Everything you need to know about Toyota

Most of us think of Toyota as a maker of dependable but conservative cars, commercial vehicles and trucks. That’s an entirely valid appraisal: these qualities are exactly what a great multitude of buyers want, and Toyota is perfectly happy to give it to them. But the company has a long and storied history, with quite a bit of daring and a large measure of innovation mixed into the story. Let’s take a closer look at this Japanese juggernaut.

 

Staying at the top is as difficult as getting there in the first place – a fact not lost on Toyota Motor Corporation at all. Going from being a manufacturer of fabric looms to the world’s most valuable car brand in less than 90 years is sure to necessitate some daring decision making and more than a few leaps of faith, but such is the way to success. And it is quite a success story indeed, because from humble beginnings, Toyota has raised itself to be the largest listed company (overall) in Japan, the most valuable automaker in the world, and the sixth-largest company in the world by revenue. That takes some doing!

They started out really small

Toyota’s first production vehicle was called the Toyota AA, which was released in 1936. Total production of this car amounted to only 1757 units over the next 7 years. Of course, World War 2 didn’t do production any favors, but Toyota used the period between 1945 and 1948 (when they made no cars at all) to develop their next offering.

The Model AA perhaps epitomized early Japanese car manufacturing, because it borrowed heavily from the Chrysler Airflow – an unusual choice of inspiration, given its odd appearance. Still, this is where things got started, and even though the Model AA and its direct descendants didn’t have a huge impact in the car market at that stage, it taught the fledgling Japanese manufacturer the basic principles of car manufacturing.

The American marketplace really turned things around

And so, Toyota kept their noses to the grindstone, honing their technology and manufacturing skills for the next decade or so, until the 1960s rolled around. This really marked the start of the Toyota colossus as we know it, because they began exporting their wares across the world.

The USA proved to be a particularly fertile new market for Toyota to explore – yet, at that time, their products weren’t exactly well-suited to the American freeways. In response, Toyota started developing cars and light trucks (bakkies) to fit the American way of life, and when the fuel crises of the 1970s rolled around, Toyota was perfectly placed to give Americans the economical, affordable and durable cars they desired.

The rest is history, and after Toyota started setting up their own production facilities in the USA in the 1980s, they’ve gone about the serious business of conquering the rest of the world as well. With factories spread across the globe, and with various models developed specially for specific markets, Toyota became the largest car manufacturer by production volumes in 2006 – in the process, giving the traditional market leaders Ford and General Motors severely bloodied noses.

They’ve been maintaining this position almost non-stop since then, only being dethroned twice in this period. Currently, the tussle for production volume dominance is between Toyota, the massive Volkswagen Group, and the rapidly-expanding Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, with the latter taking the lead for the first time in 2018.

They’ve had some fun along the way

With decades of motorsport action in their recent history, Toyota certainly understands the many ways in which racing improves the breed. No matter the discipline, from rallying to off-road racing to endurance racing and even to NASCAR, Toyota’s had plenty experience in all fields – and in most cases, plenty of success as well.

In earlier days, these motorsports exploits led to the creating of some pretty epic cars. Their Celica line has been particularly significant, as this range has led Toyota’s rallying- and track racing endeavors for the best part of two decades, and also spawned a long-running family of on-road sports cars. This line is now being revived by the upcoming new Supra, a prototype of which Chad recently drove in Spain.

Hot hatches also featured heavily in Toyota’s history, and there’s a strong possibility that these favourites will return to the range as well, as shown by the limited-production Yaris GRMN I drove a few weeks ago. Add to this the modest (international) success that is the GT-86, and it seems as though current president Akio Toyoda’s dream of making Toyotas exciting again may just come true.

Bakkies is big business...

We’re not just talking about their large stature, but also about their sales volumes. In South Africa, the Hilux is Toyota’s strongest-selling model, and often the best-selling new vehicle in our market. There have been plenty of challengers over the years, but the Hilux has really become a South African institution. There’s no sign of this trend letting up anytime soon, especially as Toyota regularly refreshes their mainstay range to keep it in front of the pack.

Moving up in size, there’s the flagship range of Land Cruisers, which cover all the bases from big-but-basic off-road bakkies to luxury SUVs, with the Prado remaining particularly popular. Smaller crossovers and SUVs are strong sellers as well, with the RAV4 initially setting the template, and the C-HR picking up on the coupé-type styling fad.

... but small cars made them famous

The Corolla may have slipped from ultimate prominence over the last decade or so, but there was a time when it lived at the top of the sales charts. But, as the Corolla grew progressively larger and more expensive, the gap it left underneath was filled by a number of successful smaller offerings: first came the Tazz, then the Yaris appeared, with the Etios taking over at the entry level in recent years.

Budget-conscious buyers aren’t being neglected, however. The Corolla Quest is a fleet favourite, and there’s even a tiny city car (the Aygo) to slot into the boutique market. In fact, the only area where Toyota isn’t represented anymore is in the medium-to-large sedan class, but that’s where Lexus comes in.

Thinking about the future

With the internal combustion engine nearing the end of its dominant era, the future seems certain to be increasingly electrified. Toyota realized this decades ago, and has been selling millions of hybrid vehicles in response. Sure, the Prius may be the subject of derision among car fanatics, but it’s provided Toyota with valuable insight into ways of electrifying cars.

And it’s not just hybrids only, either – Toyota has been a leading researcher in the field of alternative fuels and drivetrain technology, giving rise to such strange things as the Mirai fuel-cell car, as well as the development of some interesting self-driving concepts.

Toyota didn’t get where they are today by resting on their laurels. Sure, their mainstream passenger cars are a bit bland and appliance-like, but under the calm surface lives an innovative company. And, given their recent signs of excitement, these innovations may soon find new homes in many millions of driveways. If there’s one thing the years have taught us, it’s that, like their cars, Toyota just won’t give up.