1. Founding Father
Toyota was founded in Japan by Kiichiro Toyoda. Members of the Toyoda family have headed the company ever since - current CEO Akio Toyoda is a direct descendant.
2. Humble Beginnings
Toyota’s automobile business traces back to an automated loom business, which was sold to provide the capital for automobile production.
3. Name
The name Toyota comes from the family name Toyoda, which literally translates into “fertile rice paddies”.
4. First Car
Toyota produced its first car in 1937, although at that time most production was used for war purposes. Passenger car production resumed in 1947.
5. American Import
The first Toyota was imported in the USA in 1957, a Crown sedan. Today, the US is one of Toyota’s largest markets.
6. Brands
Toyota operates under relatively few brand names, unlike some other auto manufacturers. The only other wholly-owned brands under Toyota are luxury brand Lexus and entry-level brand Scion.
7. Marques
8. World Status
Toyota is now ranked the 12th largest company in the entire world by revenue.
9. Number 1
Toyota is the number 1 auto company in the world, ahead of both VW Group and GM.
10. Production
Toyota became the first automaker ever to produce more than 10 million cars in one year, in 2013.
11. Recalls
Despite a longstanding reputation for reliability, Toyota set a record in 2009 for the number of vehicles recalled (most for unintended acceleration issues).
12. Lineup
Toyota has one of the largest and most varied lineups of any automaker, with close to 100 different models that vary widely between different regions of the world.
13. Toyota Prius Innovations
The Prius is one of the first mass-produced hybrid vehicles, and by now it is by far the best selling hybrid in the world.
14. Future Tech
Toyota is actively pushing hydrogen fuel cell technology and will launch one of the first mass-produced dedicated hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the Mirai, in 2016.
15. Record Sales
The Toyota Corolla is now in its 12th generation and has sold more than 40 million worldwide, making it one of the best selling nameplates in history.
16. Made in America
Toyota has manufacturing operations all around the globe, including several large plants in the US that manufacture sedans and pick-up trucks.
17. TRD
Toyota’s official tuner and racing division is TRD, which stands for Toyota Racing Development.
18. Motorsport
Toyota actively sponsors many motorsport activities, among them the famous Long Beach Grand Prix in California.
19. Sponsorships
Besides manufacturing cars, Toyota also sponsors everything from scholarships to sports stadiums.
20. Motto
The current tagline for Toyota USA is “Let’s Go Places”
Source : http://www.rantcars.com/2015/03/28/20-facts-you-didnt-know-about-toyota/
