- Corolla is Ireland’s best-selling model in its segment since its arrival, with more than 215,000 sold here*.
- Corolla arrived in Ireland in 1973 and was assembled at Toyota’s plant in Bluebell, Dublin.
- The Toyota Corolla turns 60 as the world’s best-selling car, with more than 57 million sold worldwide across 12 generations.
- Toyota Ireland is marking the milestone with the 60th Anniversary Irish Edition, which comes with an exclusive anniversary accessory pack.
- The Corolla range is available now with Trade-in Boosters up to €1,250 or APRs from 5.9%.
Toyota Ireland is celebrating 60 years of the Toyota Corolla with the launch of the 60th Anniversary Irish Edition.
First launched globally in 1966, the 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.
Made for Irish Roads
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 No. 1 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. Playful and proudly Irish, those ads spoke to Irish drivers in their own language and helped embed the Corolla in Irish culture, a place it still holds today.
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.
A Global Icon
The Corolla is not only a much-loved icon in Ireland, but also around the world. Toyota launched the original Corolla in 1966 with the aim of creating a high-quality, versatile car at an affordable price that offered drivers real added value.
Twelve generations later, the Corolla continues to stand for those qualities, evolving to meet customers’ changing needs while remaining at the heart of the market.
Today, the Corolla is built at 12 locations and sold in 150 countries and regions, and is known around the world for Quality, Durability and Reliability
Hybrid Performance
The latest Corolla range benefits from the fifth-generation Toyota hybrid technology, delivering characteristically quiet, smooth and highly efficient performance. Hatchback and Touring Sports customers have two options: a 1.8-litre system offering 140 DIN hp and, catering for those seeking sportier performance, a 2.0-litre with a maximum 178 DIN hp. All Saloon versions use the 1.8 system.
A high equipment specification for the latest Corolla range provides a fully digital user experience as standard with a customisable 12.3-inch driver’s combimeter and the Toyota Smart Connect+ multimedia system with 10.5-inch touchscreen. The multimedia package includes access to cloud-based navigation, benefiting from up-to-the-moment traffic information, together with an embedded route planning system.
A comprehensive package of Toyota T-Mate active safety and driving assistance systems is also provided as standard. This includes Toyota Safety Sense features designed to recognise and react to an extensive range of common accident risk scenarios, alerting the driver and helping them avoid or mitigate the consequences of an impact. The functions include a Pre-Collision System with Intersection Collision Avoidance, Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert and Lane Trace Assist, Emergency Steering Assist and Road Sign Assist. New and enhanced safety and multimedia functions are delivered seamlessly with over-the-air updates.
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 No. 1 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.”
Customers looking to purchase a Corolla can also take advantage of current offers across the range;
- Toyota Corolla Hatchback with APR from 5.9% OR Trade-in Booster up to €1,250
- Toyota Corolla Touring Sport with APR from 5.9% OR Trade-in Booster up to €1,250
- Toyota Corolla Saloon with APR from 5.9% OR Trade-in Booster up to €1,250
- Toyota Corolla Cross with APR from 6.9%
The 60th Anniversary Irish Edition is available to order now. Customers interested in purchasing the model should contact their local Toyota dealer for more information.
