The company, founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda took over, with sales of 8.972 million vehicles in 2008 the state of the world's largest car manufacturer General Motors before. GM occupied this position for 70 years.
Toyota is listed on the Nikkei 225 and the end of 2007 had the highest market value of all automotive manufacturers. The Fortune Global 500 list of 2008 Toyota placed as the fifth-largest company in the world according to its annual turnover of 239.4 billion U.S. dollars. In the Fortune Global 500 list of 2009 Although Toyota is not listed (because of the annual report was published after the list) but with a turnover of 203.3 billion U.S. dollars Toyota is the world continue to number 5. Toyota is now the most valuable automobile brand in the world and is made with a brand value of 58 billion U.S. dollars worldwide in 12th place 2006 Toyota scored more than 14 billion U.S. dollars in profits (see also the automotive industry).
After financial setbacks in July 2009 was appointed Chairman Akio Toyoda.
The Toyota Motor Corporation is headquartered in the Japanese city of Toyota (through 1959: Koromo) in Nagoya and in 1937 became an independent company. The Mutteriorma Toyota produced moreover, many other goods such as natural protection systems, prefabricated houses, boats, electronic equipment, and banking networks. Since 2005, owner of Toyota's second largest mobile network in Japan.
The logo of the Toyota brand consists of three interconnected ovals. It was first introduced in 1989 to the global brand identity to unify and to more clearly differentiate the Toyota brand from the same year as the premium brand, Lexus. The two small ellipses represent the first letter "T" and they should at the heart of the car and the heart symbolizes the customer. All three ellipses together symbolize Toyota's corporate philosophy: the pursuit of customer satisfaction, striving for innovation and the combination of creativity and quality.
The brand is among the most expensive in the world.
Toyota cut - as most Japanese car manufacturers - in breakdown statistics in recent years from very regularly, for example, they are at the ADAC breakdown statistics and customer satisfaction survey regularly on the front seats. With a customer satisfaction survey of U.S. market research firm JD Power and Associates in 2002, 2004 and 2005, Toyota cut off very well and dominated the field.
Toyota used the self-developed Toyota Production System, which consists mainly of parts of the TQM (Total Quality Management), Kanban, Kaizen, TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) and Poka Yoke. This new production concept was developed by Toyota under the leadership of Taiichi Ono in 1950 and was later taken over by all the major car manufacturers or copied. It now forms an important basis of scientific work, research and teaching in business administration. In the product development process, the method uses Toyota Design Review Based on Failure Mode (DRBFM). The method is a development-related creativity DRBFM method and the same time a discourse-oriented design philosophy for finding or evaluation design.
According to a survey by the Nuremberg market research institute on behalf of the pulse, "Süddeutsche Zeitung", the Germans consider Toyota the most environmentally friendly car manufacturer. This is not least due to the success of the first built in series hybrid vehicle Prius.
Because of the negative headlines in consequence of defective gas and brake pedals (see next section), the sales figures in Germany have fallen sharply.
For several decades, Toyota is celebrating big motor sport successes in Formula 3, and in rallying. This was due to the Cologne-based Toyota Team Europe (TTE), which specializes in the tuning range of Toyota vehicles.
End of the 1990 Toyota decided to go in Formula 1 at the start. For this, the Toyota Racing factory team was formed, which also operates from Cologne-Mars village. 2002 increased the team in Formula 1, 2005 it reached rank 4 with his best finish in the constructors' standings. On 4 November 2009, Toyota's withdrawal from Formula 1 known by the end of the 2009 season. As a basic Toyota calls the high costs associated with the commitment.
Since the 2007 season, Toyota is also the only non-American automobile manufacturer in the NASCAR series at the start. Danger is there with a racing car, which is based on the Toyota Camry.
