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Corolla scores one million for Toyota
27 Nov 2013
Toyota South Africa Motors last week celebrated as the one millionth locally produced Corolla rolled of the production line at the company's Prospecton Plant in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
Corolla No 1,000,000 manufactured at the Prospecton Plant in Durban.
The white Toyota Corolla that came off the production line on Wednesday 20 November 2013 crowns six years of successful production in which the Corolla was produced in both left and right hand drive variants and exported to regions including Eastern and Western Europe, the Caribbean and Africa.
"It is very symbolic that the Corolla reaches this milestone now," says Dr Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors. "It not only celebrates a very successful production run for the tenth generation world's favourite car, but it heralds the introduction of the new Corolla in 2014."
An old favourite
The Corolla was first introduced in South Africa in 1975 and soon became South Africa's favourite family vehicle. It has been produced at Toyota's Prospecton plant since introduction, while its local content was gradually increased and the range widened to include left and right hand drive models for various export markets.
Dr Johan van Zyl (standing to the right of the Corolla) with management and staff next to Corolla number 1,000,000 on the Corolla production line at the Toyota Prospecton Plant in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
While the Number One Million Corolla will find pride of place next to the Number One Millionth Hilux in the company's Sandton premises, the Prospecton Plant is busy preparing the manufacturing facility for the start of production of the new Corolla, which was recently revealed at the Johannesburg International Motor Show.
"The Corolla benefited from our R8 billion investment programme (first announced in 2008), which modernised the plant and introduced a state of the art paint plant. With the new Corolla we hope to start our next round of investment and look forward to sharing this plan when our first new generation Corolla models roll off the line," says Dr Van Zyl.
Footnote: Toyota has 118 different models on the South African market of which 12 are Corolla variants and 21 carry the Hilux name.
About Henrie Geyser
Henrie Geyser joined the online publishing industry through iafrica.com, where he worked for five years as news editor and editor. He now freelances for a variety of print and online publications, on the subjects of cars, food, and travel, among others; and is a member of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists. moc.acirfai@geirneh
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