The government encouraged such a bold decision mostly because making their own cars would be cheaper and they also needed vehicles for the war with China. Just a year after its foundation in 1933, the Toyota Motor Company created its first engine, the Type A, placed in the Model A1 passenger car and the G1 truck.
During WWII, Toyota was committed to making trucks for the army and only the premature ending of the conflict saved the company's factories in Aichi from a scheduled Allied bomb raid. After the war, Toyota resumed car making but found more success in building trucks and buses than with cars. Still, it didn't give up on cars for good and in 1947 it came up with the Model SA, also known as the Toyopet, a name which later was applied to other models as well.
By the beginning of the 90s, Toyota vehicles became synonymous with reliability and low-cost maintenance which made them very popular all over the world. A bid for winning over the younger audience was made with the launch of models like the MR2 and the Celica.
Presently, Toyota is at the forefront of the environmental battle, with its successful hybrid model, the Toyota Prius and now announcing a plug-in electric car that will be called Toyota Plug-in HV, which will run on standard electricity powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. |
