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Toyota : The Making of an Automotive Legend

Here we present the first in a series of articles that we hope our used car warranty customers will find informative and enjoyable reading...

It all began with Sakichi Toyoda, a very intelligent inventor, who started the Toyoda Company. He was often referred to as the King of Japanese Inventors. Sakichi started the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works as a young man in the 1920s using groundbreaking designs. He designed the world's first automatic loom and sold the patent rights to Platt Brothers, a British company, for 1million yen.

The money from this was used to help build the automotive department at Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, in 1933, which is now Toyota Industries Corp. The company was also partly supported by the Japanese government because of the military applications. Sakichi passed his dream to make automobiles on to his son Kiichiro.

At this time the Japanese relied on foreign trucks to fight the war in Manchuria, however, because of the depression money was scarce. The government wanted to produce vehicles in Japan to reduce costs and provide jobs so the country could become more independent, yet placed certain restrictions upon carmakers and demanded that certain regulations be followed. An automaker selling in Japan needed to have a majority of stockholders and officers to be from Japan. Sakichi's son, Kiichiro Toyoda, was henceforth placed in charge of the company.

One of the first things that Kiichiro did was change the family name slightly so it could be written using eight brush strokes, which is a lucky number in Japan. That is how Toyoda became the Toyota Motor Co.,Ltd., back in 1935, which, over the next seventy-odd years was to become one of the world's largest automakers.

Toyota first started experimenting with two cylinder engines but ended up copying the Chevrolet which had a 65hp straight six engine. They used the same chassis and gearbox with styling copied from the Chrysler Airflow. The first engine was called the Type A, produced in 1934, and then in 1935 the prototype A1 car was soon followed by the first production vehicle - the G1 truck. The second car design in 1936 was the model AA car.

In 1957 The Toyota Crown was the first passenger car made in Japan to be exported to the United States. The Crown was primarily available in Japan and was originally designed to serve as a taxi. The Crown is Toyota's oldest sedan still in production. The Crown is commonly used as a company limousine in Japan. Exports to Europe began in 1964; however, in many markets the Toyota Crown had become too expensive and was replaced by the Cressida in the early 1980's.

The first generation Crown had the same 1.5L Type R engine that had been used on the Toyopet Super. Taxi and commercial versions were produced; the commercial versions were available as an estate wagon and a 3 or 6 seat coupe utility. At first, the Crown was made to replace the Super but they decided to keep it. Toyota updated the Super, renamed it the Master and sold it alongside the Crown.

In 1965, at the Earl's Court Motor Show the Toyota Corona was introduced in Britain. The cost of the Corona was £1,000. This car was imported exclusively by Pride and Clark, which was a small family business in South London. This was the first Toyota dealership.

The Toyota Corona was made between 1957 and 2002. This vehicle was very successful in export markets. There was some confusion over the name because the car model had a different name in some markets. Most of the models in Asia were referred to as a Corona but in European markets known as the Carina. The Toyota Carina was in fact a different car than the Corona.

The first generation Toyota Corona was designed with parts from the Crown and Master. This vehicle was used mainly for taxi usage. It was only available as a four door. The Toyota Carina was a large family car that was launched in Europe in 1971. It was exported to Europe and the United States and was produced until 2000. This vehicle was marketed as a four door version of the Celica. Over time, the Carina became a sister car to the Corona, but the Carina was a lot sportier and has its own distinctive look. To add incentive for buyers to want this model over the more ordinary looking Corona, Toyota added reclining seats, head restraints, radio and clock as standard features. At this time most of the competitors only offered these options at an extra cost.

The original model had a 1588-cc overhead cam engine and was a 4-speed gearbox with front wheel disc brakes. In 1972 the Carina was updated with a sleeker body style and a new front grille. The 1974 model had a sealed cooling system, improved brakes, new wheels and interior. In 1976 it had a new exterior design both to the front and rear end. It also had a repositioned handbrake and gear lever.

From its very beginnings Toyota made smaller fuel efficient cars that were reliable because that is what the Japanese market wanted. Today, Toyota employs over a quarter of a million people and has vehicle manufacturing plants on six continents. There are two Toyota production plants in the UK; a vehicle plant at Burnaston near Derby, and an engine factory at Deeside, in North Wales. The first car that was produced there was the Carina.

Toyota are at the forefront of the international motor industry, and are constantly introducing new cutting edge technologies such as the Hybrid Synergy Drive. Toyota has come along way from its humble beginnings and is definitely a leader in the auto industry.

Click the link to read Part 2 of our series on the Toyota Motor Corporation...

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The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily held by the Click4Group unless specifically stated. The material is for general information only. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation.