{"id":689474,"date":"2026-05-23T12:56:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T12:56:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/689474\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T12:56:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T12:56:17","slug":"toyota-from-loom-maker-to-global-auto-giant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/689474\/","title":{"rendered":"Toyota: From loom maker to global auto giant"},"content":{"rendered":"

One hundred years ago, Sakichi Toyoda founded the company that would eventually spawn one of the greatest automotive success stories in history.<\/p>\n

Sadly, he passed away in 1930 and was not able to watch his son, Kiichiro Toyoda, create an automobile department within the company just three years later. By 1937, Toyota Motor Company was officially its own company.<\/p>\n

The foundation and a close call
\n\"a-replica-of-the-aa-sedan-toyoda-s-first-car-according-to-the-louwman-museum-only-one-original-car-is-known-to-exist.jpeg\"\/<\/p>\n

This is a replica of the Toyota AA Sedan, the company\u2019s first car. Only one original AA Sedan is known to exist, and it is in the Louwman Museum in the Netherlands. Image: James Rogers<\/p>\n

In the 1930s, Japan had nearly no domestic car industry. Kiichiro Toyoda reverse-engineered American cars to learn how to manufacture them. Their first car was the AA sedan, released in 1936. When World War II began, the company switched to military truck production. Despite their factories being scheduled to be bombed, Japan ended up surrendering before they could be. The immediate post-war years posed an existential crisis for the company, but demand from the U.S. government for trucks and other services for the Korean War saved them from bankruptcy.<\/p>\n

Failure and eventual breakthrough into the U.S. market
\n\"the-spare-tire-cover-of-the-1936-toyoda-aa-sedan-the-company-s-first-car.jpeg\"\/<\/p>\n

The original “Toyoda” badging on the 1936 Model AA’s spare tire cover \u2014 a reminder of the family name that predates the Toyota rebrand of 1937. Image: James Rogers<\/p>\n

In 1957, Toyota attempted to enter the U.S. market, but its Crown model sold only 300 units since it wasn\u2019t designed for U.S. highway speeds and hot regions. By 1960, they closed up shop in the U.S. and went back to the drawing board. Just five years later, in 1965, they were back with the Corona, a car designed from the ground up for the U.S. market. Sales surged, both overseas and domestically.<\/p>\n

Also in 1965, they revealed their grand ambition to challenge established players in the luxury market with their 2000GT prototype, which cost more than a Jaguar E-Type or Porsche 911. Just two years later, the car was in production and was even featured in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice. The car wasn\u2019t just gorgeous, either. It performed. In 1966, the pre-production model set 13 international speed and endurance records. In that same year, Toyota released the Corolla, which became the best-selling nameplate in automotive history in 1997. According to a 2025 article by Scott Newman<\/a>, the nameplate still holds that title today, with approximately 53 million Corollas sold.<\/p>\n

Building a reputation for reliability \u2014 then reinventing it
\n\"the-sleek-curves-of-the-toyota-2000gt-the-company-s-first-supercar.jpeg\"\/<\/p>\n

The elegant lines of the Toyota 2000GT, the company’s first supercar, which debuted in 1967 priced above a Jaguar E-Type or Porsche 911. Image: James Rogers<\/p>\n

By the 1980s, Toyota was synonymous with reliability. While Land Rover may have been the first to build an iconic SUV, the Toyota Land Cruiser became the go-to choice for off-roading because of its bulletproof reliability. However, despite being well known for reliability and value for their price, the company had a problem. Their cars were known for feeling cheap. So, just like they did in 1965, Toyota took aim at the industry leaders in 1989, but this time with a vengeance. Lexus was born, with BMW and Mercedes in its crosshairs. These models were built using the Lexus takumi (master craftsman) philosophy.<\/p>\n

According to Toyota<\/a>, these craftsmen needed to have at least 60,000 hours of practice to build Lexus cars. Tests were extreme, with one requiring them to be able to fold an origami cat using their non-dominant hand within a time limit. The result? Perfection in assembly and bulletproof quality. But that\u2019s not just some corporate spin. J.D. Power has consistently ranked Lexus as the most reliable luxury brand since its launch in 1989. For instance, they ranked the Lexus LS as the most reliable vehicle from 1994 to 2008.<\/p>\n

Toyota is currently the only car manufacturer selling an affordable four-seat, rear-wheel-drive sports car with a manual: the GR86.<\/p>\n

