Toyota Tercel

The Tercel is a subcompact manufactured from 1978 to 1999 across five generations, in five body configurations — sized between the Corolla and the Starlet. Manufactured at the Takaoka Plant in Toyota City, Japan, and sharing its platform with the Cynos (aka Paseo) and the Starlet, the Tercel was marketed variously as the Corolla II — and was replaced by the Echo in 2000.

The name "Tercel" derives from the Latin word for "one third" as the Tercel was slightly smaller than the Corolla — much the way "tiercel" refers to a male falcon, which is one-third smaller than its female counterpart.

First generation (1978-1982)

The Tercel was introduced in Japan in 1978, and in the United States in 1980; it was the first front-wheel drive vehicle ever produced by the automaker. Toyota named it the Corolla Tercel, hoping that the Corolla image — long known for quality and durability — would bring buyers to the new model. The Tercel's front-wheel drive design ensured that the vehicle delivered maximum interior space in a small package. It was originally sold as either a two-door coupe or a three-door hatchback, with each model powered by a 1.5L SOHC four-cylinder engine producing 60hp (45kW). Transmission choices were either a four- or five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic.