What does Toyota make? Where are Toyota cars assembled?
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The beginning of the history of automobiles is considered to be 1933, when the automobile department was opened in the company Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, specializing in textile production and not previously involved in cars. The head of the department was the eldest son of the owner of the company Sakichi Toyoda Kiichiro Toyoda. Under his leadership it became world famous. Thanks to the sale of a patent for spinning machines to an English company Platt Brothers, Toyota had impressive starting capital.
First a car Toyota was released in 1935, it was called Model A1(later renamed Model AA). Following it, the first truck was released - Model G1. Since 1936, Model AA series cars have been put into mass production. Exports began at the same time - the first batch of Model G1 trucks (as many as four) were delivered to China. Already in 1937, the automobile department became a separate company called Toyota Motor Co., Ltd.
The company's development continued after World War II. In 1947, another model began to be produced - Toyota Model S.A.. In 1950, there was a workers' strike for the first and last time, caused by a deep economic crisis. The company's management resorted to a major reorganization - a separate company appeared Toyota Motor Sales Co.,Ltd engaged in the sale of products. The reforms had an effect and Toyota managed to survive the crisis with minimal losses.
In the 50s Japanese engineer Taiichi Ohno developed the concept of lean manufacturing, which became the basis of the Toyota production system. New system(“kamban”) made it possible to eliminate almost all losses of materials, effort and time. Since 1962, the system began to be used everywhere and contributed to the rapid development of the company.
In 1952, Kiichiro Toyoda, the founder of the company, died. In the fifties, Toyota began to flourish, and developed with its own efforts innovative technologies, extensive research has been carried out. An SUV has also appeared in the range - Land Cruiser and model Crown. Toyota expanded its influence in the United States, where it appeared Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. At first, the expansion of Japanese cars into the United States market was unsuccessful, but over time, Toyota gained a significant share of the American market.
In 1961, a compact and economical car was released Toyota Publica, new model rapidly gained popularity. In 1962, the millionth Toyota was produced! In the sixties, the economic situation in Japan stabilized and began to develop rapidly. has become a strong player in the markets of all continents. The model was very popular in the USA Toyota Corona, export of which began in 1965. This model has generally become the most popular in the foreign market. The next model, released in 1966, gained even greater popularity. Toyota Corolla . This model is still produced today. Same year Toyota bought another Japanese automaker – Hino. It was also purchased in 1967.
In the 70s, Toyota's development continued, new factories were built, and technical re-equipment was constantly carried out. Economical car models began to be equipped almost like expensive models. Production began in 1970 Toyota Celica, and in 1978 - models Sprinter, Tercel, Carina. Tercel was the first Japanese car with front-wheel drive. In 1972, the number of cars produced by Toyota exceeded ten million. In that decade, it also successfully overcame difficulties - financial, energy, environmental (the government forced the company to recycle exhaust system cars to reduce air pollution).
In 1982, Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd. merged with Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. to form Toyota Motor Corporation. Then production began Toyota Camry (over 2 decades, more than five million of them were sold in the USA!). Toyota has become the largest car manufacturer in Japan and the third in the world! In 1983, General Motors signed a long-term agreement, thanks to which their joint venture in the United States began to operate. In the same year, the first stage of construction of Toyota's Shibetsu test site, which was completely built in 1988, was completed. In 1986, Toyota produced its 50 millionth unit! New models have also appeared - Corsa, Corolla II and 4Runner.
A major event was the appearance of an elite model - Lexus. This was the first luxurious japanese car , all previous models were compact, economical to operate and very inexpensive. In 1989, new Lexus models were released - LS400 and ES250.
1990 The design center was opened Tokyo Design Center, as well as the first authorized service station in the Soviet Union. Today in Russia it is no longer possible to count the number of dealership centers. Car sales are in demand as are the sale of tires and wheels in Moscow. Toyota carried out active expansion into the markets of many countries around the world. Toyota did not skimp on research - they were educated Toyota System Research Inc. (joint company with Fujitsu Ltd., 1990), Toyota Soft Engineering Inc. (cNihon Unisys, Ltd., 1991), Toyota System International Inc. (with IBM Japan Ltd. and Toshiba Corp., 1991). In 1992, Toyota issued Toyota Guiding Principles- a work that described the principles of operation of the corporation and expressed the corporate philosophy. The Earth Charter was also published in response to increasing attention to environmental issues in society. In general, Toyota worked a lot on environmental programs, and as a result, in 1997 it produced first model with a hybrid engine (Toyota Hybrid System) – Prius, whose sales in 4 years amounted to 80,000 copies worldwide. Soon hybrid engines appeared in models Coaster and RAV4.
