Toyota Produced Its Own Version Of A Muscle Car In The '70s

When Toyota first arrived in the USA in 1957, it would be fair to say the Japanese carmaker wasn't exactly an instant hit stateside. Its first-year sales amounted to 288 vehicles according to official Toyota figures and were made up of 287 Toyopet Crown sedans and one Land Cruiser.

This doom and gloom didn't last long, however. By the end of this decade, Toyota was the third-best-selling import brand in the US, and by the mid-'70s, it had become number one.

While Toyota excelled in making reliable, well-made, and straightforward cars, such as the Corolla, Corona, and new Hilux at the beginning of the '70s, there was one popular US auto market it still hadn't tapped into – the muscle car segment. But that wouldn't last long.

With the oil crisis at its peak in the '70s, this new and unusual muscle-car-inspired Toyota ended up becoming a viable Mustang and Camaro alternative for both American and Japanese buyers.

America's Love Affair With Power Had A Problem

To understand why Toyota's gamble mattered, you have to understand what was happening to the American car industry in the early 1970s. The muscle car era hadn't just peaked — it was collapsing in real time.

Insurance companies had started treating high-displacement V8s like a liability. Emissions regulations out of Washington were strangling horsepower figures that had taken decades to build. And then came the 1973 oil crisis — long lines at gas stations, skyrocketing fuel prices, and a national identity crisis for an industry that had built its entire personality around cheap, abundant gasoline.

The Mustang, the Camaro, the Challenger — these icons of American cool were being neutered by necessity. A 1974 Mustang could barely break 90 horsepower. The muscle car dream wasn't dying slowly; it was being legislated and priced out of existence almost overnight.

American buyers still wanted something sporty. Something that looked the part, felt exciting to drive, and didn't require a second mortgage every time they pulled into a gas station. Detroit simply couldn't deliver it anymore.

That created a vacuum. And vacuums, as history tends to show, don't stay empty for long.

The Toyota Celica Was Japan's Answer To American Muscle Cars

Throughout the '60s, American pony cars like the Ford Mustang, Pontiac Firebird, Chevrolet Camaro, and Dodge Challenger were gaining popularity. The Toyota 2000GT, Japan's first supercar developed with help from Yamaha, was exquisite, but it wasn't exactly a practical offering like the American muscle cars of the era.

Toyota's Take On The Muscle Car Was Born

Toyota needed something a bit more gritty and red-blooded – the result was the Celica. The car, known as the A20/A35 series, had been planned since the late sixties and was based on the futuristic EX-1 concept. The first generation car was launched at the 1970 Tokyo Motor Show in October as a handsome, stylish, and relatively affordable sports car.

For the domestic Japanese market, the Celica could be bought with a choice of Toyota T-series engines, ranging in capacity from 1.4 to 1.6 liters, with the most powerful, the twin-cam 2T-G with twin Solex carburetors, producing a fairly wheezy 113 hp.

Arriving in 1971 in ST trim, US Celicas had the Corona's familiar 1.9-liter 8R engine for US-spec Celicas and were badged the ST. The car had even less power than the Japanese range-topper, with just 108hp according to Toyota official figures, but only weighed 2,270 lbs compared to 3,199 lbs for the Mustang 302 Mach 1 (ultimatespecs.com), meaning it was peppy but by no means fast.

Still, this sports car recipe couldn't have arrived at a better time. After just a year, Toyota introduced the larger, smoother 2.0-liter 18R-C. Here's why we love the 1971 Toyota Celica.

The 1976 Celica GT Was The Most Powerful First-Gen Celica

For 1974, the GT model was introduced with wider steel wheels, a five-speed transmission, tinted windows, slightly lowered suspension, and new GT-specific rocker stripes.

This top-spec model was the Celica finally taking on the US muscle cars head-to-head, with aggressive styling and a coke-bottle silhouette that aped some of the US's best designs. The 2.0-liter engine wasn't exactly fire-breathing, with around 100 hp, according to Hemmings.com, but then neither was the muscle car establishment at the time, having been muzzled by emissions regulations and an oil crisis.

The 1975 Celica GT Became A Viable Mustang Alternative

The base 1974 Mustang had a paltry 88 horspower, while the optional V6 pumped out 106 hp in the pony car.

In 1975, the Celica received a 20R 2.2-liter, SOHC four-cylinder making 96 hp and 122 lb-ft of torque – the GT was fitted with a five-speed manual while the ST had a four-speed or optional three-speed automatic. In 1976, possibly sensing blood, Toyota went in for the kill.

