Generation 4 of 7 · 1985–1989

4th-generation Toyota Celica

An all-new Celica with front-wheel drive, and the first GT-Four with four-wheel drive.

All generations
White fourth-generation Toyota Celica liftback parked at the kerb of a city street
Fourth-generation Toyota Celica SX liftback (ST162). Photo: Jeremy from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In short

The key facts

  • The fourth generation ran from 1985 to 1989.1
  • Toyota released it in Japan on 20 August 1985 and replaced the rear-wheel-drive layout with front-wheel drive and a transverse engine.2
  • In Japan it came only as a hatchback coupé; a made-to-order convertible, converted by ASC in the US, followed in October 1987.24
  • The GT-Four arrived in October 1986 with full-time four-wheel drive and a 185 PS turbo engine.3
  • In 1990 Carlos Sainz won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in a Celica GT-Four, the first for a Japanese-built car.3

Sources differ. Sources disagree on the layout: CarScoops says this generation kept rear-wheel drive; Toyota's own history says it switched to front-wheel drive in August 1985. We follow Toyota.

Data

Production 1985–19891
Launch in Japan 20 August 1985; GT-Four from 1 October 198623
Model codes (Japan) ST162, ST160, AT160; GT-Four ST16523
Series code T1605
Body styles Liftback (hatchback coupé); convertible from October 198724
Layout Front-wheel drive; GT-Four with full-time four-wheel drive23
Rally version GT-Four (ST165)3
Registered in Japan 39,992 new cars, counted from launch up to the month before production ended6

Compare the 4th-generation versions side by side →

On the channel

Videos about this generation

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Buying one

Buying guide

Buying notes for this generation arrive with our videos about it. The guide explains what to check on any Celica.

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Sources

  1. CarScoops: Toyota Celica Turns 50, A Look Back At The Seven Generations Of The Japanese Sports Car (Cristian Gnaticov, 18 October 2020)
  2. Toyota, 75 Years Vehicle Lineage: Celica Liftback, 4th generation (1985)
  3. Toyota, 75 Years Vehicle Lineage: Celica GT-Four, 4th generation (1986)
  4. Toyota, 75 Years Vehicle Lineage: Celica Convertible, 4th generation (1987)
  5. Wikipedia: Toyota Celica (used only where no other source has the fact)
  6. Japanese Wikipedia: トヨタ・セリカ (Toyota Celica), 4th-generation section, citing Shūkan Nihon no Meisha vol. 5 (DeAgostini Japan); checked 20 October 2026, no other source has this figure

Checked on 20 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Write to hello@liftbacklegends.com.

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