5 June 2017

More than an old car #10: Toyota Corolla E30


Many of you would be familiar with the Toyota Corolla--perhaps you drive one or have taken an Uber/Grab in one. They come in many variants such as the modern Axio and the Altis. However, this specimen here is a 1977 Toyota Corolla E30, 1 of 5 that are left on our roads. This conjures up images of cassette tapes, black-and-white TVs and rock-n-roll music, doesn't it?

The E30 series was the 3rd generation of cars sold by Toyota under the Corolla nameplate. It turned out to be one of the longest-lived one as it was a reliable economy car, especially after the oil crisis back in 1973. It came in many forms: a 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan and a 5-door wagon.

It is equipped with a 1166cc i4 engine [engine with 4 cylinders] and a trusty 5 speed manual, even though it was available with an automatic transmission. It could reach a top speed of 140 km/h, with an acceleration of 17.3 seconds from 0-100 km/h. This E30 is 4 m long and weighed close to 900 kg. The lime green paint adds zest to an otherwise old-fashioned vehicle and its boxy shape stands out easily from the usual shapeless road beings. Notice that it does not have the usual oval logo that we are used to--instead it has a broken narrow oval with 3 flowers on top.

It may not be as unique as other cars on this site, but considering the COE system here, seeing this is more rare than spotting supercars on the road! This has been repainted recently as the original colour was a drab-looking brown. There has been much dedication by the owner to keep this econo-box running, even by registering as a 'classic vehicle' and I hope he/she continues to do it for the next few years.

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