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Weaving History
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, Sakichi Toyoda
invented Japan’s first power loom, revolutionizing the country’s
textile industry. January 1918 saw him create the Toyoda
Spinning and Weaving Company, and with the help of his son,
Kiichiro Toyoda, Sakichi fulfilled his lifelong dream of
building an automatic loom in 1924. The establishment of Toyoda
Automatic Loom Works followed in 1926. Kiichiro was also an
innovator, and visits he made to Europe and the USA in the 1920s
introduced him to the automotive industry. With the £100,000
that Sakichi Toyoda received for selling the patent rights of
his automatic loom, Kiichiro laid the foundations of Toyota
Motor Corporation, which was established in 1937. One of the
greatest legacies left by Kiichiro Toyoda, apart from TMC
itself, is the Toyota Production System. Kiichiro’s "just-
in-time" philosophy – producing only precise quantities of
already ordered items with the absolute minimum of waste – was a
ke y factor in the system’s development. Progressively, the
Toyota Production System began to be adopted by the automotive
industry across the world.
Rising from the ashes of industrial
upheaval in post-war Japan, Toyota has become the largest
vehicle manufacturer in Japan with over 40% market share. Toyota
began to make inroads into foreign markets in the late 1950s.
The first Crown models arrived in the USA in 1957, and by 1965,
with models such as the Corolla, Toyota began to build its
reputation and sales to rival those of domestic producers. The
first Toyota imported into Europe was via Denmark in 1963.
Toyota has continued to grow in Europe’s sophisticated and
complex market, and in 2000 the company delivered its ten
millionth car to a customer in Germany. In fact, growth is
currently one of the main words in Toyota’s European vocabulary,
and the company plans to reach annual sales of 800,000 in Europe
by 2005. Toyota is number one for customer satisfaction in the
majority of European countries and has built an excellent
reputation across Europe for reliability and customer service.
This enviable reputation, along with the support of a network of
more than 25 distributors and 3,500 sales outlets, are important
factors in supporting Toyota’s European sales growth in the
coming years.
Technology
Toyota is a world leader in the
research and development of advanced automobile technology.
Creating intelligent solutions for today's mobility challenges
and taking responsibility for future generations. That's the
mission that motivates Toyota.
Innovation
The quest for innovation is the foundation for Toyota's
new technology concepts. Unconventional ideas need room for
creativity and the technologies of the future need testing in
real-life conditions. This is why Toyota develops concept cars
such as p.o.d or FXS. Take a look at Toyota's most recent
concept cars and get a first glimpse of the vehicles which may,
one day, satisfy the needs of tomorrow's drivers.
Engines
Engine technology is one of Toyota's greatest assets.
Toyota's award-winning engine range reflects the high design and
quality standards set by its engineers. Toyota engines are
developed for performance and responsiveness with a big focus on
reducing emissions and saving fuel. Today Toyota brings these
benefits to customers with advanced variable valve technology
([VVT-i]) petrol engines, common-rail turbo diesels ([D-4D]),
and with the unique Toyota Hybrid System ([THS]).
Safety
Safety is a top priority for Toyota: Advanced steering,
braking and traction control technologies help keep your Toyota
on the road and out of trouble. In addition, every new Toyota
model is carefully designed to maximise safety, using computer
simulations and real-life crash tests. The body and chassis are
built to absorb impact and provide maximum occupant protection,
whilst [SRS] airbags in place in case of a collision. Hopefully
you’ll never see our safety features in action, but you’ll feel
the confidence every time you sit behind the wheel. |
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