In the fourth of a series charting the wonders of the motoring world, Adrian Hearn presents seven fantastic facts on the world’s biggest selling car.

First unveiled in 1966, the Toyota Corolla has been an overwhelming success for the Japanese car maker.

While it was never going win any beauty contests, the Corolla won its plaudits for its reliability, good value and performance. 

Vital statistics
More than 32 million Corollas were built over a 40 year period – equivalent to 90 an hour, with 12 million built in the last decade.

Ch… ch… ch… changes
While other big selling motors such as the Mini and Volkswagen Beetle remained relatively unchanged, there were ten generations of Corolla – all shapes and sizes.

International star
The Corolla was made in 15 different countries from the USA to Venezuela. UK production began in Derbyshire in 1998. 

Drifting star
Performance was never an issue until 1986 with the launch of the A86 model, a rear-wheel-drive motor.  Powered by a 1.6-litre twin cam engine, the lightweight motor became a legend in the fast-growing drifting circuit. 

Variety
The first Corolla was a 2-door saloon, which went on sale in November 1966. The last Corolla was available with a choice of three, four or five doors as a hatchback, saloon or estate. A Corolla-derived MPV - the Verso, made up the range.

Engine variants
At launch, the only engine available in the Corolla was a 1.1-litre model. At the end of production, there were six engines and 29 model variants for the British market, from a 1.4, 95bhp entry-level through to a 143mph hot model.

Safety
In 1980, luxury brand Mercedes became the first car maker to fit airbags. The sixth-generation Corolla got its first driver airbag seven years later.

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