The Corolla is one of the most popular nameplates in the world and is now in its 11th generation – but it is also one of the oldest in the world too. And this year, Toyota is celebrating its 50th birthday and to mark the occasion, it is releasing a special edition model.

Called the Corolla Axio Hybrid G 50 Limited, it takes inspiration from the first-generation Corolla which was launched in 1966. Set to be limited to just 500 units and only available in the Japanese market (not fair!) the model will be painted in White Pearl Crystal or Black Mica. The one-off model gets LED headlights, a distinct chrome grille (and dotted-effect lower grille) side skirts, a set of 16in alloy wheels and smoked LED taillights. It also gets special badging on the boot lid and it takes inspiration from the original logo used on the first-generation Corolla (which means 'crown flowers' in Latin, which explains the three flowers on the letter C). Providing a nice throwback to the original car is the predominantly red cabin – a hue that Toyota was able to recreate thanks to its Design Division who took an example from the original car – along with sports seats and piano black trim.

The Corolla Axio will have a hybrid powertrain which comprises a 1.5-litre inline-four and an electric motor and they both combine to produce 100 horsepower. It will have a CVT which will power the front wheels. We’d buy this little runabout for the interior alone but we can’t unless we move to Japan…