But does achieving this level of quality come at the cost of brutal working conditions at Toyota? While Toyota is strict about external inquiries, I was able to conduct an informal interview with a project manager within the quality control department with over 20 years of experience at the company. He explained that a key reason Toyota maintains such high quality is its corporate culture of sharing and adopting best practices across intra-company boundaries. He also noted that the work environment has improved significantly over the past two decades, despite Japan\u2019s economic stagnation.<\/p>\n

Pivoting to performance and eco-friendliness
\n\"the-iconic-rear-of-the-fourth-generation-toyota-supra-made-famous-for-its-2jz-gte-powerplant.jpeg\"\/<\/p>\n

The distinctive rear of the Toyota Supra Mk4, whose twin-turbocharged 2JZ-GTE engine became one of the most celebrated power plants in automotive history. Image: James Rogers<\/p>\n

Toyota kept rewriting the playbook. In 1993, the Toyota Supra Mk4 was released. With only 320 horsepower stock, it didn\u2019t seem like a supercar, but tuners soon realized it was. The twin-turbo model with the 2JZ-GTE was so over-engineered that it could reliably make over 1,000 horsepower with modifications. Combine that with an anti-lag kit, and the sound and speed are utterly frightening. A typical reaction was that a Toyota shouldn\u2019t sound or accelerate like that. A Lamborghini? Sure. But a Toyota? The company that made econoboxes like the Tercel? Fanboys were made instantly.<\/p>\n

Then they pivoted again. In 1997, they released the Prius, the first mass-produced modern hybrid car. For years, Toyota dominated the market it created, and the nameplate became synonymous with eco-conscious consumerism.<\/p>\n

However, their focus on performance continued as well. In 2010, Lexus\u2019 first supercar was released: the LFA. One year later, a special track-focused variant, the LFA N\u00fcrburgring Package, set the fastest lap time for a production car <\/a> at the N\u00fcrburgring Nordschleife, clocking 7:14.64.<\/p>\n

Toyotas are now finally classics
\n\"the-toyota-sprinter-trueno-ae86-revered-by-drifters-and-immortalized-in-the-manga-initial-d.jpeg\"\/<\/p>\n

The Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86, revered by drifters worldwide and immortalized in the manga “Initial D,” on display against a Japanese pop-art backdrop. Image: James Rogers <\/p>\n

Over the last two decades, a boom in interest in JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) cars overseas has led to cars like the Supra 2JZ-GTE and the Toyota Corolla AE86, a car immortalized in the manga “Initial D” and popularized by drifters, commanding tremendous prices. Prices for classic Toyota MR2s and Celicas (especially the rally icon GT-Four model) have skyrocketed as well.<\/p>\n

Making passion, not appliances
\n\"2025_toyota_gr86_hakone_ridgegreen_001-1500x1014-2.jpeg\"\/<\/p>\n

The 2025 Toyota GR86 Hakone Special Edition in Ridge Green. One of the last affordable rear-wheel-drive sports cars still offered with a manual transmission, the GR86 is the flagship model of Toyota’s Gazoo Racing performance division. Image: Toyota Motor Corporation<\/p>\n

However, the company still offers good value and performance. Toyota is currently the only car manufacturer selling an affordable four-seat, rear-wheel-drive sports car with a manual: the GR86. This is significant since car lovers in America are begging companies to still offer manual transmissions, but now only 2% of cars sold in the U.S. have them. We\u2019ve simply entered an era where people view cars like appliances. However, Toyota is refusing to yield. The GR in GR86 stands for Gazoo Racing, its performance division. They also offer rally-bred \u2018hot hatches\u2019 as well, like the GR Corolla and the GR Yaris, both formidable machines. In fact, the initial offerings for these two models were manual only.<\/p>\n

Toyota became the world\u2019s largest auto manufacturer for the first time in 2008 and has held that position since 2020. Since its inception, it has experienced some extreme lows, but the company has basically been on a winning streak since 1965.<\/p>\n

It would be quite something to see Sakichi Toyoda’s reaction to what his son built from those humble beginnings \u2014 100 years on.<\/p>\n

Dr. James Rogers is a tenured university professor who has published books and over 50 articles on linguistics and Japanese studies. He is the author of the book \u201cOn Living and Working in Japan.\u201d<\/p>\n

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