1988 Toyota Corolla Sells for $17,000 With No Reserve, the Buyer Is More Than Happy

You’d be inclined to think something went wrong with this auction. For starters, the car was listed with no reserve. Anyone could’ve gotten it for cheap. This particular Toyota has seen some traveling done during its 34 years of existence. Furthermore, it comes as a non-exclusive or special Japanese model that was popular with U.S. families because it offered good gas mileage and it wasn’t prone to breaking.

The 1988 Toyota Corolla in question used a 1.6-liter four-cylinder 90-HP engine connected to a three-speed automatic gearbox to move around. The 13-inch wheels, manual windows, and the cassette stereo are characteristics you’ll find in many nostalgic stories told by adults that are reminiscent of their childhood. This car was also specced in a very inconspicuous light blue paint and a gray cloth interior. But, above all else, it has cruise control!

So, what’s the deal? Why would someone pay this much for a boxy, old, and used Toyota? Well, where there’s emotion involved, you don’t see reason making an appearance. We’ve all done it at some point in our lives. Let the heart do the talking, and you’ll end up doing something that surprises even yourself. This is, according to the winning bidder, exactly what happened at this auction as well.

The person explains that buying this 1988 Toyota Corolla was a “sentimental purchase” because it looks exactly like the family car their dad used to drive back in the old days. It’s a perfect match to what they had at home. “This was the car that my dad drove us around to the dealerships on Sundays to check out the new cars like Vipers and the final F-Body Camaros. This was the car that took us to vintage car shows where my dad told me about the cars he used to own,” explained the winner.

In the end, the winner of this BaT auction says the car is worth “every inflated penny” because they plan on surprising their father with it. Taking this Corolla home will surely bring back a lot of great memories, as the new owner explains their family’s model was such a good vehicle that they even drove it together to the scrap yard. Someone will surely be happy to meet with an old friend soon!