Toyota Motor Corporation (commonly known as simply Toyota) is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 million vehicles per year.

The company was as a spinoff of Toyota Industries, a machine maker started by Sakichi Toyoda, Kiichiro's father. Both companies are now part of the Toyota Group, one of the largest conglomerates in the world. While still a department of Toyota Industries, the company developed its first product, the Type A engine in 1934 and its first passenger car in 1936, the Toyota AA.

After World War II, Toyota benefited from Japan's alliance with the United States to learn from American automakers and other companies, which would give rise to The Toyota Way (a management philosophy) and the Toyota Production System (a lean manufacturing practice) that would transform the small company into a leader in the industry and would be the subject of many academic studies.

In the 1960s, Toyota took advantage of a rapidly growing Japanese economy to sell cars to a growing middle-class, leading to the development of the Toyota Corolla, which would go on to become the world’s all-time best-selling automobile. The booming economy also funded an international expansion that would allow Toyota to grow into one of the largest automakers in the world, the largest company in Japan and the ninth-largest company in the world by revenue, as of December 2020. Toyota was the world's first automobile manufacturer to produce more than 10 million vehicles per year, a record set in 2012, when it also reported the production of its 200 millionth vehicle.

AA

The A1 was the first prototype passenger car built by the company that became Toyota. It was redesigned and put into production as Toyota's first production cars, the AA sedan and the AB cabriolet. These were succeeded by the similar AE, AC and BA sedans. The series as a whole was replaced by the quite different and much more advanced SA.

The A1 used the 3,389 cc (206.8 cu in) Type A Overhead valve 6-cylinder engine producing 62 horsepower (46 kW) with a 3-speed column-shift manual gearbox. The Type A engine was copied from a purchased and reverse engineered 1933 Chevrolet Master, and the chassis and electrics were copied from Ford. The A1 was a fully enclosed, 4-door sedan, with conventional front-hinged front doors and rear-hinged suicide-style rear doors. It was heavily based on the Chrysler built DeSoto Airflow, which was a reflection of Art Deco and streamlined appearances. Toyoda bought an Airflow and disassembled it the year before producing the A1.

A total of 1,404 AA sedans were produced from 1936 to 1943, when the model was replaced by the more austere AC.

toyopet crown

Introduced in 1955 as the Toyopet Crown, it has served as the mainstream sedan from Toyota in the Japanese market throughout its existence and holds the distinction of being the longest-running passenger-car nameplate affixed to any Toyota model, along with being the first Toyota vehicle to be exported to the United States in 1958. Its traditional competitors in Japan and Asia have been the Nissan Cedric/Gloria/Fuga and the Honda Legend, along with the defunct Mazda Luce, Isuzu Bellel and Mitsubishi Debonair.

first generation (RS/S10/S20/S30; 1955)

The Crown was introduced in 1955 in Japan to meet the demands of public transportation. The Crown was intended for private purchase, while the Master served in a commercial form as a taxi, both with the same 1.5 L Type R engine used on their previous car, the Toyopet Super.

second generation (S40; 1962)

Due to the introduction of the Corona, the dramatically restyled and enlarged Series S40 was launched in 1962, and saw the introduction of the Custom model. According to the Japanese Wikipedia article for the Crown, the styling was said to be influenced by the recently introduced Ford Falcon in 1960.

third generation (S50; 1967)

Launched in 1967, the mechanicals were much the same as the previous generation, but additional equipment was included. Higher specification models used the 2.0-liter M engine or the 2.3-liter 2M engine. A premium level Super Saloon joined the Super Deluxe model, and was available with the 2M engine.

fourth generation (S60/S70; 1971)

Launched in February 1971, the 4M 2600 engine was introduced with this generation, as was the luxurious Super Saloon trim level, followed by the Super Deluxe and Deluxe. The top of the line Royal Saloon was first introduced in the face-lifted Crown from 1973, adding luxury features from the Century limousine.

fifth generation (S80/S90/S100; 1974)

Launched in 1974 in Japan, export began from 1975. It was offered as four-door sedan, two-door hardtop coupe, four-door hardtop sedan, wagon, and van. Engines are 2.0- and 2.6-liter gasoline. The 2.2-liter diesel was introduced in October 1977. Trim levels are Standard, Deluxe, Super Saloon, and Royal Saloon.

sixth generation (S110; 1979)

This was the last generation to install a four-cylinder, gasoline-powered engine and the first generation Crown to be sold in Germany, beginning in 1980. The fuel injected 2.8 developed 145 PS  in European trim.

