Toyota celebrates the 50th anniversary of Corolla with special edtion
NEW YORK — Toyota threw a party Wednesday night to unveil a special-edition Corolla to commemorate the car’s 50th anniversary.
More Corollas have been built since 1966 than any other model, surpassing the Volkswagen Beetle in 1997. There have been 43 million Corollas sold.
Jack Hollis, marketing chief for the Toyota brand, says Corollas continue to attract drivers of all ages.
Toyota also says it plans to offer an updated version of its standard Corolla with a redesigned front end and a package of safety features that includes automatic emergency braking.
Launched in 1966, the Corolla quickly became a big hit. Global sales reached 1 million just four years after it was launched, and by 1970 the Corolla was already the second best-selling imported car in the U.S. Today, Toyota’s global sales exceed 1.5 million Corollas annually.
The updated Corolla, which will go on sale by the end of this year, will be the first model to include “Toyota Safety Sense” — a package of technology that includes automatic braking, pre-collision warning, radar cruise control and lane-departure alert.
“This is a mid-cycle change for the Corolla, but it is bigger than just a mid-cycle change,” said Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor Sales. “It will be standard equipment on the Corolla … by the end of this year.”
Carter said automatic emergency braking is an example of the kind of technology that is possible because of the automotive industry’s push towards self-driving cars. “There are real tangible consumer benefits from this work,” Carter said.
Toyota said it will build just 8,000 of its 50th Anniversary Special Edition Corollas. The model includes features such as 17-inch alloy wheels, a 7-inch high-resolution touch-screen, black cherry accented dash panel and door trim, 50th anniversary edition floor mats and a 50th anniversary edition exterior badge.
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