Carina

I am at Mageli Camping by the idyllic Losnavannet in Gudbrandsdalen. It's still summer. The sea is still green after this year's meltwater. Sunday has come to life. People sit outside with coffee and breakfast. A guy is busy building nail tents.

Old school Toyota

Between motorhomes and modern caravans, I can see some nice old Toyotas. Nice reunion, I thought. 30 and 40 years ago, the campsite would have been full of cars such as Corolla, Carina, Cressida and maybe the occasional Crown. It was when cars were painted in different colors - and families could go on holiday in a Corolla. The Toyotas have by no means disappeared from the campsites, but they look different today. It was not the T-Forden that got Norway on wheels. It was Toyota.

Simple and durable

The first Japanese cars were not distinguished by cutting-edge technological finesse and ground-breaking design. They were rather a thought side-rumped. The philosophy was "keep it simple" to keep prices low and quality high. A concept that was very successful.

Cressida (MX32)

I'm impressed with how well Cressida is doing - seen through today's eyes. I don't think of them as old cars, although the two cars in this post are over 40 years old. The great impression is enhanced by the fact that the cars have been given a new colour, upgraded wheels and lowered. Engine-wise, all Cressidas to Norway were delivered with a 2-litre engine with 90 HP. In other parts of the world you could get it with Toyota's great inline sixes 2,6 and 2,8. Today, there are several options for upgrading to something more modern under the hood.

crown — Toyota Corona and Toyota Corolla E20

Corona and Corolla

The red car is a Corona – one of the first models to be brought into the country. The Coronas were to prove to be very reliable and lay the foundation for Toyota's growth. The world car Corolla was no disappointment either. Mustard yellow was a very popular color when the second-generation Corolla E20 arrived in 1970. It was so popular that production continued for a couple of years after the successor was launched as a 1975 model.

old school toyota — Stylish and simple – typical Corolla

Crown

From 1975, the Corolla could be delivered as a station wagon. The just over 4-metre-long car became popular as a family car. But that one correct the dream car for a family was a light blue Crown station wagon. Few cars were as reliable as the Crown. No wonder the model became popular with taxi owners of the time.

s50 — Toyota Crown 2000 – 3rd generation (S50)

s70 — Toyota Crown 2000 – 4th generation facelift (S70)

More pictures of old school Toyota

See

Old School Toyotas Norway (Facebook)
Toyota Crown Club of Norway

The T150 has a very clean shape, but Toyota chose to completely redesign the car after only 4 years.

When Carina switched to front-wheel drive, Toyota just as well called the car Carina II, – plain and simple. And Carina II was welcomed with open arms, at least in Norway. It quickly became one of the best sellers, – a typical family car that competed against the Ford Sierra, Volkswagen Golf and Toyota Corolla.

The first Carina II arrived here in 1984, but received a mild facelift already the following year. The only visible change was a new grill, perhaps to soften the lines a bit. In the 80s, competitors began to get rounder shapes, for example the Ford Sierra in 1983 and the Opel Kadett in 1985. The first edition of the Carina II (internally T150) was replaced after only 4 years by a new model with rounder shapes, but still called Carina II (internal T170).

I think the rear of the Liftback version does not harmonize very well with the rest of the car. It looks as if someone drew the triangular window and rear door on top of an existing 4-door version to save development costs. But it was understandably the Liftback edition that sold best in Norway. This was the first modern Toyota mid-range car as we know them.

Carina II has the good, old Toyota quality. These are used cars that just go and go, and which are almost impossible to kill. When they still end up in the press, it is partly due to rust and the fact that few thought there was any point in taking care of Carinas for posterity - a fate they share with other typical used cars.

The first Carina II (T150) is becoming difficult to raise. I came across a copy the other day with the 1,8 GLI, a 101 HP injection engine. The age is clearly visible, not only in the design, but also in the paint, which bears the mark of having been left outdoors without care for many years.