History of Toyota in the USA
Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world. Statistical data for 2007 places Toyota as the world’s number one automaker and it should come as no surprise as they have built their reputation as reliable automakers. Toyota started in the mid-1930s with its first engine and its first passenger car.
When World War II began, the Japanese government forced Toyota to make army cars. In fact, Toyota began to be a great automaker after the war, a time when the Japanese economy was beginning to develop and there was a growing need for cheap means of transportation. Many models were copies of American vehicles (in fact, the first Land Cruiser was a copy after the American military Jeep).
It is in 1958 that Toyota sells its first models in the United States. The first imported models were the Toyopet and the Land Cruiser. Shortly after, seeing that neither model has enough sales, Toyota designed the first models especially for the Yank market: the Avalon and Camry.
In the early 1960s, Toyota opened its first research and development facilities in the US, focusing more on international sales. In 1967, Toyota released another all-American model, its Crown sedan and Crown station wagon. To enter the Yankee sports car market, hitherto controlled by national players,
Toyota made the decision to import the sporty 2000GT model. Although not extremely fast, it proved to be superior to many local models as it was better built and had better handling. Seeing that the United States of the 1980s were looking for more sumptuous models, Toyota launched its luxury brand Lexus in the United States. By building the first Lexus, the LS400, Toyota did its best to offer a better vehicle than Mercedes and BMW.
Toyota refined all of its Yank models and its Lexus brand introduced newer and more technology-rich cars and, in the mid-1990s, Toyota was seen as a pioneer in details of reliability and build quality.
Today’s Toyota struggles to maintain its top position as the best-selling and best-produced automaker. In the United States, Toyota has doubled Honda’s sales with its Toyota and Lexus brands. Its headquarters are in New York and Toyota has five assembly plants across the United States in Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, Texas and West Virginia.
Toyota is currently developing American models locally, in the United States, as they have seen that models made especially for the Japanese or European markets do not achieve the same sales figures as models made according to the needs of the American market. In Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, Texas, and West Virginia.
Toyota is currently developing American models domestically, in the United States, as they have seen that models made especially for the Japanese or EU markets do not achieve the same sales figures as models made according to market needs. Yank.