History of Toyota
Look back at the history of Toyota, starting with the birth of founder Sakichi Toyoda. It traces the company's development through 1937 from when Toyota Motor Corporation was established to when the 2 millionth Prius hybrid was sold.
The AA Sedan
Koromo Plant
(currently Honsha Plant)
Older building of
Toyota Head Office
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| 1867 | Birth of Sakichi Toyoda. |
| 1924 | Sakichi Toyoda invents Toyoda Model G Automatic Loom. |
| 1929 | Automatic-loom patent is sold to a British company. |
| 1930 | Kiichiro Toyoda begins research on small gasoline-powered engine. |
| 1933 | Automobile Department is established at Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. |
| 1935 | The Toyoda precepts are compiled. |
| 1936 | The AA Sedan is completed. |
| 1937 | Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. is established. |
| 1938 | Honsha Plant begins production. |
| 1950 | Company faces a financial crisis; Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd. is established. |
| 1951 | Suggestion System begins. |
| 1955 | The Toyopet Crown, Toyopet Master and Crown Deluxe are launched. |
| 1957 | The first prototypes of the Crown are exported to the United States; Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. is established. |
| 1959 | Motomachi Plant begins production. |
| 1962 | Joint Declaration of Labor and Management is signed. |
| 1965 | Toyota wins the Deming Application Prize for quality control. |
| 1966 | The Corolla is launched; business partnership with Hino Motors Ltd. begins. |
| 1967 | Business partnership with Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. begins. |
| 1974 | Toyota Foundation is established. |
| 1975 | The prefabricated housing business begins. |
| 1982 | Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. and Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd. are merged into Toyota Motor Corporation. |
| 1984 | Joint venture with General Motors (New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc.) begins production in the USA. |
| 1988 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing, USA, Inc. (present TMMK) begins production. |
| 1989 | The Lexus brand is launched in the USA. |
| 1992 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing (United Kingdom) Ltd. begins production. |
| 1997 | The Prius is launched as the world first mass-produced hybrid car. |
| 1999 | Cumulative domestic production reaches 100 million vehicles. |
| 2000 | Sichuan Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. begins production in China. |
| 2001 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing France S.A.S. begins production in France. |
| 2002 | Toyota enters Formula One World Championship Tianjin Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. begins production in China. |
| 2004 | The Toyota Partner Robot is publicly unveiled. |
| 2005 | The Lexus brand is introduced in Japan. |
| 2008 | Worldwide Prius sales top 1 million mark. |
| 2010 | Worldwide Prius sales top 2 million mark; Toyota and Tesla Motors agree on joint EV development. |