It’s pretty clear the Japanese were on board with the program, but the Europeans were still holding back. Volkswagen/Audi- 0% British Leyland- 23.8% Volvo- 0% Saab- 0% BMW- 0% Looking at the competition, The Japanese manufacturers (and a few European brands) also found a way to increase the percentages of 5 speed transmissions sold in their lineups.ĭatsun- 25 % Mazda- 41.8 % Colt- 19.8 % Honda- 34.4 % Subaru- 15.9% The next year, buyers could not get a 1978 Celica with a four-speed manual–the five speed was the only manual option.īut the five speed transmission was not only a Toyota phenomenon. For the first time, over half (54.7 %) of all Toyota cars came with this option. In 1977, 48 % of the Corollas, 70 % of the Celicas and 42 % of the Coronas came with the five speed. Peugeot- 0% Fiat/Lancia- 39 % (all Lancia) Porsche- 98.4%Ĭlearly, Toyota had a jump on the other imports. They were no longer the only low price car with a five speed option, but their product line provided the most five speeds, and the public was clearly warming to the technology.įor further proof, let’s jump forward two years. Volkswagen/Audi- 0% British Leyland- 0% Volvo- 0% Saab- 0% BMW- 0% In comparison, here are the percentages of five speed manuals among Toyota’s import competition:ĭatsun- 0% Mazda- 1% Colt- 1% Honda- 11.2% Subaru- 21% Added all together, just over a quarter (27.5 %) of the Toyota cars included the five speed. That year, 21.9 % of the Corollas, 48.6 % of the Celicas and 19.6 % of the Coronas came with the five speed. However, I did find five speed sales data broken out seperately starting in 1975. I don’t have sales figers for 1972 through ’74, but we can safely assume assume the numbers came in at less than 10% of total sales in the first two years. 1974 sales would be interesting to see, since Toyota offered the transmission in three models, but the data just isn’t out there. In addition to broadening five speed availability in the Corolla line, customers could now buy a Toyota Pickup with a five speed transmission. The top of the line models remained the SR-5, but you could now get the five speed on other models by selecting the E-5 (Economy 5) option. The ’75 Corollas were longer and wider than the previous car, and with the gas crisis in full swing, Toyota relied on their five speed transmission to deliver superior fuel economy while maintaining good driving dynamics. This bring us to 1975 and the next generation of the Corolla. The next generation of Corollas: Five Speed Heaven! The transmission provided quieter highway cruising, and decreased the larger engine’s fuel consumption. This transmission shared most components with the four-speed manual transmission, but included an additional gear set in the rear of the case that provided an overdrive fifth gear. In early 1972, without a lot of fanfare, Toyota started to offer a five speed transmission option behind the 2-TC. This upgrade was available in the two door coupes (but not the two door or four door sedans) and included radial tires and a small mini console. In fact, there were some who said a 2-TC equipped Corolla offered more bang for the buck than the BMW 2002. This engine provided a big jump in power, giving the Corolla first rate performance. In September of 1971, a larger 1,600 cc engine became available (the 2-TC). The base car (shown here) came with a motor displacing 1,200 cc’s (the 3-KC) and a four-speed manual transmission. In the Fall of 1970, a new generation Corolla arrived on the scene. The rapid growth in five speed transmissions brought on by this pioneering model forms the basis of this article.ġ971 Corolla Picture Courtesy of Kevin Martin Based on history, they were clearly happy with the results. Up until 1972, five speed gear boxes only arrived in the US mounted in European exotics with peaky small displacement engines. But in 1972, Toyota offered a five speed transmission in a single model, looking to test the American waters. If I had been a child of the sixties and grew up surrounded by big torque V-8s mounted in front of Muncie and Borg Warner 4 speeds, these five speed boxes may never have seduced me. In fact, I’ve upgraded three separate cars to five speed transmissions, despite the fact that the effort expended far outweighs any increase in vehicle value. Still, that work provides solid proof of my five speed passion. (first posted ) I’m a big believer in five speed manual transmissions, and have been for years. When I was a kid, my father introduced me to the advantages of five speed gear counts and overdrive gear ratios, and since then I’ve preferred five speed shift-your-own transmissions over those containing a torque converter and planetary gears.
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