When someone mentions Afghanistan, the first thing that most likely comes to your mind is war. Be it against the Soviets in the 1980s, the Americans in the 2000s, or the insurgence with the Taliban, this country has faced so much turmoil in the past few decades.

But if there’s one thing that brings some sense of normalcy to Afghans away from the conflict and struggle, it is none other than the Toyota Corolla. The humble Japanese car might no longer be the best-selling car in the world when its title was snatched by the Toyota RAV4 in 2022 but in Afghanistan, it is still the king.

Since the end of the Afghan-Soviet war in the late 1980s, the humble and often unglamorous Toyota Corolla has become the most popular car in Afghanistan. It’s interesting that a regular car like the Corolla became so beloved in a country filled with many mountains and harsh terrain.

Also read: 50 mil cars later, here are 12 reasons why the Toyota Corolla remains strong

According to interviews with the locals, the Corolla became a favourite among Afghans thanks to its robust reliability, abundant supply of parts, and relatively cheap. Granted, Afghanistan does not have an official Toyota distributor so many of these old Corollas and Hiluxes, Land Cruisers, as well as other Toyota models for that matter come via used import dealers.

Also read: No, the Toyota Hilux is no longer a ‘Taliban truck,’ but the Ford Ranger is

Even though Afghanistan is a left-hand-drive country, some Corollas are brought in from Japan or other right-hand-drive countries. It really didn’t matter to most buyers if the wheel is on the wrong side since they’ll be using the car to haul everything from people to goods to livestock.

Though there is no official data in terms of car sales, based on observation by the locals as well as a few independent data, it is expected that the Corolla occupies around 80% of cars registered in the country. It is often used as taxis, resplendent in white and yellow and because of its anonymity and abundance, is also morbidly, a choice among car bombers.

Moving on, the Corolla is so ubiquitous in Afghanistan that when the Taliban government decided to introduce to the world its first homegrown supercar, they selected a Corolla engine to power it. The Mada-9 might look like a Batmobile on the outside, but it would probably be left way back in a drag race among other supercars from the Middle East like the Lykan Hypersport.

Still, the relationship between Afghans and old Corollas seems to fit. One is a country that is constantly facing hardship and yet tries to stay strong while the other would continue to run along as well even if it is continuously beaten up. A car meet in Kabul might be only filled with Corollas but it would be an interesting experience to hear the owners’ tales of keeping them running in a country with such limited resources.