Toyota Celica – The Japanese Pony Car

Growing up in Southern California offered a great deal of advantages. Nearby beaches, lots of sunny days and a constant flow of exciting cars. The car culture of Los Angeles brought all manner of cars to my attention. Great muscle cars, sports cars and fun little British cars were seemingly everywhere. So it was all the more surprising to me when I saw my first Toyota Celica on the road. Small and sporty, the new Celica notchback was a first for the industry; a small, sporty car, classified as a sport-compact. Japanese performance cars were already known to much of the world. Datsun had recently brought in the 240Z, and Toyota had built the 2000GT, albeit in small numbers, but these were strictly two-seat sports cars. The Celica had a small fuel-efficient engine, sporty looks and a usable back seat.