Toyota history

Sakichi Toyoda is born.	1867
	1890	Sakichi Toyoda invents Toyoda Wooden Hand Loom.
	1896	Sakichi Toyoda invents Toyoda Power Loom.
	1906	Sakichi Toyoda invents the Circular Loom.
	1924	Sakichi Toyoda invents Toyoda Automatic Loom, Type G, with Non-Stop Shuttle-change motion.
Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. (now Toyota Industries Corporation) established to manufacture and market Automatic Loom invented by Sakichi Toyoda.	1926
Kariya plant completed; part moved.	1927
	1929	Spinning frame production starts. Automatic loom patent sold to Platt Brothers & Co., Ltd. of the UK.

	1931	High Draft Ring Spinning Frame completed.
Automobile Department set up to manufacture automobiles.	1933
Steel production plant and trial production plant completed.	1934	A-type automobile engine completed.
“The Toyota Precepts” established.	1935	Prototype of Model A1 passenger car completed. Company unveils Model G1 truck at a new-car-release exhibition in Shibaura, Tokyo.
Exhibition commemorating completion of mass-produced passenger car held; designated authorized automotive manufacturer.	1936
Automobile Department separates and becomes Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (now Toyota Motor Corporation)	1937	4-Line Super High Draft Ring Spinning Frame completed.

Steel Production Department separates and becomes Toyoda Steel Works, Ltd. (now Aichi Steel Corporation)	1940
Toyoda Hospital established (forerunner of present KARIYA TOYOTA General Hospital).	1943
Obu Plant starts operations, producing castings.	1944
	1946	Reparation looms for World War II exported (first looms to be exported from Japan after war).
Obu Plant designated production plant for foundry parts for automotive parts.	1948
Company stock listed on Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya Stock Exchanges.	1949

Spinning frame monthly output reaches 100,000 spindles.	1951
	1952	Production of press die for automobiles starts.
Kyowa Plant starts operations, producing engines and assembling automobiles.	1953	Automobile engine (S-type gasoline engine) production starts.
Vehicle Division set up.	1955
	1956	Model LA 1-ton lift truck, Toyota's first lift truck model, introduced.
	1957	D-type diesel engine parts production starts. The Model LAT 0.85-ton towing tractor introduced.
	1958	APA special procurement vehicle production starts.
	1959	P-type gasoline engine production starts.

Plant devoted to lift trucks completed at Kyowa Plant. Toyota Central Research & Development Laboratories, Inc. established with capital from 10 Toyota Group companies.	1960	Shovel loader production starts. Three cylinder crank shaft type compressor production starts.
	1963	Friction welding machine production starts. Dump truck production starts.
Recognized by Ministry of International Trade and Industry as first company contributing to export.	1964	J-type diesel engine production starts. Six-cylinder swash plate type compressor production starts. Toyota Automated Continuous Spinning System unveiled.
“The 100th Anniversary of the late Mr. Sakichi's birth” held at the Nagoya City Science Museum.	1966
Industrial vehicle monthly output reaches 1,000 units.	1967	Nagakusa Plant starts operations. Publica (pickup truck) production starts. Electric counterbalanced lift truck production starts. Mini Ace (automobile) production starts. H-type diesel engine production starts.
	1968	Open-end spinning machine production starts.
	1969	C Type Automatic Loom prototype completed.

Takahama Plant starts operations, producing industrial vehicles.	1970	Model FBR10/15 1-electric reach truck (stand-up ride) introduced.
Divisional organization system introduced (head office, Textile Machinery, Industrial Vehicle, Vehicle and Obu Plant). Toyoda-Sulzer Manufacturing Ltd. established as a joint venture with Sulzer Brothers, Ltd. of Switzerland to manufacture projectile looms. Industrial vehicle production reaches 100,000 units.	1971	Corolla (van) production starts.
	1972	Lift trucks with built-in headguard production starts.
Industrial vehicle monthly output reaches 3,000 units.	1973
Car air-conditioning compressor production reaches 1 million units.	1974
Compressor Department set up.	1975
Nagakusa Plant monthly output reaches 10,000 units.	1976
Compressor Division separates from Textile Machinery Business Division.	1977	Swash plate compressor technology licensed to Chrysler and Ford. JOBSUN skid steer loader introduced.
	1978	Starlet (automobile) production starts. FBE model Narrow Ace, three-wheeled electric counterbalanced lift truck introduced, a first among domestic manufacturers.

