An Afghan craze for Corolla

An Afghan vendor working on a Toyota Corolla car at his shop in Kabul. When the key of the car in turned on, the engine can be relied on to roar to life. — AFP

LITTLE is certain in Afghanistan – armies invade and retreat, governments rise and fall – but when the key of a Toyota Corolla turns in the ignition, the engine can be relied upon to roar to life.

A humble Japanese runabout with a reliable albeit unglamorous reputation, the Toyota Corolla is said to be the world’s most popular car, with over 50 million trundling off production lines since 1966.