The number of cars produced by Toyota continued to grow progressively - in 1991 there were already 70,000,000, in 1996 - 90,000,000. In 1993, dealer agreements were concluded with Volkswagen and Audi. In 1995, a new global business plan was adopted and production of an engine with variable valve timing (VVT-i) began. In 1996, four-stroke began to be produced Gas engine With direct injection fuel (D-4). In 1997, a new hybrid model appeared - Raum, in 1998 - Avensis and a new generation of the Land Cruiser 100 SUV. Toyota's 100 millionth car was produced in 1999..
Now Toyota confidently occupies a position among the top three global auto giants and the largest in Japan, with a production capacity exceeding 5,000,000 cars per year (1 car every 5 seconds)! unites a lot of different companies, both related to the automotive industry and engaged in other areas. Since 2002, it has taken part in the most prestigious racing series - Formula 1.
Toyota Motor RUS LLC - official representative Toyota company in Russia - sells in the Russian Federation cars assembled at Japanese and European factories. Today we officially sell 10 models. And most of them are imported directly from Japan.
Toyota Corolla. All cars of this brand intended for sale in the Russian Federation are assembled at the Takaoka plant in Japan. The assembly takes place on the same assembly line as the assembly of Japanese right-hand drive Toyota Corollas. The same plant assembles the Toyota ist and its export version Scion xD, the one sold in the USA.
Toyota Camry. Until recently, all sold in Russia Toyota cars Camry was assembled at the Japanese Tsutsumi plant (Toyoda city). On the same assembly line they are produced Toyota Prius(right and left hand drive), Toyota Premio (right hand drive) and Scion tC (left hand drive, for the US market). With the commissioning of the plant in Shushary (St. Petersburg), Toyota Camry for the Russian market is produced there. Before production began, plant employees underwent training at the Tsutsumi plant.
Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and Toyota RAV4 come to Russia from the Japanese Tahara plant. All TLC and RAV4 intended for the Japanese domestic market are also assembled there. The assembly of left-hand and right-hand drive cars takes place on the same line. There is, however, a separate line - for Lexus cars, but on it there are left (export) and right (Japanese) cars in a row.
Toyota Avensis. This model, like Auris, is assembled at the English Burnaston plant. Avensises are not produced in Japan.
Toyota Yaris. The compact car, a twin of the Japanese Toyota Vitz, is assembled for the Russian market at a plant in France.
Toyota Corolla Verso for the Russian market is assembled in Turkey, at the Adapazari plant. This company has been operating since 1990. They also collect here Toyota Auris, but this car does not go to the Russian market.
Do you doubt the origin of the car? Look at the VIN number!
Japanese manufacturers, like manufacturers all over the world, use VIN numbers (Vehicle Identification Number) to uniquely mark cars intended for sale on the world market; cars for the Japanese domestic market do not have a VIN number, it is replaced by a Frame number. VIN number or VIN code is a 17-digit alphanumeric vehicle identifier that contains all the information about the car. It can just help in determining the country of production.
The first number or letter in the VIN code indicates the country of manufacture. Cars manufactured in Japan are, without exception, marked only with the letter “J”. The second letter or number indicates the name of the manufacturer:
"T" or "B" - Toyota,
"N" - Nissan and Infiniti,
"M" or "A" - Mitsubishi,
“F” - Japanese Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries), “S” - American branch of Subaru,
"H" - Honda and Acura,
"M" - Mazda,
"S" - Suzuki.
More detailed information:
Information about the country of origin of the vehicle can be found in the following documents, which must be available from the official supplier:
1) Certificate of Origin
It states:
- name, address and country of the vehicle manufacturer (see clause 1 of the Certificate of Origin - in our case: exporter Toyota Tsusho Corporation, then the exporter's address, city - Nagoya and country - Japan (Japan);
- clause 4 of the Certificate - indicates the country of origin (see Certificate, clause 4 Country of Origin-Japan)
- signatures in paragraphs. 9 and 10 confirm that the specified product was produced in the country specified in clause 4 of the Certificate.
2) Vehicle type approval
the following data:
- assembly plant and its address (see Vehicle type approval, the address of the assembly plant is indicated, Aichi Prefecture, country Japan);
- the international code of the manufacturer is indicated and the full VIN decoding vehicle code (“Description of vehicle marking”, appendix to the Vehicle Type Approval, in clause 4, pos. 1-3 the international code of the manufacturer is indicated - JTE-Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan - Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan).
The VIN code of a car consists of three parts:
1) WMI (World Manufacturers Identification) - world manufacturer index (1st, 2nd, 3rd characters of the VIN number);
2) VDS (Vehicle Description Section) - descriptive part (4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th characters of the VIN number);
3) VIS (Vehicle Identification Section) - distinctive part (10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th characters of the VIN number)
WMI is a code assigned to a manufacturer for the purpose of identifying it. The code consists of three characters: the first means the geographical zone, the second - the country in this zone, the third - the manufacturer itself.
