A 1972 rule change let Toyota and Yamaha build a 16-valve DOHC head for this humble Starlet coupe, turning a shopping car into a class-dominating racer.
Median 50 hp across 59 similar cars
Lead trim: 2K 1.0 L single-carb (58 PS) · up to 76 hp
Toyota Starlet P40/P50 first generationP40/P50 · 1973–1978
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Toyota Starlet P40/P50 first generation yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactA 1972 rule change let Toyota and Yamaha build a 16-valve DOHC head for this humble Starlet coupe, turning a shopping car into a class-dominating racer.
Launched in April 1973 as the higher-grade, bigger model of the Publica P30, with 1.0 and 1.2 L engines and, initially, only a two-door coupé whose wedge design came from sketches by Giorgetto Giugiaro; often called a "Baby Celica" and looking like a shortened Corolla. A four-door sedan followed in October 1973, in Standard, Deluxe, Hi-Deluxe, ST and SR grades. It was exclusive to Toyota Auto Store dealers in Japan and rarely exported (Toyota preferring the cheaper Publica in Europe). A February 1976 update to meet emissions rules moved to the 3K-U with TTC-C catalyst and dropped the 1.0 L and twin-carb 1.2 L in Japan, with the Toyoglide two-speed automatic added in September. Discontinued in January 1978.
Collectors Spotted in the Toyota Starlet Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Toyota Starlet yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
5 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2K 1.0 L single-carb (58 PS) | 1973–1978 | 1.0 L Inline-4 | 57 hp | 57 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 3K 1.2 L (68 PS) | 1973–1978 | 1.2 L Inline-4 | 67 hp | 69 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 3K-B 1.2 L twin-carb SR (77 PS) | 1973–1978 | 1.2 L Inline-4 | 76 hp | 69 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 3K-BR 1.2 L twin-carb (74 PS) | 1973–1978 | 1.2 L Inline-4 | 73 hp | 69 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 3K-U 1.2 L emissions (64 PS, from 1976) | 1976–1978 | 1.2 L Inline-4 | 63 hp | 67 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Toyota gave right-hand-drive Starlets their own unique dashboard, while left-hand-drive versions just borrowed the one from the Tercel and Paseo instead.
This Starlet could be had with full-time four-wheel drive — but only in Japan. The EP85 AWD model never officially reached any other market.
This was the generation that finally switched the Starlet to front-wheel drive — the nameplate had been rear-wheel drive for the eleven years before it.
The P70 was the first Starlet ever built outside Japan: a 1.0-litre XL assembled in Indonesia in 1985, with the bigger 1.3-litre joining the local line a year later.
This humble Starlet quietly made Toyota history — it was the first Toyota passenger car ever to use rack-and-pinion steering.
A 1972 rule change let Toyota and Yamaha build a 16-valve DOHC head for this humble Starlet coupe, turning a shopping car into a class-dominating racer.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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