Toyota Starlet

The Toyota Starlet is a small automobile manufactured by Toyota from 1973 to 1999, replacing the Publica, but retaining the Publica's "P" code and generation numbering. The first generation Starlet was sold as the Publica Starlet in some markets. In Japan, it was exclusive to Toyota Corolla Stores.

Normally, Starlets were known for being dependable but dull automobiles, but there were exceptions. First was the sporty turbocharged Starlet which came in three generations; the 1986-1989 Turbo S (EP71), the 1990-1995 GT turbo (EP82), and the 1996-1999 Glanza V (EP91). Second was the Sera, made in the early 1990s and officially sold only in Japan, is a similar car with a totally different two-door coupe body and butterfly doors that shared the Starlet's chassis and mechanicals. Only about 16,000 were ever produced.

The Starlet was briefly exported to North America from 1981 to 1984, when it was replaced by the Corolla FX in Toyota's North American lineup.

In 1999, the Starlet range was replaced by the Echo / Yaris range in most countries, but Toyota had been absent in the city car market of Europe until the Aygo was launched in 2005. Another Japanese replacement was the bB mini MPV, which is sold as the Scion xB in the United States and later the Daihatsu Materia in the United Kingdom.