Toyota Ireland marks 60 years of the Corolla
First launched globally in 1966, the Toyota Corolla is the world’s best-selling car with more than 57 million sold across 12 generations. In Ireland, it has been part of everyday life for more than five decades and is the country’s best-selling model in its segment since its arrival.
The Corolla’s Irish story began in 1973, when Toyota opened its assembly plant in Bluebell, Dublin, giving the model Irish roots from the very start. It quickly became a familiar sight in driveways across the country.
Its reputation for reliability and value helped make Ireland the first country outside Japan where Toyota was the top-selling brand. The Corolla also played a central role in Toyota becoming Ireland’s number one car brand.
The Corolla’s reputation for reliability and efficiency is nothing new to Irish drivers. Decades ago, Toyota Ireland was already making the case as Gaeilge in a series of print advertisements from its archive.
One simply showed the Toyota name with the line “New Irish word for reliability”. “An ball atá mall san Toyota” sat above a fuel gauge that barely moved, a nod to the Corolla’s fuel efficiency.
“Bí an gan teip”, with its promise “Níl thuigeann Toyota teip”, told Irish drivers Toyota didn’t know the meaning of failure. “Go raibh mílte maith agaibh” put a Toyota twist on a familiar Irish thank-you, playing on the miles the car would cover.
More than 215,000 Corollas have been sold in Ireland since its arrival, making it Ireland’s best-selling model in its segment, and sixty years on, demand is still growing.
60th Anniversary Irish Edition
To mark the anniversary, Toyota Ireland is launching the 60th Anniversary Irish Edition, celebrating the Corolla’s long-standing place on Irish roads.
The special edition combines styling upgrades with practical protection to give the Corolla a distinctive look inside and out. On the exterior, 17-inch alloy wheels and side sills give the car a sharper stance, while a Corolla 60th Anniversary Edition badge marks it out.
Inside, scuff plates and floor mats add a finishing touch while helping to keep the cabin looking its best for years to come.
Commenting on the anniversary, Zoë Bradley, head of marketing communications and corporate affairs, Toyota Ireland, said: “Few cars have earned a place in Irish life the way the Corolla has.
“It was built right here in Dublin when it first arrived in 1973, and since then it has been the first car, the family car and the car people trusted to keep going for generations of Irish drivers. That trust helped make Ireland the first country outside Japan to put Toyota at the top of the sales charts, and the Corolla is a big part of why Toyota is Ireland’s number one car brand today.
“The 60th Anniversary Irish Edition is our way of celebrating that history with the customers who made it. It celebrates a car that has been part of Irish life for more than five decades, and one that continues to earn its place on Irish roads.”