seventh generation (S120; 1983)

One distinctive styling feature of this generation was the use of a clear panel with patterned backing for the C-pillar trim on the sedans. For the Japanese market only, Toyota made the 190 PS  Twincam 12-valve 3.0-liter 6M-GE available on the Royal Saloon for the mid-cycle update.

eighth generation (S130; 1987) 

Launched in 1987. Body style: sedan, hardtop and wagon, including a van model for commercial uses.  The 4.0-liter 1UZ-FE, the same engine as in Lexus LS400, later became available in the Royal Saloon G, which became the Toyota Crown Majesta with the next generation Crown. 

ninth generation (S140; 1991)

Launched in 1991, this model of Toyota Crown departed from the traditional styling of previous models, and introduced the new Royal Touring trim level. The new hardtop model carried the S140 chassis designation, while the refreshed Crown sedan and wagon still kept the S130 chassis from the previous generation Crown. 

tenth generation (S150; 1995)

The 150-series Crown had boxier styling than the previous generation and was built as a sedan and hardtop (frameless door window) only. This was the first Crown to not be built using body-on-frame construction, adopting the unibody construction introduced with the 140-series Majesta. The wagon retained the old S130 chassis until 1999.

eleventh generation (S170; 1999) 

The 170-series, launched in September 1999, features shorter front overhang therefore maximizing interior and trunk space. There are two different 170-series 4-door Saloon; the Royal and Athlete. The Majesta, while sharing the same S170 chassis, is a separate vehicle which is larger and longer than the Crown and has distinctive front and rear styling. The four-door Hardtop was discontinued. 

twelfth generation (S180; 2003)

The S180 model of the Crown, released in late 2003, was based on the Zero Crown concept car. The engine was changed to a V6 for the new Royal and Athlete models, while the Crown Majesta used the V8 only, now in 4.3-liter form with 4WD optional. The new engines gave more performance while also giving better fuel economy.

thirteenth generation (S200; 2008) 

This generation of the Crown is available in 4 different trim levels: the Crown Royal series which is a more comfortable and luxurious car; the Crown Athlete series which takes the luxurious aspect of the Royal series but has more aggressive styling and sporty features; the Crown Majesta series with different styling and more luxurious features than the Royal series; and the Crown Hybrid series which is a trim level designated for the Hybrid Synergy Drive V6 drivetrain.

 fourteenth generation (S210; 2012)

The fourteenth generation Crown was launched on 25 December 2012 with new styling, with the Royal series front styling theme paying homage to the fifth generation MS105 series. Most aspects of the car can be controlled by Toyota Multi-Operation Touch panel.

fifteenth generation (S220; 2018)

The fifteenth-generation Crown was  built on a narrow version of the same Toyota New Global Architecture L platform that is used by other Lexus and luxury Toyota sedans. Three engine choices are offered so as to provide buyers advantages in savings with regards to Japan's annual road tax obligation, and standard equipment content is increased with each trim package matched to the engine size.

sixteenth generation (S235; 2023)

This 16th generation of the Crown continues the model’s penchant for novelties, first among them being three new bodystyles: A wagon, an SUV, and a high-riding sedan that join the latest version of the standard sedan. The 2023 Crown  looks like a crossover. In fact, its form would hit the bullseye as an electric crossover, another of the shapely, lifted lozenges balancing the dictates of aerodynamics, packaging, and market tastes. The Crown even has a flat underfloor, the grubby bits from the front bumper to the rear suspension hidden behind aero panels.

corolla

The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars. Introduced in 1966, the Corolla was the best-selling car worldwide by 1974 and has been one of the best-selling cars in the world since then. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, surpassing the Volkswagen Beetle. Toyota reached the milestone of 50 million Corollas sold over twelve generations in 2021. The series has undergone several major redesigns.

Dating back to 1966 in international markets, the Toyota Corolla landed on U.S. shores in 1968. With a reputation for quality and dependability, the Corolla has become the best-selling car worldwide — to the tune of nearly 1.5 million per year in more than 150 countries. Now in its 12th generation, the Corolla is primarily known as a four-door sedan, but it’s also been offered in coupe, hatchback and wagon form over the years.

The name Corolla is part of Toyota's naming tradition of using names derived from the Toyota Crown for sedans, with "corolla" Latin for "small crown". Early models were mostly rear-wheel drive, while later models have been front-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive versions have also been produced.

Over many years, there have been rebadged versions of the Corolla, sold by General Motors, including the Holden Nova in Australia during the early 1990s, and the Sprinter-based Chevrolet Nova, Chevrolet Prizm, and Geo Prizm (in the United States as part of the GM S platform).

2000gt

The Toyota 2000GT is a limited-production front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-door, two-seat sports car/grand tourer designed by Toyota in collaboration with Yamaha. First displayed to the public at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965, the 2000GT was manufactured under contract by Yamaha between 1967 and 1970. A halo car for the automaker, in Japan it was exclusive to Toyota's Japanese retail sales channel called Toyota Store.

The 2000GT revolutionized the automotive world's view of Japan, then viewed as a producer of imitative and stodgily practical vehicles. As a sleek, high-performance fastback coupé, it demonstrated its auto makers could produce a sports car to rival the better marques of Europe. Reviewing a pre-production 2000GT in 1967, Road & Track magazine summed up the car as "one of the most exciting and enjoyable cars we've driven", and compared it favorably to the Porsche 911. Today, the 2000GT is seen as the first seriously collectible Japanese car and its first supercar. Examples of the 2000GT have sold at auction for as much as US$1,200,000 in 2013.

Only 337 regular production units of the 2000GT were built, figures comparable to contemporary elite Italian supercars, and according to Toyota 337 were sold.

celica

The Toyota Celica is an automobile produced by Toyota from 1970 to 2006. The Celica name derives from the Latin word coelica meaning "heavenly" or "celestial". In Japan, the Celica was exclusive to the Toyota Corolla Store dealer chain. Produced across seven generations, the Celica was powered by various four-cylinder engines, and bodystyles included convertibles, liftbacks, coupés and notchback coupés. In 1973, Toyota coined the term Liftback to describe the Celica fastback hatchback, and used the name Liftback GT for the North American market.

 In August 1985, the car's drive layout was changed from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive turbocharged models were offered from 1986 to 1999. Variable valve timing came in certain Japanese models starting from December 1997 and became standard in all models from the 2000 model year. The six-cylinder Celica Supra variant was later spun off as a separate models, becoming simply the Supra. Lightly altered versions of the Celica were also sold through as the Corona Coupé through the Toyopet dealer network in the 1980s and as the Toyota Curren through the Vista network in the 1990s.

The sports coupe market, in general, was rapidly shrinking, in part because of the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the effects of the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble, also known in Japan as the "bubble economy". The Subaru XT6, Nissan 240SX, Honda Prelude and Mazda RX-7 were already gone and the Acura RSX was soon to follow. In July 2004, Toyota announced the Celica (as well as the MR2) would be discontinued.

supra

The Toyota Supra is a sports car and grand tourer manufactured by Toyota Motor Corporation beginning in 1978. The name "supra" is derived from the Latin prefix, meaning "above", "to surpass" or "go beyond".

 Starting in mid-1986, the A70 Supra became a separate model from the Celica. In turn, Toyota also stopped using the prefix Celica and named the car Supra. The Supra also traces much of its roots back to the 2000GT owing to an inline-6 layout. The first three generations were offered with a direct descendant to the Crown's and 2000GT's M engine. Interior aspects were also similar.

Along with this name, Toyota also included its own logo for the Supra. It was derived from the original Celica logo, being blue instead of orange. This logo was used until January 1986, when the A70 Supra was introduced. The new logo was similar in size, with orange writing on a red background, but without the dragon design. That logo, in turn, was on Supras until 1991 when Toyota switched to its current oval company logo.

landcruiser

The Toyota Land Cruiser  (also sometimes spelled as LandCruiser) is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is Toyota's longest running series of models. As of 2019, the sales of the Land Cruiser totalled more than 10 million units worldwide.

Production of the first generation of the Land Cruiser began in 1951. The Land Cruiser has been produced in convertible, hardtop, station wagon and cab chassis body styles. The Land Cruiser's reliability and longevity have led to huge popularity, especially in Australia, where it is the best-selling body-on-frame, four-wheel drive vehicle. Toyota also extensively tests the Land Cruiser in the Australian outback – considered to be one of the toughest operating environments in both temperature and terrain. In Japan, the Land Cruiser is exclusive to Toyota Japanese dealerships called Toyota Store.

When the Imperial Japanese Army occupied the Philippines in 1941, they found an American Willys MB Jeep and promptly sent it to Japan. The Japanese military authorities ordered Toyota to produce a similar vehicle but to alter the appearance. The resulting Model AK prototype led to the story of the landcruiser.