VDS is the second section of the VIN number, consisting of six characters that describe the characteristics of the vehicle. The signs themselves, the sequence of their arrangement and their meaning are determined by the manufacturer. The manufacturer has the right to fill in unused positions with signs chosen at its own discretion.
VIS is the eight-character third section of the VIN number, and the last four characters of this section must be numbers. If a manufacturer wishes to include a model year or assembly plant designator in the VIS, it is recommended that the model year designator be placed in the first position and the assembly plant designator in the second position.
1st character - Country of origin
1, 4, 5 - USA
2 - Canada
3 - Mexico
9 - Brazil
J - Japan
K - Korea S - England
V - Spain
W - Germany
Y - Sweden
Z - Brazil
Z - Italy
2nd symbol - Manufacturer
1 - Chevrolet
2 or 5 - Pontiac
3 - Oldsmobile
4 - Buick
6 - Cadillac
7 - GM Canada
8 - Saturn
A - Audi
A - Jaguar
A - Land Rover
B - BMW
U - BMW (USA)
B - Dodge
D - Dodge
C - Chrysler
D- Mercedes Benz
J - Mercedes Benz (USA)
J-Jeep
F - Ford
F - Ferrari
F - Fiat
F - Subaru
G - General Motors
H-Honda
H-Acura
L - Lincoln
M-Mercury
M - Mitsubishi
A - Mitsubishi (USA)
M-Skoda
M - Hyundai
N - Nissan
N-Infiniti
O-Opel
P-Plymouth
S-Isuzu
S-Suzuki
T - Toyota
T-Lexus
V-Volvo
V-Volkswagen
3rd character - Vehicle type or production department
4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th characters - reveal the characteristics of the vehicle, such as body type, engine type, model, series, etc.
The 9th character is the VIN check digit, which determines the correctness of the VIN number.
10th - symbol indicates
model year
A - 1980
B-1981
C - 1982
D - 1983
E - 1984
F - 1985
G - 1986
H - 1987
J - 1988
K - 1989
L - 1990
M – 1991
N – 1992
P–1993
R – 1994 S – 1995
T – 1996
V – 1997
W – 1998
X – 1999
Y – 2000
1 – 2001
2 – 2002
3 – 2003
4 – 2004
5 – 2005
6 – 2006
7 – 2007
8 – 2008
9 – 2009
The 11th character indicates the vehicle assembly plant.
12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th characters - indicate the sequence of the vehicle for production, along the passage along assembly line.
In our example:
-VIN number JTEBU29J605089849:
where JTE is Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan
B - five-door station wagon, all-wheel drive
U - engine type (petrol)
2 - model serial number
9 – designation of configuration 9-GX
J - family designation - LAND CRUISER (120 series)
3) Vehicle passport
It states:
-VIN number (the decoding of which provides complete information about the history of the vehicle):
- car manufacturer organization (country) (in our example, see clause 16 of the PTS - vehicle manufacturer organization TOYOTA (Japan)).
- country of export of the vehicle (see clause 18 of the PTS - country of export of the vehicle is Japan)
Toyota Motor Corporation is the largest Japanese automaker with headquarters in the city of Toyota. Engaged in the manufacture of passenger cars, commercial and trucks, buses and auto parts. Holds the title of the largest automobile company in the world in terms of sales.
History of the car company Toyota started started in 1933 as a separate division of the large Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, which produced weaving machines. Sakichi Toyoda, the company's founder, was a talented engineer and inventor. He was the first in Japan to create his own automatic loom and continuously improved his creation. His company became successful in the Japanese market and famous throughout the world.
In the early 30s, the design of Toyoda's machines attracted the attention of the largest textile manufactory in the world at that time - the British company Platt Brother & Co. Sakichi agreed to sell the patent rights to the machine, and his son Kiichiro went to the UK to formalize the deal.
It is worth noting that the automobile, one of the main engineering inventions of the time, fascinated and occupied the mind of Sakichi Toyoda. His son also took over his interest in cars. However, having visited England, he literally “fell ill” with the idea of creating his own automobile production.
Having raised £100,000 from the sale of patent rights, Kiichiro Toyoda founded a new division within his father's company, which focused on developing cars. In 1937, it separated into Toyota Motor Corporation.
The work of the new company was supported by the Japanese government, which needed army trucks for the war in Manchuria. Due to the depression, there was little money in the country. Domestic production reduced costs, provided jobs, and made the country more independent. By 1936, just after Toyota's first successful cars were built, Japanese authorities required that all automakers be majority-owned by residents and stopped almost all imports.
Car creation operations were supervised by Kiichiro Toyoda. He began experimenting with two-cylinder engines, but ultimately repeated the design of the six-cylinder Chevrolet engine with 65 hp. In addition, the brand copied the Chrysler Airflow chassis and transmission.
The first engine was produced in 1934 (Type A), the first car and truck were produced in 1935 (Model A1 and G1, respectively), and the second model to go into production was in 1936 (Model AA).
