Barn-Stored 46 Years: 1970 Toyota Corona
Though Toyota first entered the U.S. market in 1957, the company didn’t find success until a decade later with the “mid-size” Corona. It would soon be followed by the Corolla and Crown and the rest is history. This 1970 Corona 4-door sedan has been off the road since 1978, stored on wooden floors on the second level of a barn. With a little help, it’s running again but will need more attention and coaxing.
The Corona was one of Toyota’s longest-running products, built across 11 generations between 1957 and 2001. First appearing on U.S. shores between 1957 and 1961, “Toyopet” received very little buyer attention and left the market for three years. They regrouped and rebranded upon their return in 1964, and the new Corona was prominently featured in the company’s first North American TV advertising. By 1969, the car was deemed Import Car of the Year by Road Test Magazine.
This ’70 Corona only had one prior owner who put it out to pasture when it was just eight years old. It wasn’t in bad shape after its long slumber and the seller got it running. But the gas tank will need to be cleaned out and the car given a tune-up and new fluids. The body doesn’t look bad (though there is some rust), and the paint won’t win any awards. The interior is also quite passable at just 56,000 miles. It comes with some extra parts including body pieces and a spare engine and transmission.
We’re told the seller will continue working on the automobile until it sells. But no mention is made if that will affect the price which is $6,000 now here on Facebook Marketplace. To see the car, you’ll have to trek to Lawrence, Michigan. When was the last time you saw one of these cars – in any condition? Another neat tip from Barn Finder “Ted”!
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Comments
“When was the last time you saw one of these cars – in any condition?” Our childhood neighbor, a retired elementary school teacher bought hers new is in her garage, next to her Scion xB “Tactical Toaster”. In pristine condition, it “ran when parked” as in every Saturday afternoon.
Have to say though this one shown here is the only other time I’ve seen one, and in the same pastel yellow.
Someone here in Prescott has one. The only one I have seen in many, many years
I remember one of the ads showing one passing a (slowpoke) VW up a hill. And in 1967 they sold for $1967.00!
Friend had one. Lots of fun !!
To think something that cute and basic is the technical predecessor to today’s Camry.
In 1979 I owned a 1967 Carona with the same body style, etc. except it had a 3 speed manual transmission and it was pea green. I really enjoyed driving it. When I decided to move to Arizona, I needed more room to haul my things, so I traded it for a 1969 Dodge Polara 4 door sedan.
Mine only had a four speed.
I drove one of these exact vehicles three times to work .
A loaner car from family as my
69 Z28 was getting repaired…
Hmm how to describe from A person who drove like a bat out of hell usually..😎
This intermission is now taking place while i collect my thoughts.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzz
Zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz
Zzzzzzz (got to get in This cars pace)
Okay….. i am wake now..
A lil automatic 4 door light beige color with a small 4 cylinder that was almost as fast as a golf cart. 😎
Good luck with car sale and avoid the freeways please…
The Corona nameplate lasted longer than you think. Earlier this year I sold a 1995, yes 1995 Toyota Corona EXIV. It was a RHD JDM car and I loved it!
This one appears to have the 2 speed Toyoglide automatic.
Yep…..there was a classmate that parents had one of these in the late 60’s and was always cool to see along with that Nancy girl that got out of it.
Was a Peace Corps Volunteer Teacher in Fiji 68 and 69. Principal there had one. With his wife my wife and their three children fitting in somehow, we drove around the main island, Viti Levu, and had a great visit with Principal’s wife’s family in Raki Raki up on the North East corner before continuing on to Capital Suva, then 90 miles along the south coast to our nome village 8 miles past Sigatoka. Having a car was a big deal then, roads only paved at villages, rest dirt and gravel. Best ever part of my life. 90 mile bus ride to Suva from our home took 5 hours.
My parents bought one in ’71 and my
Mom was nearly kicked out of the
Machinist’s union because she bought a foreign car and it didn’t help
much that a lot of folks in our town
still hated the Japanese for bombing
Pearl Harbor. They brought a dealership to our town, but it wasn’t
open long. The windows of the dealership were smashed and the cars were vandalized. My folks found
a nice blue sedan they liked but it was
destroyed by the vandals so they went to Weinbacher Toyota in Decatur
Illinois and bought a tan one instead.
It was a really good car for what it was. It had a 4-speed and A/C along
with an AM/FM radio which was the
first one I’d seen other than the one
that was in my ’66 Caddy Calais. And
to smooth things over with the union,
I let my Mom drive my Caddy to work
At the Eureka plant in Bloomington
until they traded it for a God awful ’72
Caprice 4-door hardtop that absolutely would not start when the
Mercury went below 40 degrees. No
matter what I did, it just wouldn’t start. Me, I would’ve kept the Toyota
and not bought the Caprice.
I discovered these back in 76 when I needed to store my 57 Chevy and get a small inexpensive car for college. My Toyota Corona was a 69 in the Sport Coupe Body Style, which i think is a little prettier than the sedan which is a little boxy looking to me. Mine cost 600 dollars and had the toyoglide two speed automatic. Hmmm I wonder where they got the idea for that transmission? Toyota advertised it as the cheapest Sport Coupe sold in America. I got T-bone in that car while on my way to school one day. I found a parts car but the catch was, the parts car included two others, all sport coupes. So back in the early ’80’s I was the proud owner of four 69 Toyota Sport Coupes, all with stick shift. Sadly, one day, I came home from college during Christmas Break to find that my Mother had them all sent to the scrapyard. She did that to me many times over the years. The rest of my collection consisted of a dozen 57 Chevys. But that’s another story. Meanwhile, I am the currently the proud owner of a survivor 69 Corona Sport Coupe, it’s got the four speed stick and it has its Original Baby Blue Paint.
Steven, I also had a 1969 4-speed Corona Sport Coupe.it was a dependable little car that I once drove 60 miles in the snow to get to work. Northerners may not think much of that but here in the south that’s something most folks just don’t do. Mine had an in-dash 8-track tape player.
These Corona’s are best, ice cold with a fresh lime.
I had a 1970, it was my first car,(1978) dad bought it for 200bucks, had a glass pack on it and grey primer,I put a Earl Shieb paint job on it and I drove it during high school!
I got one. Sits in my garage. 1969 and 1/2. I am told they changed the tail lights 1/2 way through the production year.
I want to fix it up but the transmission shifts extremely hard with a loud bang so I parked it as I didn’t want to cause damage. Finding parts seems to be impossible for me and I don’t have the space or resources to work on it currently.
Drained the gas tank and it sits on jack-stands in the garage.. I sure hope to fix it up one day.