10 THINGS FEW PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT TOYOTA

As one of the most renowned automotive manufacturers in the world, Toyota has cemented its status as a household name, producing reliable and innovative vehicles for decades. While many are familiar with the company's popular models and groundbreaking technologies, there exists a plethora of lesser-known facts that lie beneath the surface. In this article, we delve into the depths of Toyota's rich history and uncover some really interesting facts that few people know about this automotive giant.

From the early origins of the company to its pioneering efforts in sustainable technology, we'll explore the lesser-known stories that have shaped Toyota's legacy. Discover the surprising milestones that propelled Toyota to global prominence, and the visionary individuals behind the scenes who brought their dreams to fruition. Prepare to be intrigued and enlightened as we unearth intriguing anecdotes, breakthrough innovations, and the guiding principles that set Toyota apart from its competitors. Get ready to gain a fresh perspective on this iconic automaker and its indelible impact on the world of transportation.

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Textile Roots

Most ordinary folks these days may look at Toyota as just seeing an automotive giant, but they may not realize that the company has its roots planted in the textile business. The story begins in the year 1885 when young Sakichi Toyoda had just turned 18 and was determined to make his mark on the world. He studied the newly enacted Patent Monopoly Act in Japan and decided to create a patent of his own. But there was a small hitch; he didn't know what to make.

But he did understand that coal-powered machinery had to be replaced as it was too expensive and inefficient. From then on, he made it his mission to create machines that used a different source of energy. He experimented for some time with various energy sources without any success. He then decided that he wanted to improve the efficiency of the handlooms used by local farm families. Tirelessly working in his barn, he dismantled a number of handlooms in an effort to find a way to improve them, but to no avail.

In 1890, Sakichi visited the Third National Machinery Exposition in Tokyo to get some perspective. The Expo featured many different kinds of machinery from around the world, and Sakichi was mesmerized by all of them. He was so impressed that he spent the entirety of the next month visiting the convention and studying the machines on display, which in turn rejuvenated his sprites and gave him some ideas on how he should continue.

In 1891, at the age of 24, his efforts bore fruit, and he created the first "Toyoda wooden hand loom". The new handloom saw an increase in efficiency of 40 to 50 percent. It also required only one hand to operate, leading to a more evenly woven fabric. With this machine, Sakichi received his first patent. But his mission was still incomplete as the machine was still manually operated.

Over the next few years, Sakichi kept innovating and improving upon his design until, in 1905, he finally invented the world's first automatic loom. A couple of years later, the production and sales rights for the machine were sold to the Platt Brothers company for a sum of £100,000. This sum of money was used by Sakichi’s son, Kiichiro, to develop Toyoda into an automotive company.

Toyota Was Originally Called Toyoda

It’s hard to believe, but there was once a time when Toyota Motor Co. had a different name; it was called Toyoda. Now, it wasn't all that different; it was just a single-letter difference, but taking into consideration that the original name existed because of its founder, Sakichi Toyoda, the change does warrant an explanation. But that's the problem; a single, agreed-upon explanation does not exist.

Toyota itself has provided an explanation for this change, but over the years, it has still caused some debate amongst automotive historians who don't completely believe it to be the full explanation.

Toyota’s explanation for the change is that when the original name was written out in Kanji, the name would need the use of ten brush strokes to write the six letters, but changing the "D" to a "T" reduces that number to eight, which is considered to be a lucky number in Asian cultures.

The First Automaker To Produce Over 10 million Cars In One Year

Among many firsts, Toyota was also the first auto manufacturer to ever produce over ten million cars in a single year. The reason for this stemmed from delayed production in 2011 due to the incredibly devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan, destroying infrastructure all over the country.

So in 2013, Toyota upped its production numbers and produced a total of 10.1 million units. However, their sales numbers were a bit behind at 9.98 million units sold worldwide. Regardless of this, Toyota still held its position as the highest-selling manufacturer and even managed to continue outselling American companies like General Motors.

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A Corolla Sold Every 15 Seconds

The Toyota Corolla has some pretty amazing stats for such an ordinary car. It stands as one of the more basic models in the Toyota line-up, yet it manages to out-sell about every vehicle on the face of the planet with one being sold approximately every 15 seconds. And with 16 production plants present throughout 13 countries they are everywhere.

The Best-Selling Nameplate In The World

Since its original debut in 1966, Toyota has sold a record-breaking 44 million Corollas globally, effectively making it the best-selling nameplate in the world. To get a better sense of how massive that number is, if you lined up all 44 million cars back to back, the line of cars would circle the planet five times. With the Corolla having been sold in over 150 countries, it is estimated that every one in five cars present globally is a Corolla. The reason for this is the car’s incredible reliability, affordability, and great resale value.

The Land Cruiser Is The Brand's Longest-Running Nameplate

The Toyota Land Cruiser was initially developed in 1941 when the Japanese government asked Toyota to develop a lightweight truck for military applications. And Toyota obliged by making a half-ton truck, which was at the time called the Toyota "Jeep" BJ.

In order to test their new truck, Toyota tasked their test driver, Ichiro Taira, with climbing the full length of Mount Fuji using their new prototype. The test was a huge success, and the Land Cruiser became the very first vehicle to ever summit the mountain, solidifying its place in automotive history forever. Since then, the Land Cruiser has been in production for more than 70 years, and the model continues to march onward with new generations being developed every few years.

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10 Billion Dollars R And D Budget

Toyota is one of the world's largest auto manufacturers, and in an effort to continue staying ahead of the competition, they need to create new technology and develop new models at a faster pace than ever before. To defend its place at the top, Toyota upped its research and development budget in 2021 from $8.7 billion in 2016 to a whopping figure of around $10 billion, and it plans to keep upping it in the upcoming years.

Toyota City

If you happen to be traveling to Japan, specifically the Aichi Prefecture, you may travel inward and find yourself in the city of Toyota. Toyota City, previously known as Koromo, changed its name to Toyota to reflect the large number of Toyota’s manufacturing plants that are present throughout, including the Tsutsumi plant. The City also houses a number of Toyota-related tourist attractions, such as a Toyota Stadium, Toyota Bridge, and Toyota Shopping and Entertainment Centers.

Highest Number Of Patents

Another area where Toyota leads the pack is patents and not just patents, but the highest number of patents. Toyota has held the record for the highest number of patents rewarded each year for nine consecutive years, with more than 3,056 patents in 2022. Almost half of those patents were for future mobility, such as new models and electric vehicles.

Frederick Mau, intellectual property counsel and director of patent licensing for Toyota Motor North America stated in 2022 that “The number of issued patents is a testament to Toyota’s vast R&D efforts and the team members who bring these technologies to life.”

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Toyota’s First Passenger Car

Toyota’s first passenger car was known as the AA. It was designed in 1935, taking strong styling cues from Chevrolet and the Desoto. In its initial catalog, the AA was called a standard sedan, but that was from the perspective of more developed Western countries like the United States. In post-World War II Japan, the large and bulky car was anything but. It wasn't suited to the market environment at the time, resulting in its low sales numbers. The original AA featured a 62-horsepower 3.4-liter Type A inline-six engine that was paired with a three-speed manual.

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