The assembly of cars was established in the town of Koromo on new production facilities. The first Toyota passenger car was equipped with a 3389 cc engine. mass media drum brakes for each wheel. The four-door sedan with conventional front and suicidal rear doors received a flat, one-piece windshield with a top-mounted wiper and spare wheel, which was mounted on an almost vertical rear window. The all-metal body was cutting-edge for the time, using mostly wood body parts. From 1936 to 1943, 1,404 AA sedans were produced.
Toyota Model AA (1936-1943)
During World War II, Toyota completely abandoned the production of civilian cars. The automaker's enterprises produced military trucks, amphibians, light reconnaissance all-terrain vehicles, and components for combat aircraft. At the same time, assembly was carried out at an accelerated pace, often in a simplified version. For example, trucks were produced with one headlight.
After the surrender Japan Toyota Motor, like all companies supplying the army, found itself in an unenviable position. Despite the fact that the automaker's factories suffered little damage from the bombings, production Vehicle a ban was imposed.
In December 1945, Toyota received permission from the United States military to begin manufacturing consumer goods. Until 1947, the factories produced tools and pots.
However, Kiichiro Toyoda was not going to give up his passion: immediately after the end of the war, the brand's designers began developing a new model. Given the post-war decline, it was a small and economical model - two-door sedan S.A. It was equipped with a four-cylinder 1.0-liter engine producing 27 hp. with a classic layout. Externally, the Toyopet, as it was called, was similar to the Volkswagen Beetle. He accelerated to maximum speed at 88 km/h, was cheap and undemanding.
Toyota SA (1947-1952)
In addition to the SA, the Toyopet “family” included the more successful SD, the SF model, which made the brand truly popular, and the RH with a 48-horsepower engine. By 1955 year Toyota produced 8,400 cars a year, and by 1965 - 600,000.
In addition to all these cars, Toyota began producing civilian trucks under the Land Cruiser name. They were designed after the example of jeeps. The first generation was based on a truck chassis with a payload capacity of 1000 kg. It was the world's first all-wheel drive passenger car with a six- rather than a four-cylinder engine. In 1953, 298 examples of SUVs were produced, most of which ended up in the services of the Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture Japan, as well as the police reserve. In 1955, the second generation of the SUV was released.
Toyota Land Cruiser BJ (1953)
In the early 1950s, Toyota introduced a number of principles into production that helped it gain a reputation as one of the world's best automakers. quality cars in the world. The Just-in-time principle allowed saving on costs and warehouse space, making production as accurate as a clock.
Back in the company's textile past, automatic looms would stop as soon as they detected a broken thread. The same principle was introduced into car assembly production. Each employee monitored the quality of the parts and components used in his area. If a defect or breakdown was detected, he pulled a special cord that stopped the conveyor belt. This way, all defects were identified at an early stage, and defective cars did not reach the market.
The next innovation was a system for encouraging initiative and rationalization proposals from employees, which made it possible to significantly increase production efficiency and staff motivation. Successful proposals were implemented, and innovators received monetary rewards.
The first luxury car was released in 1955. Toyota Crown, which was powered by a four-cylinder 1.5-liter engine. In 1957, the company entered the American market, where it exported two models - the Land Cruiser BJ and the Crown sedan. In 1959, the company opened its first plant outside of Japan, in Brazil. Since then, Toyota has maintained a philosophy of localizing both production and design of its products.
The company's entry into the North American market was not as successful as expected. In the first year, only 288 cars were sold. They could not compete with American competitors in either appearance, neither in dynamics nor in prestige. Sales President Shotaro Kamaya instills a new corporate philosophy that puts the customer first, not the vehicle.
In the early 60s, gluttonous american cars with a huge engine were still at the peak of popularity. But the quiet but never-silencing song of small cars, which became the favorites of the next decade, could already be heard. The Toyota Corona model was one of the voices of the new automobile trend.
The car was presented in May 1957. It was equipped with a 33-horsepower engine, was reliable, inexpensive and economical, which made it quite popular amid the baby boom.
In April 1958, the model received a facelift, which meant changes to the hood and door handles. At the rear there are elements resembling Ford sedans 1949 release. The engine was replaced with a 45-horsepower 997 cc engine, which accelerated the car to 105 km/h. Thanks to the monocoque body, the model weighed 1000 kg.
Toyota Corona (1957-2002)
In 1962, Toyota produced its millionth car, and 10 years later, total car production reached 10 million units. In the late 60s, the Toyota Corolla became the best-selling car in the world. This achievement will later be included in the Guinness Book of Records. As of December 2000, a total of 25 million units of the model were sold. By 2006, the total output amounted to 32 million.
