About the Toyota brand

Toyota Motor Corporation is Japan's largest automaker, selling 6.7 million passenger cars, trucks, and buses annually under the Toyota, Lexus, Scion, Daihatsu, and Hino brands. The company also operates in other areas, provides financial services, and is among the top ten largest corporations in the world. Headquarters are located in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Corporate History

The company started with the production of looms. Founder Sakichi Toyoda created an electric loom in the early 20th century, and in 1924 built the first automated weaving line and founded Toyoda Spinning and Weaving Company. The Toyota logo is a stylized weaving loop.

In 1929, Sakichi sent his son Kiichiro to sell the loom license in America and Britain. He signed a contract for 100,000 pounds sterling with the English company Platt Brothers. After Sakichi's death in 1930, Kiichiro took over the company and used the proceeds for the automotive business. In 1937, he founded Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. Engineers studied the Chevrolet design, and in 1934 went to the US for technologies to produce blocks, heads, crankshafts, and pistons. In 1935, prototypes appeared: the Toyota A1 passenger car with an inline 6-cylinder engine of 3389 cc producing 65 hp, and the G1 truck.

In the 1950s, Toyota was on the verge of bankruptcy but was saved by its textile production. In 1952, Kiichiro Toyoda died, and his work was continued by his son Soichiro and cousin Eiji Toyoda. They reformed the company and introduced the Toyota Production System, a quality control system at every assembly stage. In 1951, the first four-wheel-drive Land Cruiser rolled off the assembly line. In 1955, the 1.5-liter Crown sedan appeared, in 1957 the Corona, and then the sports series Crown Sport with a 1.5-liter 72-hp engine and fiberglass body.

The most popular Corolla went on sale in 1966: it was a 2-door sedan 3845 mm long with a 4-cylinder engine of 1087 cc producing 60 hp. Later, the sports 2000GT and Celica, as well as the premium sedan Century with a 3.0-liter V8, were released.

In the 1980s, Toyota expanded its lineup with models such as Tercel, Corsa, Starlet, Corolla, Sprinter, Carina, Camry, and Crown, and also released the compact sports coupe MR2. The company is known for its four-wheel-drive passenger and cargo vehicles, particularly the Land Cruiser. Since 1994, the compact crossover RAV-4 has been produced, and since 1995, the 4-Runner series based on a four-wheel-drive pickup. Toyota's range covers all popular classes and types, with about 30 models for different markets.

Toyota and Lexus

In the US, the Toyota name was associated with inexpensive mass-market cars, so for this and some other markets, the company released higher-class vehicles under the Lexus brand. In many countries, these brands are sold separately. The first Lexus model was the LS400 sedan with a 4-liter V8, which went on sale in the US in 1988. In 1997, the RX300 and LX470 all-wheel-drive wagons were released. Lexus cars are a more comfortable version of Toyota counterparts.

Toyota in Ukraine

Since July 1, 2004, the private enterprise LLC Toyota Ukraine began operations as the National Sales and Marketing Company in coordination with Toyota Motor Corporation and under a distribution agreement with Toyota Motor Marketing Europe. Toyota Ukraine is the official importer of Toyota cars and genuine parts in Ukraine and Moldova. Sales are handled by 14 official dealers.