History of Toyota
Replica of the Toyota Model AA, the first production model of Toyota in 1936
The story of Toyota Motor Corporation began in September 1933 when Toyoda Automatic Loom created a new division devoted to the production of automobiles. Quickly thereafter, the division produced its first Type A Engine in 1934, which in turn was used for the production of the first Model A1 passenger in May 1935 and the G1 truck in August 1935. Production of the model AA passenger started in 1936.
Although the Toyota Group is most well known today for its cars, it is still in the textile and still makes automatic looms (fully computerized, of course).
Establishment of Toyota Motor Co. and WWII 1936¨C1946
Toyota Motor Co. was established as an independent company in 1937. Although the founding family name is Toyoda (ØNÌï), the company name was changed to:
¡¤ Signify the separation of the founders' work life from life;
¡¤ Simplify the pronunciation, and
¡¤ Give the company an auspicious beginning. Toyota (¥È¥è¥¿) is considered luckier than Toyoda (ØNÌï) in Japan, where eight is regarded as a lucky number, and eight is the number of strokes it takes to write Toyota in Katakana.
During the Pacific War the company was dedicated to truck production for the Imperial Army. Because of severe shortages in Japan, military trucks were kept as simple as possible. For example, the trucks had only one headlight on the center of the hood.
Fortunately for Toyota, the war ended shortly before a scheduled allied bombing run on the Toyota factories in Aichi.
Start of Commercial Production 1947-
Commercial passenger production started in 1947 with the model SA. In 1950 a separate sales company Toyota Motor Sales Co. was established (which lasted until July 1982). In April 1956 the Toyopet dealer chain was established.
Today Toyota is one of the top manufacturers with large market shares in both the US and Europe. It has a small division, selling under the Daihatsu brand as well as a heavy vehicle division, selling under the Hino brand.
Toyota is Japan's biggest company and the second largest in the world (the larger being General Motors). The company is immensely profitable, and its massive reserves dwarf those of many countries. Toyota's vehicles are generally highly regarded for their quality, proficient engineering, and value; but their designs are ...
... middle of paper ...
... engines
¡¤ List of Toyota transmissions
¡¤ EPA 2004 fuel economy report (Toyota)
External links
Wikimedia Commons has more media related to:
Category:Toyota
¡¤ Toyota Motor Corp. websites
o Toyota Motor official site
o Toyota USA
o Scion USA (requires flash)
o Lexus USA
o Current Japanese Toyota lineup
o Current American Toyota lineup (requires Flash)
o Toyota North America 2003 Environmental Report (pdf format)
o Toyota North America 2004 Environmental Report (pdf format)
¡¤ Information on Toyota's environmental protection policies
Data
¡¤ Yahoo! - Toyota Motor Corporation Company Profile
References
¡¤ 2005 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Retrieved January 11, 2004 from CanadianDriver Communications, Inc. (2004)
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Best of the Web
Some good "Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR)" pages on the web:
Yahoo!finance. CNBCmoneycentral.msn.com CBS MarketWatchcbs.marketwatch.com
CNN Money.cnn.com
After the Ford Motor Company was founded, they began assembling cars in July 1903 at a plant on Mack Avenue, Detriot. It was not until five years later, in 1908, when the famed Model T was introduced. The constant growth in demand for this vehicle was the reason that Ford developed a mass-production method in order to create what we now know as economies of scale, where in producing
Other companies, such as Toyota, have also taken
Company XYZ Motors has been known for its years of innovative automobile technology development in Japan and is known for its high quality products. The loss in domestic and international market shares in the past year two (2) years has resulted in decline of profit. Essentially, productivity results in profiting, it is important to adapt and provide products that meet the needs of the targeted consumers.
Lexus is the luxury vehicle brand which is the division of the Toyota Motor Corporation. Lexus was launched in the year 1989 and introduced first in US. Now Lexus is sold all over the world. Lexus was founded by Eiji Toyoda. Lexus is now sold in more the 70 countries and regions globally, and now it is graded among the 10 largest Japanese brand which are traded globally. The headquarters of Lexus is located in Nagoya, Japan. And the functional centers are situated in Belgium, Brussels and Torrance, USA and California. Lexus brand is considered as a premium brand. Lexus has been a successful brand and is performing impressively currently. Over 490,000 Lexus vehicles are sold and 60% of the sales happening worldwide is in North America.
Toyota- focused differentiation, medium pricing, breadth of product line is low. Company is known for quality products, and nice styling.
As one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the world, Toyota ranks within the top three worldwide. Due to their unique business model, they are now have a market share of 14% in the first four months of this year. That is an astonishing 2.3% jump from the previous year. According to Autodata.com, the Toyota City based automaker ranks fourth in United States sales.
Quality is a Major Concern for Toyota Corporation.
(5) Liker, Jeffrey K. The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print.
First of all, Toyota has been very successful in differentiating on the basis of superior design and quality. This has led to Toyota being able to create a brand image that is very strong and one that brings to mind quality, long lasting cars when a potential customer sees it. The strength of Toyota’s brand image has been seen in recent years with the recalls and problems Toyota faced in dealing with these recalls. Toyota was able to survive these problems because they had such a long and proven track record of quality and superior. Another, area that Toyota differentiates is in technology. Toyota was the first successful mass produce the hybrid car on the market when it released the Prius in 2003. Being the first to get their hybrid on the market allowed Toyota to gain a large portion of the market share in the area of hybrid
In the early 1900’s, the first companies that would form the company as we know it today began to emerge. The first of these was the Olds Motor Vehicle Company (later Olds Motor Works, makers of the Oldsmobile) in 1897, followed by Cadillac Automobile Company in 1902 and Buick Motor Company in 1903.
Toyota has adopted an expansion strategy aimed at increasing the company’s market share through sustainable growth. This will be done based on the delivery of high quality, and safe cars, at an affordable price. As the company seeks to expand to new markets, focus will be on maintaining an organizational culture that allows optimum efficiency in the ever dynamic global market.
Toyota Motor Corporation is one of the largest automakers in the world. At its annual conference in Tokyo on May 8, 2008, the company announced that activities through March 2008 generated a sales figure of $252.7 billion, a new record for the company. However, the company is lowering expectations for the coming year due to a stronger yen, a slowing American economy, and the rising cost of raw materials (Rowley, 2008). If Toyota is to continue increasing its revenue, it must examine its business practice and determine on a course of action to maximize its profit.
Kiichiro Toyoda founded the Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota is one of Japan’s largest automakers entered the US market in 1957 with economical and reliable compact cars. (“From 1957 to 21st Century Toyota Moving Forward with America”) Toyota is one of the leaders in hybrid, fuel-efficient vehicles, and long lasting vehicles in the industry. They have a diverse product line that ranges from subcompact to luxury, sport utility vehicles, truck, minivans, and buses. (“Toyota Motor Corporation Company Profile – Yahoo! Finance”) Toyota luxury lineup is under Lexus brand and the Scion lineup, appeals to generation Y buyers in the US Market.
In 1950s, Toyota has developed lean thinking. The Toyota Production System aspires to minimize waste and increase efficiency while at the same time enhances its product quality. From this initiative, Toyota managed to widen its competitive edge by employed fewer employees in the car production with a small number of flaw products.
Toyota holds the second position in Australia as auto manufacturer with a market share of around 20%. Prius is the world's first mass-produced petrol-electric hybrid veicle. Toyota is a strong brand with a reliable and high quality image.