“… a price that belies its good looks.”
1980 was the first year that Toyota sold the Corolla Tercel in the United States. Despite its name, the front-wheel-drive Tercel was not related in any meaningful way to the rear-wheel-drive Corolla. Still, Toyota evidently figured that adding the Corolla name would make buyers more confident in their purchasing decision. The Tercel was available as a 2-Door Sedan and a 3-Door Liftback (a four-door sedan would arrive one year later).
The Corolla Tercel Liftback was a small and light car, with a 160-inch length (about 22 inches shorter than a 2025 Corolla) and a curb weight of 2,030 pounds. The Liftback’s standard powertrain combined a 60 bhp 1.5 liter/99 ci inline four paired to a five-speed manual (a three-speed automatic was optional). Unusually for a front-wheel-drive car, the Tercel’s engine was longitudinally placed, which Toyota claimed resulted in easier serviceability.
Road & Track clocked a 0-60 time of 14.8 seconds in a loaded Tercel Liftback SR-5. As might be expected with a 99 cubic inch engine and a five-speed, fuel economy was impressive—33 city/43 highway by the day’s standards. With an 11.9-gallon fuel tank, a Tercel driver could expect a range of 330 to 365 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
At $4,848 (about $20,500 in today’s dollars or a little less than a 2025 Corolla LE sedan goes for), the Corolla Tercel Liftback Deluxe had more standard equipment than the 2-Door Sedan, which was the loss leader at $4,198. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included body side moldings, front-wheel-drive, rack-and-pinion steering, power-assisted front disc/rear drum brakes, and 145SR13 steel-belted radial ply whitewall tires on 13-inch wheels. Inside, vinyl reclining hi-back front bucket seats, a split-back fold-down rear seat, brushed nap wall-to-wall carpeting, an electric rear window defogger, and a day/night rear view mirror were included.
Packages & Options
The $600 SR-5 package required the five-speed manual and added black accents, “brazen” side striping, and 165/70SR13 steel-belted radial ply tires (a size still available thanks to Vredestein) on 13-inch wheels. Inside, SR-5 features included cloth reclining low-back front bucket seats, a rear deck cover, a cargo compartment light, an electric tachometer, and an AM/FM/MPX stereo radio.
Options were relatively few, but did include aluminum alloy wheels ($215), a rear window washer/wiper ($75), and factory (not dealer-installed) air conditioning ($520).
The View From 2025
I haven’t seen a first-generation Tercel in decades—they seem to have largely vanished. Tercels rarely appear in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds or on eBay Motors, but they do occasionally show up on Bring a Trailer.
Make mine Light Blue Metallic, please.
Other Toyotas I have written about include the 1981 Celica Sport Coupe, the 1982 Celica Supra hatchback coupe, the 1983 Camry sedan, and the 1985 MR2 coupe. This list hints that I should write about an actual Corolla soon.
Last updated March 2025.
Eighties Cars 