Amid Rumors of a Revival, What Kind of Car Was the Celica?

A Celica revival?! Akio’s comments spark interest

On March 5, 2023, at a special talk event on day two of the Shinshiro Rally, Akio was asked if he had a fondness for the Celica. Here is how he responded:

“Well, yes, I do. The Celica is a car that I would like to have again. Given its success in the WRC (FIA World Rally Championship), I think the Celica name has a special place in the hearts of rally fans, alongside the Corolla and Yaris. There was a period when Toyota dropped various cars, but we have since seen long-selling models make a comeback. I have a faint hope that President Koji Sato will carry on this trend for us.”

Then, on September 10, the subject cropped up again during our live broadcast from the Kita Aikoku Service Park at Rally Hokkaido. One questioner offered up, “Is a new Celica really on the cards? Many people are hoping so.”

“You’ll have to ask Toyota Motor about that,” replied Akio. “I’m not on the executive side.”

When the questioner doubled down—“You could put in a request, right?”—Akio countered, “Well, I have, but I don’t know how it will turn out.”

He went on, “I’m not just saying this because we’re at a rally event, but Juha Kankkunen is Mr. Celica. He was champion four times in the Celica. Now you can all have a think about why I’m asking Kankkunen to be so involved.”

Akio spoke about his demo runs at Rally Hokkaido with Finnish four-time WRC world champion Juha Kankkunen, showcasing a GR Yaris prototype.

So far, Toyota has offered no hard news of a Celica revival. Yet the car that Chairman Toyoda openly says he “would like to have again” continues to exert a strong pull.

We decided to look back at Toyota’s relationship with the Celica.

Acclaim from automotive magazines

The Celica has a long history. Originally released in 1970 as Japan’s first specialty coupe, it evolved through subsequent model changes. In his comments, Akio was referring to the WRC-winning fourth and fifth-generation Celicas.

The fourth-generation model that debuted in 1985 brought a major change, shifting the Celica from rear-wheel to front-wheel drive.

Then, in October 1986, the GT-Four was added to the lineup, combining a four-wheel drive system with a turbo engine. Among car enthusiasts, this car is commonly known by its model code, ST165, so we will stick with this name for the article.

Speaking of the ST165, one particular episode brought the car a great deal of attention, and not only among avid car enthusiasts.

The model “starred” in the 1987 hit film Take Me Out to the Snowland. In a classic scene that has earned its place in Japanese cinema history, an ST165 cuts across snowy slopes to avoid the clogged roads out of the ski fields. Thanks to that, anyone over 40 should have a good idea of what an ST165 looks like.

But we digress.

So, what kind of car was the ST165? The magazine Car Graphic, a trailblazing publication that helped establish automotive journalism in Japan, ran some interesting articles.

Car Graphic’s December 1986 issue carried the first coverage of the ST165’s arrival. The key point was it being the release of Toyota’s first full-time 4WD.

The company already had a 4WD system that could handle off-road driving, as epitomized by the Land Cruiser. This system was known as a part-time 4WD because it normally ran in two-wheel drive but could be manually switched to four-wheel drive for muddy or rough road conditions. Though ideal for tough terrain, the heavy-duty 4WD system was not suited to paved roads.

The ST165, meanwhile, was literally a “full-time” four-wheel drive, with a system designed for safe, fast driving on paved or level roads instead of rough surfaces.

As noted in the article, at the time, the ST165 “also served as Toyota’s technology image leader,” sporting the company’s most advanced tech.

Meanwhile, Car Graphic’s January 1987 issue featured a write-up of test drive impressions. Titled “Fantastic!” it gave the ST165 a glowing review.

The article listed the model’s attractions—fluid, intuitive handling, among the fastest acceleration of any Japanese car, and a satisfying engine sound—before summing up the ST165 with the words, “It may well come to be regarded as a classic.”

An unprecedented feat for a non-European carmaker

How did Toyota manage to achieve so much with its first full-time 4WD model? The answer came to light two years later.

The ST165 entered the WRC in 1988 and notched its first victory at the 1989 Rally Australia with Juha Kankkunen behind the wheel. Toyota topped the podium for the first time in three years.

In other words, the ST165’s high performance stemmed from the fact that the model was developed to win WRC events.

In Europe, the WRC’s popularity and high profile rivals that of Formula 1. By winning at this pinnacle in just its second season, the ST165 stunned rally insiders in the home of motorsports.

For the 1990 season, Toyota was among the favorites and did not disappoint, winning five events. Although the team missed out on the manufacturers’ title, Carlos Sainz clinched the drivers’ championship.

This strong form continued through the 1991 and 1992 seasons. Despite having the top driver in 1992, the team again fell just short of claiming the coveted manufacturers’ title.

One of the big topics in 1992 was Toyota’s shift from the ST165 to the next-generation ST185. Ahead of this change in the WRC, the Celica production model underwent a full change in 1989.

While sticking with the ST165’s basic structure, the ST185 boasted a more powerful engine and improved suspension.

Based on this, a more race-spec ST185 was entered in the WRC.

That brings us to 1993, with Juha Kankkunen behind the wheel of an ST185.

After hitting his stride with a Round 4 win in the Safari Rally, Kankkunen continued to rack up victories. When he claimed his sixth at Round 10 Rally Australia—the very same event he had conquered in the ST165—Kankkunen handed Toyota its long-awaited manufacturers’ title with three races to spare.

Toyota became the first carmaker from outside Europe to win the manufacturers’ championship since the WRC was established in 1973. The team had smashed through the formidable wall of European dominance.

In that same year, Kankkunen also took home his fourth drivers’ title.

The spectacular run carried into the following year, 1994, with Toyota holding onto both the manufacturers’ and drivers’ titles for a second straight season.

Although teammate Didier Auriol was crowned champion this time around, Kankkunen’s consistent driving contributed to the team’s consecutive titles.

In short, it’s fair to say that Toyota’s golden era in the WRC was forged together with Kankkunen.

In the 1994 season’s latter half, the ST185’s successor, the ST205, joined the fray. Toyota entered the following season with this new model, but the ST205 proved difficult to set up.

In their haste to overcome the problem, the team improperly modified the restrictor that limits airflow into the car’s turbocharger. When this breach was discovered, Toyota was stripped of all points for the 1995 season and suspended from the WRC for one year.

Toyota returned to competition in 1997, but this time with the Corolla. And so, the Celica’s chapter in WRC history closed in 1995.

Bring on Rally Japan!

Retracing the Celica’s WRC journey, one can see how pushing a production vehicle to its performance limits on public roads contributes to developing a superior product.

Toyota’s experience battling rivals at the pinnacle of world rally, the WRC, helped boost the team’s technical prowess, resulting in back-to-back championships. This expertise was then injected into the company’s production models.

And now in 2023, Rally Japan (Aichi/Gifu) kicked off on November 16. As exciting as the fight for world number one is, it is another visit to the country by Juha Kankkunen.

Kankkunen is a legendary driver renowned for his innate speed and for rarely making mistakes. At Rally Japan, we eagerly followed his every move and will be reporting on it soon.