Toyota returns to top form

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has produced its 200-millionth vehicle and looks set reclaim its title as the world’s number one car-maker this year.

Having bounced solidly back from the world’s largest recall campaign and unprecedented natural disasters, the Japanese giant sold 4.97 million vehicles globally in the first half of this year – about 300,000 more cars and trucks than General Motors, which sold about 4.67 million - giving the Big T a seemingly unassailable lead in the 2012 sales race.

While GM expects its sales to increase as its sales and market share continue to grow in China and it renews 70 per cent of its US line-up in the next two years, Volkswagen AG was third in the January-June global sales standings, saying earlier this month that it sold 4.45 million vehicles in the first half of 2012, after finishing second to GM in total sales last year.

GM was the world’s top-selling car-maker for more than 70 years before it lost the crown to Toyota in 2008 when the global financial crisis hit, leading it to file for US bankruptcy protection before reclaiming its number one title last year on the back of stronger sales in the US and its single biggest market, China.

Meantime, Hyundai continues to make in-roads – in terms of both sales and profitability on fourth-placed Ford, which yesterday announced a sharp 57 per cent slump in second-quarter profits due to declining European markets.

Toyota, which recalled more than 14 million vehicles in the past three years and has now returned to full production following Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami and then flooding in Thailand last year, reached its 200 million-vehicle milestone in June after 76 years and 11 months.

Placed end to end, and using the 4.545-metre Corolla sedan as an average, the 200 million vehicles would stretch around the equator more than 22 times.

The Corolla is the company’s most popular car worldwide, accounting for approximately one out of every five Toyotas ever sold. More than 39 million Corolla’s have been sold globally, while sales in Australia are expected to reach 1.2 million in the second half of 2012.
 
The first official Toyota was a Model G1 truck produced in August 1935 by Toyoda Automatic Loom Works Ltd's automotive department, which was spun off and later became TMC.

It took TMC more than 50 years to produce its first 50-million vehicles - a milestone achieved in 1985.

Improvements in mass-manufacturing techniques saw the company produce its next 50 million vehicles in just over 11 years, while it took a further nine years to raise the total to 150 million.

The most recent 50 million were produced in a mere six years and five months - at a rate of one vehicle almost every four seconds in factories around the world, including Australia.

Combined total sales of Toyota passenger and commercial vehicles in Australia stand at 5,542,804 vehicles to the end of June.

Toyota Australia executive director sales and marketing Matthew Callachor said he was grateful for the long-term support and loyalty shown by Australian motorists towards Toyota and its vehicles.

Mr Callachor pointed out that the buying rate for Toyota vehicles here accounts for 2.77 per cent of Toyota's total global production, despite our population representing less than one-third of one per cent of the world's people (0.32 per cent).

“The role of Australians in Toyota's global success is even more significant when you add local production from 1963 and exports from 1986,” Mr Callachor said.

Of the 200 million figure, a total of 145 million vehicles were produced in Japan and 55 million in other countries, including Australia.

Toyota in Australia has produced almost one million vehicles - mainly Camry - specifically for export markets, predominantly the Middle East.

TMC president Akio Toyoda expressed his "heartfelt appreciation" to customers around the world for making the milestone possible.”

"We are determined to make our cars even better, to continue to give our customers the best possible product. This is the common goal of our 300,000 Toyota staff members worldwide."

Best-selling Toyotas in Australia to June 30:

Toyota worldwide cumulative vehicle production milestones:

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