The machine was equipped with a system rear wheel drive and a longitudinally mounted engine. This layout did not change until 1984, when the first front-wheel drive Corolla appeared. The first generation of the car was sold only in the domestic market. The second generation was characterized by more rounded body lines. It was represented by two models - Sprinter and Corolla, which differed in the material of the body sheet metal and interior decoration. A total of 11 generations of the model were produced.
Corolla (1966)
In 1967, the legendary 2000 GT was released - sport car with a coupe body, developed together with Yamaha. It became a demonstration of the Japanese automaker's ability to produce not only affordable small cars, but also status sports cars. In terms of dynamics, the 2000 GT was not inferior to the Porsche 911: acceleration to 100 km/h in 8.4 seconds, top speed - 220 km/h. It was equipped with a 2-liter inline six-cylinder engine producing 150 hp. There was no particular excitement around the model: only 351 units were produced. This was largely due to the high price of the car. However, now it is of collectible interest, and even in those days it put the Japanese automaker on a par with the most venerable sharks from the auto world.
Toyota 2000 GT (1967-1970)
In the 1970s, at the height of the fuel crisis, Toyota reaped the benefits of its forward-thinking strategy in the American market. Its economical, cheap and high-quality models have left clumsy American manufacturers far behind. In 1972, the brand sold one million cars a year in the United States alone, and three years later, having overtaken Volkswagen, it became America's most popular import brand.
As might be expected, in response to the growing popularity of the Japanese, the American government applied protectionist measures. After the tax increase on imported cars Toyota, like other Japanese giants, has begun building its factories in the United States.
In the late 70s, the company faced financial difficulties, forcing the introduction of austerity regime. In addition, following stricter environmental regulations, it developed a new efficient exhaust system and revised its corporate policies.
In 1982, the Toyota Camry was released, which is now in its seventh generation. Like most models of the brand, the first generation was produced for domestic Japanese market, and then it entered the international arena. Having received positive feedback, the company began to gradually improve the car and introduce its assembly in other countries. Camry is one of the best-selling Toyota models in Russia, which is assembled at the car plant in Shushary.
Toyota Camry (1982)
In 1990, Toyota begins to dilute the lineup consisting mainly of compact models, larger and more luxurious cars. The T100 pickup truck appears, and later the Tundra, several SUVs, a sports version of the Camry, as well as several sports and available cars aimed at young people.
In terms of technology, innovations appear such as an engine with a variable valve timing system (VVT-i), as well as a four-stroke gasoline engine with direct fuel injection (D-4). Developments are underway in the area hybrid technologies, which resulted in the release in 1997 of the Prius, the world's first production hybrid. This model is also notable for being listed by Forbes magazine as one of the ten cars that changed the world. And Time magazine included him in the ranking of the most influential people in the world, not caring at all that he was not a person.
The model is equipped gasoline engine and an electric motor-generator, as well as a high-capacity battery. The regenerative braking system can convert kinetic energy into electricity and recharge the battery. Managed on-board computer power units can work together or separately. The aerodynamic drag coefficient is 0.26, and since 2009 - 0.25.
A characteristic feature of the model is the absence idle move engine that turns off during short stops.
Toyota Prius (1997)
In 1998, Toyota Motor Corporation opened a Moscow representative office. Sales Japanese brand were impressive, and the Russian market showed an upward trend, so the automaker decided to create a national marketing and sales company. Toyota Motor LLC began operating in April 2002.
Since 2007, Toyota Bank CJSC has been operating in Russia with representative offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg. It is engaged in issuing car loans for the population and official dealers Toyota and Lexus.
On December 21, 2007, the Toyota plant was opened in the village of Shushary, near St. Petersburg. It is planned to increase the capacity of the car assembly plant to 200-300 thousand cars per year.
Toyota was hit by a number of natural disasters in 2011, which negatively impacted its performance and sales. Earthquakes and tsunamis led to supply disruptions, production stoppages and a drop in exports. Local communities affected by severe flooding in Thailand industrial base. Toyota lost about 150,000 vehicles in the tsunami and about 240,000 in the flood.
From November 2009 to 2010, the brand recalled more than 9 million cars and trucks worldwide and temporarily halted production and sales. The complaints related to unintentional acceleration of vehicles.
Now the Toyota Motor Company produces a wide range of cars - from cars, crossovers and pickups to trucks and buses. In addition, it is developing vehicles with hybrid and electric powertrains, as well as hydrogen fuel cells.
Japanese brand No. 1 - this is how you can briefly describe the position of Toyota cars in the Russian market. These cars have been enjoying enviable popularity among both car enthusiasts and corporate clients for decades, making up the fleets of companies operating in trade, finance, construction and other fields.
In terms of popularity, Toyota in Russia has noticeably surpassed such mastodons of the Japanese automobile industry as Nissan, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Honda, Mazda, and Suzuki. Even despite the far from favorable economic situation and market fluctuations, Toyota demonstrates a consistently high sales volume from year to year, invariably remaining in the TOP-10 most purchased cars in the Russian Federation.
