those days
The interior of the car is also a space that makes you feel as if you have gone back in time. The interior remains as it was when the car was new, except for the headrest-equipped seats, which were replaced for safety reasons after a rear-end collision. Under the dash on the passenger side is an 8-track cassette that was installed by the father when the car was new, and there is an underwater flower shift knob in a nostalgic style.
“The 8-track stopped working at some point, so I had a friend of mine take it apart and fix it. So I can still listen to music properly.”
In addition, to prevent the beautiful wheel caps from coming off while driving, Mr. Yagi removes and stores them when driving, and puts them back on after arriving at his destination. Thanks to Mr. Yagi’s loving care, the first-generation Corolla with a single license plate has been maintained in such a beautiful condition.
translated by DeepL