The Celica lineup was expanded with the introduction of a Liftback model, available only in GT trim, with wider tires, racing stripes, fake woodgrain dash, and an 8,000 RPM tacho – these days it oozes JDM style. Just like the Ford Mustang, the Celica cleverly used a chassis and many mechanicals from a high-volume sedan, in the case of the Japanese car, using a lot of the underpinnings of the Carina.

While the Mustang's proportions were starting to look a little ungainly, the new Liftback Celica seemed to borrow from the muscle car glory days, with a hint of late-sixties Mustang Fastback about it, especially in the tail lights and C-pillar louvres behind the side windows, and, coupled to admirable reliability, was the perfect package for US buyers wanting to embrace the new wave of Japanese metal with a hint of nostalgia.

The Liftbacks have a longer nose, which gave them even more road presence and established the first Celica as Japan's answer to the muscle car. The Celica was a global success, in June 1977 the millionth Celica – a shiny new Celica Liftback – rolling off the production line, with sales showing no signs of slowing.

Why Celicas Became A Hit In The USA

• Lightweight body with a free-revving 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine
• The Celica was the first Japanese car to use state-of-the-art robotic assembly, ensuring consistent build quality
• Near 30 mpg fuel economy arrived just in time for the fuel crisis and rising gas prices

Toyota Made The Perfect 1970s Muscle Car Almost By Accident

This recipe for light, fast fun – with 28 mpg fuel economy (auto-data.net) that was three times better than the big-chested American muscle cars of the time – was the perfect recipe for the US car market of the early seventies.

The oil crisis and ever-tightening emissions legislation meant that US car companies were scrambling to detune and muzzle their mighty creations, while here was a Toyota that looked every inch the mini muscle car, albeit with a free revving, fuel-efficient engine and light weight, straight out of the box.

The Celica Was High-Tech Under The Old School Muscle Car Body

The Celica drove and handled well thanks to a raft of tech under the skin. The car had an independent coil suspension system at the front, with strut type lower wishbones, deep telescopic shocks, two short-strut torsion bars and a special anti-sway bar for improved cornering.

At the back was a completely new suspension system with four longitudinal links and heavy coils to provide both comfort and stability. There were also power-assisted front disc brakes and self-adjusting rear drums for excellent stopping power for the time. Check out this barn find Celica that has had a full mechanical restoration.

The Celica Was As Well Made And Ultra-Reliable As The Rest Of Toyota's Range

American muscle cars were built to be affordable, fast, and powerful, and they fulfilled these objectives well. However, Japanese cars were slowly introducing American customers to new levels of quality and consistency, thanks to high-tech production techniques and cutting-edge factories. The Celica was the first Japanese car to use state-of-the-art robotic assembly to ensure that every car that left the factory had the same level of quality control.

Toyota also thought a lot about the packaging of the Celica. Despite only being 163.9 inches long and 51.6 inches tall, this new practical sports car could easily accommodate people with six-foot frames, with the Liftback adding a new level of practicality.

Buying A First-Generation Toyota Celica Today

The Celica lasted through seven generations, swapping from rear- to front-drive in 1985, and the last 2000 model rolled off the production line in 2016 – although there are rumours of a new Celica from Toyota.

Some of the most desirable models are the rally-bred GT-Fours of the 1990s, with an average price of $17,463 in good condition, according to classic.com – there are plenty of reasons to hunt out one of these fast, capable models.

While the early Celicas made their name on American streets, it was on the dirt and gravel of the World Rally Championship where the nameplate truly cemented its legend. The GT-Four generations — particularly the ST165, ST185, and ST205 — were purpose-built weapons, homologation specials developed, so Toyota could go racing and absolutely mean it. Powered by turbocharged, all-wheel-drive machinery and tuned for the punishment of stages in Africa, Europe, and Australia, the Celica GT-Four became a genuine WRC contender.

The Celica also spawned the Celica Supra – which went on to be its own model in 1986 – a seriously underrated performance car.

Buying The Original Celica Of The Seventies

The OG Celica was such a sales phenomenon there are surprisingly few of the early cars coming up for sale on the used market. That said, these cars don't fetch anywhere near the money asked for iconic American muscle cars, the average, according to Classic.com, being $20,500.

In 2021, a rough-but-solid early 1971 ideal project car, finished in Scandinavian Sky (803) and rolling on 13 inch alloys, sold on Bring a Trailer for just $14,000. The 1971 Toyota Celica is definitely an underappreciated classic.

For a 1976 Liftback model, Classic.com says that the average selling price is higher, putting the figure at $28,689. A very clean example recently sold on Bring a Trailer for $35,000 with just 56,000 miles on the clock.

Sources: Auto-Data; Toyota; Hemmings; Zero To 60 Times; Auto Catalog Archive; Bring a Trailer