Why do Russians love Toyota so much?
It's all very simple: Toyota cars are reliable, time-tested equipment with an impeccable reputation, confirmed by a number of competitive advantages. Cars produced under the Toyota brand cope with the capricious Russian climate without problems, they are not afraid of frosts, they calmly “digest” not the most high quality gasoline, they are not afraid of roads that leave much to be desired.
In the Primorsky Territory, 90% of motorists drive Toyota cars
Both experts and car enthusiasts are unanimous in their opinion regarding the merits and advantages of Toyota cars:
- Simple and at the same time thoughtful design
- Availability of spare parts and units, their reasonable price
- High reliability and durability
- Ease of maintenance
The company's engineers use unique tactics in the design of new models, which are based on time-tested and operational designs, circuits, and technical solutions that have proven reliability, quality, and efficiency in practice.
Among the most popular Toyota cars on the Russian market are the Corolla, Camry, Land Cruiser Prado, Rav 4, Avensis, Auris, Yaris and others.
Toyotas are “moving” to Russia from different countries, they are also produced here. Which models of the Japanese brand are produced in which country is an extremely interesting question that requires detailed consideration.
Made in Russia or where Toyota Rav 4 and Camry are assembled
Surprisingly, this moment is somehow not very comprehensively covered by television and the press. It is known that these machines are made in our country, but not everyone knows which specific models, where and by whom. Meanwhile, Toyota models Camry and Toyota RAV4 are being assembled at full speed at the plant in St. Petersburg. Production facilities are deployed in the village of Shushary, which is an intra-city municipality and at the same time an industrial zone of St. Petersburg.
Interesting facts about the Toyota plant in St. Petersburg:
June 14, 2005 - start of construction;
. December 21, 2007 - the first Toyota left the assembly line;
. The technological operations carried out include stamping of body parts, production of plastic elements, welding, assembly, painting;
. Manufactured models - Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV4;
. The territory of the enterprise is 224 hectares;
. The volume of investments as of mid-2017 is 24 billion rubles.
It is also noteworthy that at the ceremony of launching the conveyor and releasing the first Russian Toyota Camry, in addition to official representatives from both sides, was attended by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, which eloquently demonstrates the significance and importance of such projects for Russia
Today, the Camry sedan and RAV4 crossover are assembled only here and, in addition to the domestic market, are supplied to Kazakhstan and Belarus.
Where is Toyota Corolla assembled?
Until mid-2013, Corollas supplied to the Russian Federation were “purebred Japanese” with a convincing Made in Japan stamp, produced at the Takaoka plant. Everything changed dramatically with the advent of the 11th generation Toyota Corolla. The production of this model, aimed in particular at the Russian market, was established at facilities in Turkey, located in the city of Sakarya.
Regarding the build quality, we can say that it is quite comparable to the native Japanese one. Before launching a new Japanese sedan The Toyota Corolla Turkish plant has undergone a large-scale modernization, accompanied by an increase in the number of qualified workers and the infusion of additional investments.
Toyota Corolla is one of the most popular cars not only in the countries of the former Soviet Union, but also all over the world. Confirmation this fact is the Guinness Book of Records, where the Corolla is awarded the status of the best-selling car.
With visually compact Toyota sizes Corolla has incredible spacious interior. An indicative case is that which occurred in one of the Moscow car dealerships: for the sake of fun and in order to test the spaciousness of the Corolla, its employees managed to accommodate a full staff of twenty people in the car
Homeland of the Land Cruiser Prado
Between 2012 and 2014 Land assembly Cruiser Prado was produced in Vladivostok at the production facilities of the Sollers-Bussan enterprise.
But apparently the Land Cruiser was not destined to find a second home. For economic, or rather political reasons, since there were no problems with demand for this car, cooperation with Toyota on the Land Cruiser Prado program was suspended.
Currently, as before Vladivostok, everything Land cars Cruiser Prado is produced exclusively in Japan at the Tahara plant. This powerful enterprise is famous for the fact that it assembles almost 6 million cars a year, on the assembly of which about 280 thousand workers work.
It is worth noting that Toyota cars, in particular the Land Cruiser Prado, are recognized as the most reliable SUVs in the world, because it is not for nothing that they are constant companions of UN and Red Cross missions that carry out their actions in various, sometimes almost inaccessible, corners of the globe .
Where is Toyota Avensis made?
Currently, Toyota Avensis cars supplied to the Russian market are assembled in the UK in the city of Burnaston at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant. Engines for the machines are manufactured at an adjacent facility in North Wales.
Toyota factories in the UK carry out almost the full production cycle - mechanical restoration blanks, casting of heads and blocks, assembly power units, stamping of metal body elements, manufacturing plastic parts, welding, painting, other operations,
It is noteworthy that the Toyota Avensis, although positioned as a Japanese car, in fact is not one. This car was created exclusively for Europe, so in the Land of the Rising Sun about similar car haven't even heard
Where is Toyota Auris made?
