Uchikura & Co., LLC

I found out there are many people who love cars like I do. I am not talking about super expensive exotic cars. I mean the cars we actually drove, owned, washed on weekends, and remember years later.

 

So I will post things I know that many of you may already know — but perhaps forgot.

 

Let’s start with this:

 

Did you know many classic Toyota car names used to start with the letter “C”?

 

Corolla, Corona, Crown, Celica, Camry, Carina, Cressida, Century, and even Coaster.

 

Toyota once had a naming style that made their lineup instantly recognizable. Many of the names also had meanings connected to “crowns” or royalty. Corolla means “small crown.” Corona is Latin for “crown.” Camry comes from the Japanese word kanmuri (冠), meaning crown. Crown itself is obvious.

 

Back then, Toyota cars also had very distinct personalities. The Corolla was practical. The Celica was sporty. The Crown was luxury. The Corona was the dependable family sedan.

 

Today, car names feel more random, filled with letters and numbers that are harder to remember.

 

There was something charming about the old Toyota naming philosophy. And for many people who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, those “C” names still bring back memories.