Mass-produced Japanese coupes from the 1970s are highly unlikely to have the same allure to gearheads as similar European coupes from the era, like let’s say, the Lancia Fulvia, but they do have a place in automotive history.
Some of their most common strong points are their simplicity and unmatched reliability – with a little bit of care, cars like the Toyota Celica can last for a very long time.
The two first generation RWD Toyota Celicas we found for sale on Exoticclassics are a 1972 Celica ST Coupe and the car often called the “Japanese Mustang” and “Mustang Celica”, due to some…resemblance to Ford’s pony car, a 1976 Celica GT Fastback.
The earlier model’s dashboard gauge reads 16,562 miles (26,654 km), but according to the seller, the true miles are likely around the 116,000 mark. This one is listed for $14,500 and it has a 2.0-liter 18R-C 4-cylinder engine pushing close to 100-horses and a 4-speed manual gearbox.
On the other hand, the newer 1976 Celica GT Fastback has only 13,100 miles (21,082 km) and is said to be “all original from the paint to the tires” with the car having been kept in a garage “by its meticulous previous owner”. It sports a 2.2-liter SOHC engine and a three-speed automatic transmission (remember those days?).
Ed. Note: Unfortunately, for those interested in the 1976 Celica ST, by the time we posted this piece, the car had found a new owner.
1972 TOYOTA CELICA ST COUPE 
1976 TOYOTA CELICA GT FASTBACK 