This is one of the most popular and therefore best-selling cars of the Japanese brand. IN Russia Toyota Auris comes from the same facility as Avensis, located in Burnaston, England. But this, if we talk about latest version. Previous models came to us straight from Japan from the Takaoka plant. Therefore, if we are talking about a used Auris, then there is a good chance to purchase a “purebred Japanese”.
Toyota Auris has a full-hybrid petrol-electric modification - a real masterpiece of Toyota designers, which allows you to operate the car in the "Electric Vehicle" mode when the petrol engine is not used
Where is Toyota Fortuner manufactured?
Currently, Toyota Fortuner is produced in Thailand at Toyota's production facilities in this Asian country. From there, deliveries of Toyota Fortuner to Russia are planned, the start of which is expected in October of this year.
Until recently, Toyota Fortuner cars were assembled in the Republic of Kazakhstan, but for a number of economic and technical reasons production was stopped.
Interestingly, Fortuner was not originally intended for the markets of Japan, Europe, North America, Australia, China. For these regions, there are other models with similar technical characteristics.
Where do Toyota Venzas come from?
Toyota Venza is not the most popular car among Russians, but it still has its admirers. These cars were produced at the Toyota plant in Georgetown in the USA and were aimed primarily at the North American market. However, it is critical low level sales contributed to the closure of the project.
In 2015, sales of Venza in America ceased, and from the beginning of 2016 this model “left” and Russian market. To date, Toyota Venza is officially presented only in Canada and China.
Where are Toyota Yaris manufactured?
The small compact Toyota Yaris hatchback is assembled in France at the company's plant in Valenciennes. The Yaris production line was launched in 2001. During this time, the world saw more than 2.1 million Toyota Yaris cars.
All Toyota Yaris models were completely designed by the company's design and engineering department in the south of France, which allowed the best way adapt them to market demands
Conclusion
The strategy of producing cars where they are in demand and sell well means that the manufacturer clearly senses the needs, requests, priorities of customers, as well as trends emerging in the global market. And this is an almost 100 percent guarantee of success. As we can see, Toyota has succeeded in this matter. But not only this.
Unprecedented quality control and maximum use of previous experience when developing new models are the main criteria that explain high reliability, and with it the popularity of Toyota cars all over the world. That is why the opinion that cars assembled at production facilities in Russia, England, Turkey, France and other countries are in any way inferior to “purebred Japanese” is nothing more than a myth. It doesn’t matter at all where the Rav 4 or Land Cruiser is assembled. Toyota has always maintained its brand and will take care of its image in the future - there is no doubt about it.
Today in the world it is difficult to find a person who has not heard the name “Toyota”. And this is not surprising. More than a hundred years have passed since the head of the Toyoda family, Sakishi Toyoda, began developing his first weaving loom. This moment became a turning point both for the whole of Japan.
Today Toyota is a world famous company
Where did the history of the brand begin?
Sakishi Toyoda was born on February 14, 1867 in Shizuoka Prefecture. In accordance with the way of life of the Japanese of that time, he inherited carpentry, for which he did not have much love. But, as they say, if you have a desire to develop, then ideas will not keep you waiting. Sakishi decided to devote himself entirely to improving looms.
An important feature of Sakishi's approach was that he learned through trial and error. Thus, he was able to learn the whole underside of the business in which he was engaged. He was convinced that the industry of what was then Japan needed. These beliefs led him to create his future company according to the philosophy of “Kaizen”, which translated means “the continuous path to excellence.”
In 1894, Sakishi gave birth to a son, who was named Kiishiro. If only he had known at that moment how big his business would grow...
Already in 1924, together with his son Sakishi, he created a fully automated loom, and a couple of years later the first stone was laid in the construction of a future multi-billion dollar corporation - Toyoda Automatic Loom Works was born. This small company producing automated weaving looms will forever remain in history as “mother”.
Change of course for car production
The money Sakishi received from selling the patent rights to his automatic looms was subsequently given to the young Kiishiro. The father bequeathed to his son not only to continue the business, but also to transform it into an enterprise for creating cars. Sakishi firmly believed that many years later people would not be able to live without cars. Unfortunately, not many people supported his idea. But this did not stop Kiishiro from using the proceeds from the sale of the patent to stock up on “foreign” cars, disassemble them for spare parts and study automotive engineering.
The young automaker enlists the support of the board of directors of his father's company and in 1931 begins researching engines with the goal of creating perfect motor for Japanese society. Kiishiro, like his father, recognized only practice - through numerous breakdowns and failures, the search for optimal solutions was carried out.
