1978 Toyota Celica

Toyota Celica 1600/2000 (Coupe), 1970-1977

The Toyota Celica was in production from 1970 until 1977. Styled in house, it is a front-engine, rear wheel drive coupe range seating four adults.

The Toyota Celica was a two door coupe derived from the Carina platform. In Japan, it took the place of the Sports 800, a small bullet shaped sportcar, as a sporting option to be bought from Toyota Corolla Stores. It arrived in Britain in 1971, initially as a 1600ST, before a twin cam 1600GT was introduced to bolster the range. 1976 saw the launch of the 2000GT, in a new fastback shell which clearly aped the last of the MK1 Mustangs. 97bhp was more than the equivalent Capri 1600, Manta 1.9 or even the Morris Marina TC Coupe, as was the 106lbft of torque. But at 1067kg it was significantly heavier than its rivals, making it slower than Ford, Opel or Morris to 60mph.

Discontinued in 1977, it was replaced by the Celica MK2, a car which subsequently begat the Supra line for Toyota too.

It's noisier than you might expect, not necessarily in a sporting way. But it's got plenty of mid range pull and will rev happily past the 6500rpm redline, meaning you can enjoy a sporty experience. The steering's heavy and perhaps a little too vague to be engaging - though it becomes more communicative at speed. Excellent brakes, a light clutch and a good choice of gear ratios redeem the steering, and there's an indefinable something that makes you want to drive it harder than you'd drive the equivalent saloon. Macphersons at the front and coils at the rear give the car a good, albeit firm, ride.

Around the window chrome you should be wary of rust - it's usually coming through from inside. The leading edge of the bonnet, sills, and spare wheel well are also troublespots. Check around the hatch on the liftback too. Mechanically there's little to concern a potential owner beyond the usual - oil leaks from the sump plug, checking for blue smoke to indicate worn rings etcetera, and you should be able to obtain the majority of service items through parts factors or the internet. We'd advise any potential owners to join the club not only to gain access to spares and expertise, but because the best cars tend to sell within club circles before reaching open market.

Celica MK1s aren't common enough in the UK for there to be much of a difference in desirability - if you want one, you want one. But the 2000GT is the most valuable on the UK market owing to its fastback shape and extra performance. The 1600 GT is worth a shade more than the ST, but both are worth less than the 2000. Originality is key to value on the nicest examples, though as with all Japanese classics they're much loved by people who favour period modifications and finding a standard example will be especially difficult.

There are plenty of family friendly 1970s coupes to choose from, if the Celica's not quite for you. Perhaps the Ford Capri is more your thing, in Mk1 or Mk2 guise? Alternatively, the Opel Manta A offers the same level of pseudo-American style, or the Morris Marina Coupe would offer simple honest British traditionalism. An early Honda Prelude would be a far more modern prospect but would offer the same Japanese appeal as the Celica. And as left field as it sounds - if you like the Mustang-aping styling and can afford the fuel bills, why not consider a late MK1 Mustang?