The 2017 Toyota Corolla 50th Anniversary Special Edition.

There are not many 2017 cars whose names and essential missions have remained unchanged for 50 years.  Mustang, maybe.  Camaro and Impala had years between 1967 and now where they were out of production.  But the Toyota Corolla has been with us continuously for that half-century, providing reliable, fairly high-content compact sedans all along.

2017 Toyota Corolla 50th Anniversary Special Edition.

For its golden anniversary, Toyota has whipped up a 50th Anniversary Special Edition.  It comes in one color---not gold, but Black Cherry Pearl.  It's purely an appearance package.  The mechanicals, including the 1.8-liter, 132-horsepower four cylinder and a continuously variable transmission, are the same as in the Corolla SE on which this special edition is based.  And it gets the same EPA-estimated fuel economy of 28 city/35 highway.

What you get for the $21,900 base price, a $1,455 boost above the SE, are:

• 17-inch machined alloy wheels with dark grey inserts.
• SofTex trimmed sport seats with Black Cherry premium fabric inserts and stitching.
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel with Black Cherry stitching.
• Black Cherry stitching and door and dash accents.
• 50th Anniversary Special Edition rear badging.
• 50th Anniversary Special Edition floormats.

2017 Toyota Corolla 50th Anniversary Special Edition rear trunk badging.