Toyota posters

In the beginning the company was named “Toyoda” after its owner, but later the name was changed to “Toyota”. The new name was believed to sound better and its eight-stroke count in the Japanese language was associated with wealth and good fortune. The company’s actual logo first appeared in 1989. In 1990, it started to appear on all company’s printed materials like posters, advertisements and signage. It consists of three overlapping ovals, two of which form letter “T” (representing Toyota) and the third one symbolizes the world, embracing Toyota.

The company was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda though the first automobile prototypes, A1 passenger car and the G1, were produced in 1935 at Toyoda’s father’s company Toyoda Automatic Loom Works. In 1936, the first passenger car, Toyota AA, was created. In 1950, Toyota Motor Sales Co., a separate company, was created, but in 1982 it merged with Toyota Motor Company, forming the Toyota Motor Corporation.

In 1956, Toyota Crown became the first Japanese automobile, which was exported to America (not only the USA, but also Brazil). By 1992, 40% of the Japanese auto owners had Toyotas. In 1997, Toyota Prius, the best-selling hybrid car in the world, was introduced.

In 2012, Toyota was named the largest automobile manufacturer by production. The same year, it became the first carmaker to produce more than 10 million vehicles per year. In 2014, it was called the largest company in Japan.

Toyota has also been a participant of numerous motorsports competitions, including Formula One, NASCAR, IndyCar, Champ Car, sports car racing and rallying.