Toyota

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota Jidōsha Kabushiki-gaisha?), or Toyota, is a Japanese multinational corporation that produces automobiles under a number of brands in the worldwide market.

It is the world's largest automaker by revenue (USD $212.39 billion), production, sales (first half 2007: 4.72 million) and profit ($15.09 billion) in front of General Motors. Toyota owns and operates Toyota, Lexus, Scion, has a majority shareholding in Daihatsu Motors (a minicar manufacturer, that includes the hybrid vehicle technology Daihatsu Mild Hybrid System), Hino Motors (a manufacturer of commercial trucks, including hybrid vehicles) and has minority shareholdings in Fuji Heavy Industries (a manufacturer of Subaru brand cars), Isuzu Motors (the commercial truck manufacturer) and in Yamaha Motors the engine, motor cycle and marine craft manufacturer. The company includes 522 subsidiaries.

The company was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda as a spinoff from his father's company Toyota Industries to create automobiles. It created, first as a department of Toyota Industries, its first product Type A engine in 1934 and its first passenger car (the Toyota AA) in 1936. It is headquartered in Toyota, Aichi and Bunkyo Tokyo, Japan. It also provides financial services through its division Toyota Financial Services and also creates robots besides automobiles.

Toyota together with its half owned subsidiary Daihatsu, is the world's largest seller of cars for the first half of 2007 selling 4.72 million vehicles, ending GM's 76 year reign as the world's best selling marque. Toyota plans to produce 9.4 million vehicles in 2007.


-- Wikipedia