Toyota Celebrates Selling Its 50 Millionth Corolla

Toyota has built a reputation for brand loyalty, affordability, and durability over the decades it's been building cars. Toyota is now announced that in July, it sold its 50 millionth Corolla. The automaker says that's a milestone not just for Toyota but in automotive history overall.

Currently, Toyota is building the 12th generation of the Corolla, having been in production for more than 55 years. The economical and affordable car is one of the top-selling vehicles in the world. The first Corolla was introduced in 1966, but it didn't arrive in the US until 1968.

When the Corolla landed in the States in 1968, as a 1969 model, it cost $1700. Over the years, Toyota changed the Corolla significantly, with the vehicle growing bigger, safer, and significantly more expensive. One of the reasons Corolla has been so popular is its fuel economy. For 2022, the Corolla provides up to 53 MPG in the city, 52 MPG on the highway, and 52 MPG combined with the hybrid model.

Toyota began building the Corolla in the US in the middle of the 1980s, and they are still built here today in a manufacturing facility in Mississippi. Construction of the Toyota Corolla Cross will kick off the summer at a manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Corolla Cross is joining the Toyota lineup for the 2022 model year. It's a crossover aiming to appeal to consumers who no longer want small cars and prefer the additional space and capability of small crossovers and SUVs. It doesn't bear much of the familial resemblance to the Corolla cars but will likely be very popular with car shoppers around the world. All Corolla models are built on the same Toyota New Global Architecture platform, and all have standard Toyota Safety Sense 2.0.