Toyota refers to the FJ55G and FJ55V as the first "real" station wagon in the Land Cruiser series, thus marking the beginning of the station wagon bodystyle. It was the first Land Cruiser to have fully enclosed box frame members. Of all the Land Cruiser wagons sold in the U.S., including the FJ45, it is the only one to not have hatch and tailgate in the rear, but rather a tailgate only with an electrically operated window that can be retracted into the tailgate.

In 2002, Toyota introduced Night View, the first worldwide series production active automotive night vision system, on the Toyota Land Cruiser Cygnus or Lexus LX470.

The introduction of a V8 engine was also a first for a Land Cruiser, and was specifically intended to improve sales in the North-American market, where it was the only engine available. In Australia, the 100 V8 was initially only available in the range-topping GXV model, while entry and mid-range models were the 105 powered by the 1FZ-FE I6 petrol, or 1HZ diesel engines.

Forthe j300  generation, Toyota ceased to offer V8 engine options in favour of a twin-turbo V35A-FTS 3.4-litre V6 petrol engine producing 409 hp, and a twin-turbo F33A-FTV 3.3-litre V6 diesel engine producing 304 hp,  A 4.0-litre naturally aspirated V6 engine is carried over from the previous model.

fj cruiser

2006-2018

The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a retro style, mid-size SUV. Introduced as a concept car at the January 2003 North American International Auto Show. The FJ Cruiser is built by Toyota subsidiary Hino Motors in Hamura, Japan since 2006 and shares many structural underpinnings with the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.

The bold styling was an immediate hit with the automotive press and general public. By resurrecting design traits from the iconic FJ40, the FJ Cruiser was viewed as a new halo car for Toyota, much like the similarly retro-styled 2005 Mustang had been for Ford. The interior of the FJ features many design elements focused on enhancing off-road practicality. All interior surfaces are covered with washable rubber materials to aid in fast cleanup after heavy outdoor use. The FJ also incorporates oversized controls to aid drivers with gloved hands.

The FJ Cruiser uses the 4.0-liter 1GR-FE DOHC V6. For the 2007 to 2009 model years, the engine came with single variable valve timing (VVT-i) which produces 239 hp. For the 2010 model year, the FJ Cruiser's engine gained Dual VVT-i technology which adjusts timing on both intake and exhaust camshafts resulting in 259 hp.

Sales of the FJ Cruiser were strong in the initial years from the initial exuberance surrounding the unique retro styling and performance offered by the FJ. However sales took a sharp nosedive.

pickup trucks

Toyota first entered the pickup truck market in 1947 with the SB that was only sold in Japan and limited Asian markets. It was followed in 1954 by the RK (renamed in 1959 as the Stout) and in 1968 by the compact Hilux. With continued refinement, the Hilux (simply known as the Pickup in some markets) became famous for being extremely durable and reliable.  Extended cab and crew cab versions were eventually added, and Toyota continues to produce them today under various names depending on the market in various cab lengths, with gasoline or diesel engines, and 2WD and 4WD versions.

In the United States, the Hilux became a major model for the company, leading the company to launch the Tacoma in 1995. The Tacoma was based on the Hilux, but with a design intended to better suit the needs of US consumers who often use pickup trucks as personal vehicles. The design was a success and the Tacoma became the best-selling compact pickup in America.

After the success of its compact Hilux pickups in the US, Toyota decided to enter the full-size pickup market, which was traditionally dominated by domestic automakers. The company introduced the T100 for the 1993 US model year. The T100 had a full-size 2.4 m long bed, but suspension and engine characteristics were similar to that of a compact pickup. Sales were disappointing and the T100 was criticized for having a small V6 engine (especially compared to the V8 engines common in American full-size trucks), lacking an extended-cab version, being too small, and too expensive (because of the 25% tariff on imported trucks). In 1995, Toyota added the more powerful V6 engine from the new Tacoma to the T100 and also added an extended cab version. In 1999, Toyota replaced the T100 with the larger Tundra, which would be built in the US with a V8 engine and styling that more closely matched other American full-size trucks.

century

The Toyota Century  is a luxury vehicle produced mainly for the Japanese market, serving as Toyota's flagship car within Japan; globally the unrelated Lexus LS series is Toyota's flagship luxury model. Production of the Century began in 1967, and the model received only minor changes until redesigns in 1997 and 2018.

