Larry Chen Investigates the Toyota AE86’s Universal Appeal

Plenty of cars around the world enjoy cult-like fandom. You can find ardent supporters of the Porsche 911 or the Ford Mustang in pretty much every corner of the globe. But a small 1980s economy car from Toyota? You might be surprised to see gatherings and festivals devoted to such a mainstream commuter.

In a recent episode of his show Capturing Car Culture, Larry Chen headed to Malaysia to connect with a fan club for the Toyota AE86 Corolla. The AE86 is a variant of the Toyota Corolla that was sold in markets around the world. Its light curb weight, high-revving four-cylinder engine, five-speed manual, and rear-wheel-drive configuration made it a favorite for racers and hobby drivers alike. But drifting was where the AE86 really gained its most ardent fans, in part because of a long-running anime series called Initial D, which features a creatively rendered AE86 Trueno sliding sideways through mountain roads.

Chen is a huge fan of these cars, and his time in Malaysia brings him to a local meetup of AE86 fans, where 20 pristine examples are gathered. His guide for the event, a kind fellow by the name of Wai Hong, is obsessed with these cars and the perfect liaison for this experience. Wai Hong has a concours-level AE86 of his own that he restored over four years and now enjoys regularly. (Just listening to him talk about the minutiae of this car is all the proof we need that he’s the good kind of crazy. Wai Hong, we like the cut of your jib.)

“Even though it’s a slow car, you can really enjoy the driving feeling,” says Wai Hong.

“It really rewards the driver,” agrees Chen. “Low power, it’s about chassis dynamics.”

Listen closely as Hong describes the lengths that he went to to restore his AE86 to the condition it’s in today. Chasing hard-to-find parts, taking pride in things like a NOS horn, discussing how he reupholstered his seats (and bought a few extra as backups) . . . If you close your eyes, he could just as easily be talking about a ’66 Mustang GT. That sort of enthusiasm and passion for preserving these older cars transcends eras and generations.

At the end of the film, Chen gathers all of the AE86 owners and their cars for a group shot on the highway. Stick around to see some of those finished products, and be sure to check out the rest of the video as well.