Millionth Corolla rolls off line

Team members at Toyota South Africa Motors last week celebrated as the millionth South African-manufactured Corolla rolled off the production line at the company's Prospecton plant in Durban.

The white Toyota Corolla that came off the line on November 20 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 symbolic that the Corolla reaches this milestone now," said Johan van Zyl, president and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors. "It not only celebrates a successful production run for the 10th-generation world's favourite car, but heralds the introduction of the new Corolla in 2014."

The Corolla was first introduced in South Africa in 1975 and soon became a favourite family vehicle. It has been produced at Prospecton since the start, and its local content was gradually increased and the range widened to include left- and right-hand drive models for various export markets.

While the millionth Corolla will find pride of place next to the millionth Hilux at Toyota's museum at its sales and marketing head office in Sandton, the Prospecton plant is preparing the manufacturing facility for the start of production of the new Corolla, which was revealed at the recent 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," said Van Zyl.