Competitively priced with a configuration for almost any buyer, the 1987 Toyota Corolla leads the compact class by example.

Though more than a decade has passed since the gasoline crisis, our desire for fuel-efficient compact cars is as strong as ever. Once viewed as necessary alternatives to the V8-powered behemoths Americans flocked to, models such as the Toyota Corolla now sit atop a growing number of buyers’ shopping lists. Interestingly, the Corolla had been sourced exclusively from Japan but is now built alongside the Chevrolet Nova at the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI) plant in California as part of a collaboration with General Motors.

For 1987, the Corolla is available as a boxy, front-wheel-drive (FWD) four-door sedan, a versatile five-door liftback (hatchback), a funky two-door labeled the Corolla FX16, or a decidedly stylish rear-wheel-drive (RWD) Corolla Sport Coupe model featuring pop-up halogen headlights and 14-inch alloy wheels. Trim levels vary by body style and include the Deluxe (DX), LE, SR5, and GT-S.

That Sport Coupe, also known as the AE86 Corolla by enthusiasts, marks the end of the road for the RWD Corolla, as Toyota has announced an all-new, FWD-only Corolla for 1988.