How many Toyota Publicas are left in New Zealand?
Unicorn 1 in 1,168,718 on the road Built 1971-1987 Japanese import
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
Toyota's smallest car of the 1960s, launched in 1961 with an air-cooled two-cylinder engine as an answer to the Japanese government's call for a people's car. The name blends public and car. The Starlet took over from the sedan in the 1970s, but the little ute version carried on well into the 1980s.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1971: 1 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1971 | 1 |
| 1972 | 1 |
| 1983 | 1 |
| 1987 | 1 |
What Unicorn means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 4 still registered, the Toyota Publica is Unicorn: the grade for cars with fewer than 5 left.
By how many are left it ranks equal 136th of the 150 Toyota models and equal 2,380th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.