Toyota is one of the six major automobile brands in the world. Last year, its profit was more than twice that of GM and Ford, which made people respect it. How does Toyota do this step by step in an island country?
Before producing cars,
In fact, the history of Toyota can be traced back to 1896. That year, 29-year-old Akio Toyoda invented the Toyota-style steam loom. The loom he invented is not only the first automatic loom in Japan that does not rely on manpower, but also different from previous looms, which can be looked after by a car stopper at the same time, greatly improving productivity. Even Prade, the world's number one textile machinery manufacturer at that time, made a request to transfer the patent right to Akio Toyoda. In the end, Satoshi sold the right to use this patent at the price of 654.38 million pounds (654.38 million yen at that time) in 1929 (Showa 4 years).
Enter the automotive field
1930, Akio Toyoda died at the age of 63. He left the children a thriving cotton mill with nearly 10,000 employees. Akio Toyoda's eldest son, Akio Toyoda, is full of interest in the world outside Japan. Kiichiro has visited Europe and America. He was deeply shocked by the vigorous industrial revolution in Europe and America, and the car made his blood boil. He thinks that cars will be an important means of transportation in the future.
When Akio Toyoda began to develop cars, General Motors and Ford Motor Company in the United States had already become world-famous big companies. In terms of mass production technology and market operation, the strength of the two companies is enough to make all other automobile manufacturers in the world fall behind, and they have opened their own automobile assembly plants to Japan.
However, Akio Toyoda did not pay much attention to the actions of the two major American auto giants. He devoted himself wholeheartedly to establishing a domestic automobile industry based on mass production. In Toyota Automatic Loom Factory, a brand-new department-Automobile Department was born. 1937 (Showa12) On August 28th, the Ministry of Automobile announced its independence from Toyota Automatic Loom Factory. As a new company with a capital of12 million yen, "Toyota Automatic Vehicle Industry Co., Ltd." has embarked on its own brand-new course.
The newly completed factory began to put into production aa vehicles, with an initial monthly output of only 65,438+050 vehicles. A year later, Toyoda Shoichiro, who has firm confidence in Japanese automobile industry, decided to invest 45 million yen to establish a production system with a monthly output of 2,000 vehicles, which is almost four times the company's capital.
Japan is a country with poor natural resources, so Akio Toyoda thinks that developing reliable and durable cars with high fuel consumption is a crucial issue for Japanese automobile industry. 1939, the company set up a battery research institute and began to develop electric vehicles. 1940, Toyota produced about l5000 cars, 98% of which were vans. At that time, it introduced a brand-new compact car with a 4-cylinder 2.2-liter 48-horsepower engine, which was closer to Sweden's rich pv60 in appearance. Although Toyota doesn't have much experience in cars. But it sticks to a creed: imitation is simpler than creation, and it would be better if it can be improved while imitating. Ichiro and his father's philosophy come down in one continuous line. He knows that the first thing to do is to produce safe, solid, economical and traditional cars, not innovative products. So for a long time, all Toyota cars have such characteristics.
Be ravaged by war
194 1 In February, the Pacific War broke out. By the end of World War II in August, 1945, Japan's industrial production facilities were almost destroyed, and Toyota's factory was also seriously damaged in the war. In the first few years after the war, Japan's economy was in chaos, and all employees of the company were deeply worried about the development prospect of Japan's automobile industry, which was already quite backward. In order to rebuild the automobile industry into a pillar industry of economic development in peacetime, Toyota decided to set up a new small car factory on the basis of the original truck mass production system in September 1945 (Showa 20th year). This decision was made mainly because American automakers do not produce small cars, hoping to avoid direct competition with American automakers. 1947 65438+ 10, the prototype of the first small car was finally successfully trial-produced. According to the principle of fluid mechanics, this prototype adopts streamlined body and spine frame structure, and four wheels are independently suspended to form a brand-new body mechanism, with a top speed of 87 kilometers per hour.
It took two years after the prototype was born, and by 1949, Toyota's career was finally on the track of stable development.
Enter a period of development and growth
195 1 Toyota introduced bj series off-road vehicles at that time, and their bodies were covered with canvas awnings because the Japanese Guard invited Japanese automobile factories to bid for small off-road vehicles. Because the climbing test of Mount Fuji proves its off-road nature and durability, this car is not only welcomed by the police reserve, but also continuously produced and expanded, which is the world-famous land cruiser series today. Now it has been developed to lc 100 model, and an SUV-land cruiser Prado has been separated from it. So far, all models have produced nearly 3 million cruisers.
In addition, taking advantage of the rapidly expanding demand for taxis, the production of automobiles has been accelerated. By 1953, the output of about 50 vehicles per month has increased to more than 250 vehicles. This series of achievements has become a turning point for Toyota to complete its enterprise revival and get out of the predicament.
By 1955, Toyota introduced a car with exquisite design and displacement of 1.5 liter, named Crown rs. Two years later, it was exported to the United States under the name of toyopet. The early Crown sedan, which came out only three years ago, was not suitable for long-distance and high-speed driving conditions unimaginable in Japan in the United States, and it was not long before it was eliminated from the American market.
It took Toyota six years to develop a new generation of Toyota Corona sedan suitable for American road conditions and re-enter the American market. 1958 (in the 33rd year of Showa), Toyota formally established its own research institute, and began to build the first factory specializing in producing automobiles in Japan. Up to now, Crown has developed to 12 generation, with a total output of more than 5 million vehicles, and will soon produce 12 generation in domestic factories.
1962, Toyota began to March into Europe. This year, Toyota's output exceeded the million mark for the first time.