The Century derived its name from the 100th birthday of Sakichi Toyoda (born 14 February 1867), the founder of Toyota Industries. It is often used by the Imperial House of Japan, the Prime Minister of Japan, senior Japanese government leaders, and high-level executive businessmen. The Century is comparable in purpose to the Austin Princess/Daimler DS420, Cadillac Series 70, Mercedes-Benz 600 series, Chinese Red Flag, Rolls-Royce, and Russian ZIS/ZIL limousines.

The first-generation Century was available with only a V8 engine (the third post-war Japanese-built sedan so-equipped) at its introduction in 1967 until a full platform redesign in 1997. The second generation was only installed with a Toyota-designed and -built V12, an engine bespoke to the Century, until 2018, when the power-train reverted to a V8 with the addition of Toyota's hybrid technology.

The gold phoenix logo used throughout is called the Hō'ō or Fushichō from Asian mythology, representing the Imperial House of Japan, and the image can be found throughout Asia, such as the Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto.

The exterior styling of the Century has, with some modifications, remained unchanged since its introduction, primarily due to its perception as denoting conservative success. Its appearance is iconic in Asian countries and is usually painted black. The closest Japanese competitor was the Nissan President, with a similar status reputation although, during the 1960s and '70s, the high market positioning was also shared with the Mitsubishi Debonair. In the 1970s, two other Japanese competitors introduced large sedans — the Isuzu Statesman de Ville and the Mazda Roadpacer (both derived from General Motors-Australia products) — which were short-lived.

century suv

2024-

Simply known as the Century, the new luxobarge is Japan's Rolls-Royce Cullinan and might end up being even more exclusive since the sales projection is of only 30 units per month. It's far more luxurious than any Toyota/Lexus SUV before it but it's also the most expensive. It costs approximately $170,000.

Toyota Gazoo Racing (or Toyota GR/TGR) is a motorsport/performance brand of the Japanese automaker Toyota.

Many divisions in various racing disciplines use the branding, including Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, Toyota's World Rally Championship team; Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe, Toyota's World Endurance Championship team; Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, Toyota's British Touring Car Championship team; Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa, Toyota's cross-country rally division; and Toyota Gazoo Racing Argentina, a national subsidiary team.

The "GR" brand is also used for some performance-oriented road cars such as the GR Supra, the GR Yaris, and the GR 86.

In 2007, an in-house team consisted of student test drivers and mechanics led by Hiromu Naruse, who was a test driver of Toyota, competed in the 24 Hours Nürburgring race. Akio Toyoda, then the vice president of Toyota, who received driving instruction directly from Naruse, also participated as a driver. At that time, he was not allowed to call the team "Works Toyota Racing". Therefore, the name Team Gazoo was used instead. "Gazoo" ("image") is the name of a portal site that Toyota was involved in establishing. And in public relations, the drivers were also given the nicknames "Cap" for Naruse and "Morizo" for Toyoda. Also, as there were minimal budgets, they used the Altezzas and BMW E90s, which at the time had been discontinued, as the race car project. The Gazoo website posted the activity report as an amateur race project.

From April 2015, all motorsports activities that had been divided into "Gazoo Racing", "Toyota Racing" and "Lexus Racing" have been unified with "Gazoo Racing". Toyota and Lexus brand racing activities are under the Gazoo Racing umbrella and are called "Toyota Gazoo Racing" and "Lexus Gazoo Racing".

In 2017, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Factory, which had been developing motorsport vehicles, was reorganized and the "Gazoo Racing Company" was established.^[7] As an in-house company, it strengthened its independence and contributed to Toyota's car making by feeding back the knowledge gained in the race to road cars, and the direction to secure profitability was decided.

Panasonic Toyota Racing was a Formula One team owned by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota Motor Corporation and based in Cologne, Germany. Toyota announced their plans to participate in Formula One in 1999, and after extensive testing with their initial car, dubbed the TF101, the team made their debut in 2002. The new team grew from Toyota's long-standing Toyota Motorsport GmbH organisation, which had previously competed in the World Rally Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Despite a point in their first-ever race, Toyota never won a Grand Prix, their best finish being second position, which they achieved five times.

Toyota drew criticism for their lack of success, as they never managed to win a Grand Prix with one of the sport's biggest budgets along with being the world's largest car manufacturer. Toyota was a well-funded team, but despite this, strong results had never been consistent.  On 4 November 2009, Toyota announced its immediate withdrawal from Formula One, ending the team's involvement in the sport after eight consecutive seasons.

Jordan used Toyota engines in 2005 and when the team was re-badged as Midland F1 in 2006, Toyota continued to supply the team with engines. Williams also used Toyota engines from 2007 to 2009.