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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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