Toyota Tercel: Toyota’s first front-wheel-drive car

The Toyota Tercel was a subcompact car built from 1978 to 1999 across five generations, sized between the Corolla and the Starlet. It was Toyota’s first front-wheel-drive vehicle, and it was sold in Japan as the Corolla II and the Corsa, and in America as the Corolla Tercel.

Toyota Tercel at a glance

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Toyota Tercel.

History of the Toyota Tercel

First generation (L10; 1978)

The Tercel was introduced in Japan in August 1978, in Europe at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1979 and in the United States in 1980. It came as a two- or four-door sedan and a three-door hatchback, the hatchback’s rear design borrowing the look of the larger Mark II’s lights. It was Toyota’s first front-wheel-drive car, and the only front-wheel-drive Toyota with a longitudinally mounted engine: the gearbox sat under the floorpan with a ring and pinion at its front, under the engine, and halfshafts ran to the front wheels. That made for a taller package and a higher beltline, but Toyota felt traditionalists might be put off by a transverse layout, and by 1980 it was hinting that the arrangement would make four-wheel drive easier. The Tercel also had rack-and-pinion steering, the first use of that system by Toyota since the 2000GT. American cars used a 1,452 cc 1A-C of 60 hp; Japan had a 1,500 cc engine of 80 PS and, from June 1979, a 1.3-litre 2A of 74 PS, while Europe mainly took the 1.3. In August 1980 a facelift replaced the 1A with the 3A of 83 PS.

Second generation (L20; 1982)

Toyota redesigned the Tercel in May 1982, and from then on it was called Tercel in all markets. It came as a three- or five-door hatchback, a four-door station wagon and, in Japan, a four-door sedan. The wagon, sold in Japan as the Sprinter Carib, arrived in August 1982 and could be ordered with four-wheel drive; front-wheel-drive wagons were offered only in some markets. In Japan a four-wheel-drive sedan was also available and stayed in production alongside the wagon even after the third generation arrived. Most cars came with a three-speed automatic or a four- or five-speed manual, with the four-speed kept for the simplest North American version. Body styles differed by dealer network: the Corolla II was a three- or five-door hatchback, while the Tercel and Corsa came as five-door or four-door sedans. The second generation moved the Tercel from Corolla Store to Vista Store, while the Corsa stayed at Toyopet Store.

Later generations and the end

The Tercel continued through five generations, always sized between the Corolla and Starlet, and shared its platform with the Cynos and Paseo. It was replaced by the Platz in 1999. When Japanese production of the Tercel, Corsa, Corolla II, Cynos and Paseo ended that year, 4,968,935 cars had been built, all at the Takaoka plant in Toyota City or by Hino Motors in Hamura, which assembled the third-generation two-door and some three-door models between 1986 and 1990.

Design and features

• First front-wheel drive: Toyota’s first such car, with a longitudinal engine.
• Rack and pinion: the first Toyota with it since the 2000GT.
• Many names: Corolla II and Corsa in Japan, Corolla Tercel in America.
• Four-wheel drive: added with the second generation.

Toyota Tercel versions

• L10 (1978): first generation with the 1A-C and 2A engines.
• 1980 facelift: 3A engine of 83 PS.
• L20 (1982): second generation with four-wheel drive available.
• Corolla II and Corsa: Japanese dealer-channel versions.
• Sprinter Carib: the wagon version, with its own name.

The Tercel sat between the Corolla and Starlet, and its wagon became the Sprinter Carib. More cars are in the Toyota collection.

Sources

• Toyota Tercel, English Wikipedia: generations, engineering, names