The Toyota Celica celebrated its first birthday in the U.S. in 1972. It was still a very new car, and as such, it was virtually unchanged from the previous year. The 1972 Toyota Celica was available in a single trim in America, the ST coupe. It had a four-cylinder, 2-liter engine.

The 1972 Celica was popular with drivers who liked Toyota's fast-growing reputation for quality, but who also wanted something more exciting than the Corolla. Now, first-generation Celicas have dedicated fans who post pictures of their customized 1970s-era Celicas on a number of web sites.