Toyota Motor Corp. will stop selling its Celica and MR2 sports cars in the United States by the end of the 2005 model year, its U.S. sales subsidiary said.
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. said Friday that both the Celica coupe and the MR2 roadster are being challenged by newer models from within the Toyota line and competitors.
Toyota launched the Celica in the United States in 1971. The car, which is now in its seventh generation, has been credited with establishing the sporty subcompact segment in the U.S. market.
The Celica chalked up 167,000 units in sales during the peak 1978 model year. The two-seat MR2 hit the market in 1985. Production went on hiatus from 1995 to 2000 when the third-generation MR2 Spyder was introduced.