Renowned Japanese automaker Toyota produced its first vehicle, a G1 pickup truck, in August 1935. Toyoda Automatic Loom Works’ automotive production section technically assembled the truck. Originally established in 1926, the company produced automatic looms until 1937, when the automobile production branch split off to form the modern Toyota Motor Corporation.
Fast forward to 2023, Toyota is now celebrating a historic point in its history. The company has announced that it has produced 300 million cars, some 88 years after the first truck was built. Although announced today by Toyota, the incredible milestone was actually accomplished at the end of September 2023.
Over the course of nearly 9 decades, Toyota has assembled a little over 180 million cars at its domestic factories and around 120 million cars outside of Japan. The Corolla, as expected, is the most popular model, with 53.39 million vehicles produced. Since its introduction in 1966, the nameplate has been used on a wide range of vehicles, including sedans, hatchbacks, wagons, coupes, and even the occasional minivan.
Related: Toyota Yaris Achieves 10 Million Global Sales Milestone
For the third consecutive year, Toyota led the global auto sales charts in 2022, delivering around 10.5 million vehicles. According to JATO Dynamics, the RAV4 was also the most well-liked vehicle and is the second most popular Toyota model after the Corolla. Toyota is diversifying its range with the addition of a Century SUV and the Crown, which has been resurrected to grow into a four-model portfolio.
The electric sports car, SUV, and pickup concepts that were showcased at the Japan Mobility Show last month may also be joined by even more models if they go into production later this decade. According to Toyota, it will launch more than a dozen electric vehicle models to prove itself competitive in the EV race.
Commenting on the achievement, the Chairman of the company Akio Toyoda said:
“Kiichiro Toyoda said, ‘Carmaking is something everyone does together.’ I think this number of 300 million stands as proof of all the hard work, every day, of our colleagues at Toyota, our suppliers, and dealers, and all the many other stakeholders, as well as all those who came before us. This history did not just start when they built the first car. The founding members repeatedly tried and failed, continually building prototypes, and their efforts led to the Toyota of today.”
Meanwhile, the new President of Toyota, Koji Sato said:
“I want to offer my heartfelt gratitude to the customers who have chosen Toyota cars, and to those who have built each car with heart and soul, as well as to the suppliers and dealers who have delivered them with care, and to all our other stakeholders. I believe that this number of 300 million units could only have been achieved with the unending effort of colleagues across the company, from part and vehicle planning and design to production, logistics, sales, and service, along with all those working to support each step.”
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com