1965 the opening of Shen Ming expressway (Nagoya to Kobe) has opened the prelude to the Japanese expressway traffic era. Japan's automobile industry, which experienced the blank years after the war, can be said to be the least internationally competitive field among all Japanese industrial industries at that time. However, Toyota foresees that large-scale liberalization of international trade and capital will soon sweep across Japan. In order to meet the arrival of the new era, Toyota has stepped up the development of new cars with higher performance, and at the same time made great efforts to enhance production capacity and improve quality. All these efforts finally yielded fruitful results, and Toyota won the deming prize of 1965. In the same year, the Japanese government lifted the tariff barriers on imported cars, and since then, Toyota has started a real competition with foreign car manufacturers in terms of performance and price!
Corolla listed on 1966 is favored by consumers as a family car, thus setting off a mass upsurge. Later, 1968 was successfully exported to North America, and the sales volume soared. Today, Corolla has produced nearly 30 million cars, almost the largest car model in the world. Now, it is also produced in China.
Under the background of great economic development, the Japanese automobile market presents an unprecedented growth momentum. 1967 The total domestic output reached 3 million vehicles, surpassing West Germany at that time and becoming the second largest automobile producer in the world. In this case, according to the forecast that the demand will further expand, Toyota has continuously increased its investment in new factories and equipment.
The rapid growth of Japan's automobile industry has stimulated the urgency of capital liberalization of the American government and the three major American automobile giants. 197 1 year (Showa 46), the Japanese government abolished the government's management of capital investment, and then several Japanese automobile manufacturers began to cooperate with the three major American automobile companies. However, Toyota is not willing to go with the flow. In any case, it will stick to its position as a domestic automobile manufacturer. On the one hand, efforts will be made to reduce production costs, on the other hand, the pace of building a production system with an annual output of 2 million cars will be accelerated.
1At the end of 970, Toyota launched a small sports car, celica, which had produced almost 4 million cars before it stopped production at the end of 2004.
197 1 year, Toyota's annual output reaches 2 million vehicles, making it the third largest automobile manufacturer in the world.
The oil crisis has become an opportunity for Toyota's development
From 65438 to 0973, with the outbreak of the fourth Middle East War, the world economy suffered the first oil crisis. For Japan, whose oil resources are almost 100% dependent on imports, the whole economic activity was greatly affected and immediately plunged into chaos. The hyperinflation in the early postwar period swept Japan again, and the demand for automobiles plummeted. In this situation, Toyota aimed at limited resources and launched a campaign to save resources, save energy and reduce costs. Toyota Hideyoshi, the son of Toyoda Shoichiro, has always believed that cars are by no means "luxury goods", but real necessities of society. In the face of the pessimism that hangs over Japanese society, Toyota sticks to the word "forbearance" and is ready to meet the day of re-glory.
1973 and 1979 oil crises have greatly changed the demand structure of American cars. The focus of people's choice has shifted from large cars to fuel-efficient small cars, and American automakers who lack the production technology of small cars have gradually lost their former competitive advantage. In order to get rid of the predicament, American automakers have repeatedly urged the government and parliament to restrict the import of Japanese cars as soon as possible. At the same time, they have repeatedly asked Japanese automakers to invest and build factories in the United States in order to compete with American automakers at the same starting point. With the intensification of trade friction between Japan and the United States, these opinions of American automakers have aroused the rebound of Japanese cars in the US Congress and some public opinion. Japanese automakers, led by Toyota, are also very worried that letting this situation continue will damage good Japan-US relations. 198 1 year, the agreement on independent restrictions on the export of automobiles to the United States came into effect. In order not to lose the American automobile market, but also to be afraid that American consumers who have a soft spot for small cars with superior fuel consumption will be limited in their choices, Japanese automobile manufacturers began to set up production bases in the United States as a new business topic. In this case, Toyota decided to cooperate with American General Motors Company in production, which can not only create some local employment opportunities, but also transfer the production technology of small cars to American automakers.
1983, in order to compete with Honda's Accord series cars in the North American market, Toyota introduced the Camry, which has been out of control since then and has almost become the most popular model of Toyota except Corolla. Today, it is the seventh generation. And the latest generation of Camry has been confirmed to be produced in China.
1989, Toyota's luxury car division Lexus was born in the United States, and its first car Lexus v8 was exhibited at the Detroit Auto Show that year. Its design was inspired by Mercedes-Benz. Steady, luxurious, exquisite, high-grade, shaping the high-end brand image, but the price is 30% cheaper than the same level of Mercedes-Benz. Americans soon fell in love with Lexus, especially its unparalleled cost performance and surprisingly low noise. However, Lexus has been left out in Europe. Europeans value brands with a long history, not just the inherent quality of products. Now Lexus has developed into a huge fleet, from the lowest is200 to the highest ls430, as well as luxury suv series. In 2000, the total output of Lexus vehicles was 260,000, and 2,654,38+0.10 million vehicles were sold in the United States alone. This achievement makes Lexus ranked first in the sales of high-end cars in the United States, surpassing Mercedes-Benz and BMW. And it has been rated as the best car model in the world by jd power, the authoritative statistical agency of the automobile industry for several years in a row.
In 2000, Toyota participated in the f 1 race as an independent team, which was the only team in the world except Ferrari that produced all its own engines and chassis, and as a new force of f 1, it also achieved good results.
Today, Toyota has developed into a huge family with several cars and dozens of models. Its cover models range from the lowest-end civilian economy cars to the most advanced luxury cars and SUVs. No matter where Toyota is made in the world, it will try its best to achieve Toyota's high quality in the world, which is also an important reason why Toyota can succeed in the world. Today, Toyota has surpassed the sum of the world's first and second car companies in terms of profits. Tomorrow, is there anything impossible?