Corona: Remembering the Toyota with the dreaded name...

First generation, 1957-60: The coronavirus is wreaking havoc across the globe, but did you know Japanese giant Toyota used to have a model called the Corona? Well, you do now. Corona is a Latin word which means "crown" and it was given to the virus because virions give off the appearance of a crown when examined with a microscope. In 1957, Toyota was inspired by this word when it named one of its first international exports from Japan. It had a 33 horsepower 1.0-litre inline-four motor and a three-speed manual gearbox.

Second generation, 1960–1964: Also known as the Tiara, it looked a tad like the 1955 Ford Thunderbird. The base motor was again a 1.0-litre inline-four but a larger 1.9-litre could also be had mated to either a three-speed manual or two-speed automatic.

Third generation, 1964–1970: When Nissan launched the Bluebird - the Corona’s main rival - in 1963, Toyota really went to town on its new third generation to keep customers interested. It offered several body styles including a saloon, two-door hardtop, three-door van, a five-door station wagon and more to cover every need of buyers.

Fourth generation, 1970–1973: This was a complete redesign with a reduction of body styles. All that was available now was a two-door hardtop coupé, a four-door saloon and station wagon. Out went the two coupé utility variants and a five-door hatchback from the previous generation. The motor grew to 2.0-litres while several trim levels were also offered.

Fifth generation, 1973–1979: It got a new look which included a revised front and rear end while the two-speed automatic was no longer offered. The station wagon featured optional wood panel body cladding while engine options grew even bigger what with the addition of a new 2.2-litre inline-four. It had to up its game as during this period it got another competitor in the shape of the Honda Accord.

Sixth generation, 1978–1983: It got a boxier appearance while the handling was improved thanks to a chassis bolstered by a MacPherson strut independent front suspension as well as a four-link trailing arm rear suspension arrangement with a Panhard rod. A 2.4-litre inline-four could be had and the model was available in several body styles including a new lift back.

Seventh generation, 1982-87: Along with the new bodystyle, more engines were also added: a smaller 1.5-litre inline-four was at the bottom of the list, while the 1.8-litre inline-four was now available with fuel injection and it produced 115 horses.

Eighth generation, 1987–1992: To mark 10 million sales of the Corona since its debut in 1957, Toyota built a limited production model to celebrate its success. Called the Corona Super Roomy, it added 210mm to the wheelbase, and was limited to 500 units.

Ninth generation, 1992–1998: This generation of Corona received a redesign to be larger, heavier, and have the completely rounded, aerodynamic shape of the Nineties. It got a facelift in 1995 where its front and back bumpers were painted black.

Tenth generation, 1998-2001: A final, tenth generation was built for the Japanese market, with one particular model called the Toyota Corona Premio. It was so popular that it was spun off into an independent model called the Premio.