And 1933 in the history of the company was marked by the birth of a full-fledged department dedicated to the production of cars, which was headed by Kiishiro himself. After a year of fruitful work, they presented to the world an engine called “type A” based on a Chevrolet engine. It was he who was to become the basis for both cars and the brand.
"First-born" of the automobile department
Formally, the brand was then called Toyoda. The name Toyota, which is familiar to us, appeared later. The first developments of the brand were the small A1 passenger car and the G1 truck. On the basis of them, in 1936, serial production of models AA and AB (they differed only) and the cargo AG began. In the same year, Kiishiro received an order for export from Northern China. The Chinese were extremely interested in AG trucks.
In 1937, the automobile development department grew into a separate business - Toyoda Motor Company, Ltd. It is this moment that is considered to be the beginning of the history of Toyota Motor Corporation, although it had yet to come to this name. That same year, the company received an order for 3,000 trucks for the Japanese army. Thanks to this order, it was possible to build a full-fledged plant in the small town of Koromo. Later it was renamed Toyota.
Kiishiro was already concerned about the issue of uninterrupted supply of the required raw materials and technologies to the plant. A number of separate ones were created that provided automobile conveyor metal and equipment. The only unresolved issue was the quality of the products. It did not reach the level of Europeans and Americans. In order to change the situation, in the early 50s it was decided to introduce the brand to the American market.
It’s impossible not to notice how serious Kiishiro was about little things. It is thanks to him that we all know modern Toyota as “Toyota”. The letter "D" was replaced in the name with a "T" because the character "Toyota" requires eight lines to write, and the number eight is considered lucky in Japanese culture.
The next stage in the brand’s history: entering the global market
Today's appearance on the world stage is in many ways reminiscent of Toyota's expansion into the American market. In the 50s of the twentieth century, Eiji Toyoda took the helm, who managed to introduce the most productive methods of managing and motivating ordinary workers. This method has brought certain results. In 1951, production of the first SUV, the BJ Toyota Jeep, began. In 1957, the solid Crown entered the American market. In addition, factories opened in Brazil and Australia.
And 1966 is considered special. It was this year that Corolla was born, which subsequently became the main means of gaining Toyota recognition throughout the world. This small, economical car allowed the company not only to stay afloat, but also to become a market leader when the oil crisis struck in 1974. Many Americans could no longer afford the thirsty eight-cylinder giants. This is where the little Toyota came in handy...
In the early 70s, the first sports cars were launched into production - the Celica in 1970 and the Supra in 1978. As we know, today these cars are icons for many car enthusiasts. In 1982, production began in California together with GM. This event once again made it clear how winning the Kaizen strategy is.
Over the 6-year period from 1979 to 1985, total exports doubled! From 10 to 20 million cars! The Japanese didn’t even think about stopping there...
Consequences of Toyota's success around the world
Mainly thanks to the fantastic success of Toyota, Japan came to the top of the ranking of auto-producing countries, which, in turn, accelerated the pace of development of the main types of industry.
At the end of the 80s of the twentieth century, it was born Lexus brand, which now represents Toyota in the premium segment. In the early 90s, Toyota Motor Corporation entered the European market and already in 1992 the first Toyota plant was built in the UK.
But Toyota did not intend to stop there. The first “asphalt” is created, which almost immediately becomes a universally recognized bestseller! The company’s innovation institute also does not sit idle and in 1997 the first production car with hybrid power plant- Toyota Prius. This model clearly shows that the largest by that time automobile concern extremely concerned about the environmental situation in the world. After this, many leading automakers begin to accelerate the construction of their environmentally friendly cars.
The history of Toyota in the twenty-first century
At the turn of the century, Toyota crossed the mark of 100 million cars produced for the domestic market. In 2002, it was decided to create its own team in Formula 1. Unfortunately, despite the huge budget, even by the standards of Royal Racing, Toyota was never able to achieve success. For some time, the company continued to supply engines for other teams, but in 2009 management decided to curtail the automaker’s activities in Formula 1.
Let us note that the only year when Toyota suffered losses was precisely 2009. But this did not stop the Japanese auto giant from breaking into the automotive Olympus in 2012, overtaking Volkswagen and GM at the end of the year. By this time, Toyota had built its factories in most developed automobile countries Worldwide. Russia was no exception. In 2007, a new plant of the company was launched in the village of Shushary near.
As we can see, the history of Toyota is filled with bright victories and years of grueling work, constant research and experimentation. The path to great success is never easy or cloudless. The Toyoda family initially bet on the “path of continuous movement forward” and they were right. The experience of the auto giant's managers is now being adopted by managers from all over the world. The Kaizen philosophy still works today.
Video about the history of Toyota:
But it all started with simple machines... Sakishi Toyoda’s dream continues to live thanks to his descendants.
P.s. Have you personally had any experience of communication? Write in the comments to this article the pros and cons of cars of this brand that you saw during operation, a test drive, or just a trip with a friend.
