If Toyota hadn’t dared to enter the American market some 50 years ago, it wouldn’t be the giant it is today. And a giant it is, having passed GM as the world’s largest builder and seller of cars during the first quarter of 2007. Toyota sold 2.348 million cars worldwide from January to March, while GM put 2.26 million in buyers’ garages. It’s inconceivable that Toyota would have been able to surpass GM if it wasn’t so successful in the US, on GM’s home turf.
The story of Toyota’s first 50 years in America isn’t a wonderful tale of complete success. The company has built some truly awful duds along the way. But it is one of the great business stories and also a tale about how American attitudes towards Japan have changed with the passage of time. Ultimately, it’s a story about how Americans have come to see America differently.
This isn’t a comprehensive history-we don’t have the space. Instead, this is a look at some of the cars that made Toyota what it is today. We’ll deal with Lexus and Scion when they hit their 50th anniversaries in 2040 and 2053 respectively. Keep an eye out for those issues.
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