	1980	JA air jet loom production starts.
	1981	10P compressor production starts.
Hekinan Plant starts operations, producing automobile diesel engines.	1982	Production starts on C-type diesel engines for small passenger cars.
Engine Division separates from Vehicle Division. Lift truck production reaches 500,000 units.	1985	10PA17 compressor production starts.
Obu Plant changed its name to Foundry Division. Company awarded the Deming Application Prize for quality control implementation.	1986	Automatic guided vehicle system introduced. Production of 1Z type 3-liter direct injection diesel engine for industrial vehicles starts.
Electronics Sub-Division set up.	1987	Sprinter Cielo (exported as the Corolla Back) production starts.
C-type diesel engine production reaches 1 million units. Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing, Inc. (TIEM) established in Columbus, Indiana, USA, as a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corporation.	1988	Sprinter sedan production starts. RX100 ring spinning frame production starts. AFBR series automatic guided lift truck introduced.
Michigan Automotive Compressor, Inc. (MACI) established in Jackson, Michigan, USA, as a joint venture with Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (now DENSO Corporation).	1989	B300 electric lift truck controller equipped with SIT static induction transistor. HZ-type diesel engine production starts.

Company receives 1990 PM Excellent Plant Award.	1990	FZ-type gasoline engine production starts. Sprinter Carib (automobile, exported as the Corolla Wagon) production starts.
Engine production reaches 5 million units Good Corporate Behavior Committee established.	1991	Production of semiconductors for automobiles starts with production of IC for vehicle control and static induction for blower motor controllers.
Environmental Committee set up.	1992	JAT600 air jet loom production starts. Automated storage and retrieval systems (pallet type) production starts. Automated storage and retrieval systems (plastic container type) production starts.
The first Environmental Action Plan launched.	1993	FL100 roving frame production starts. RX200 ring spinning frame production starts
Toyota Industry (Kunshan) Co., Ltd. (TIK) established in China as a joint venture with Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Lioho Machine Works, Ltd.	1994	X500(6FG/D outside Japan) series of internal combustion counterbalanced lift trucks introduced. R500(6FBR outside Japan) reach trucks introduced.
Toyota Industrial Equipment, S.A. (TIESA) established in France as a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corporation and Manitou B.F. Lift truck production reaches 1 million units. Kirloskar Toyoda Textile Machinery Ltd. (KTTM) established in India as a joint venture with the Kirloskar Group.	1995	Production of world's first 7 cylinder swash plate type variable displacement compressor (7SB) starts. Production of DC-AC inverter for vehicles (100W) starts. B500(6FB outside Japan) electric counterbalanced lift trucks introduced.
Compressor production reaches 100 million units.	1996	JAT610 air jet loom production starts. RX240 ring spinning frame production starts.
ST Liquid Crystal Display Corp. (STLCD) established as a joint venture with Sony Corporation.	1997	Production of external control variable displacement compressor with direct pulley (6SE) starts. Production of 10 cylinder swash plate type compressor (10S series) starts.
TD Deutsche Klimakompressor GmbH (TDDK) established in Germany as a joint venture with DENSO Corporation to produce car air-conditioning compressors. TIBC Corporation (TIBC) established as a joint venture with Ibiden Co., Ltd. to produce Semiconductor package substrates.	1998	GENEO (7FG/D outside Japan) internal combustion counterbalanced lift trucks introduced.
Company takes over water jet loom business from Nissan Texsys Co., Ltd.	1999	Vitz (Yaris outside Japan) production starts. Stationary Rack introduced. GENEO-B (7FB outside Japan) electric counterbalanced lift trucks introduced.

Company acquires BT Industries AB of Sweden (now Toyota Material Handling Europe AB), a world-leading manufacturer of warehouse trucks. Higashichita Plant starts operation, producing foundry parts.	2000	Production starts on DC-DC converter for the Prius (automobile). Mobile Rack introduced.
Company takes over the industrial equipment sales division of Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota Material Handling Customer Center starts operation in Chiba. Name changed to Toyota Industries Corporation. ACTIS Manufacturing, Ltd. LLC (ACTIS) established in the USA for the remanufacture of compressors.	2001	GENEO-R (7FBR outside Japan) reach trucks production starts. RAV4 (SUV) production starts. Production of DC-AC inverter (1.5kW) for vehicles starts. bB Open Deck (automobile) production starts.
Advanced Logistics Solutions Co., Ltd. established to plan distribution systems and operate distribution centers. Higashiura Plant starts operations, producing compressor parts. Toyota Motor Industries Poland Sp. z o.o. (TMIP) is established as a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corporation in order to produce diesel engines.	2002	AZ gasoline engine production starts.
Toyota Material Handling (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is established to sell lift trucks in China. Aichi Corporation, a manufacturer and seller of truck mounted aerial work platforms, etc. becomes a subsidiary of Toyota Industries. The total number of engines produced reaches 10 million units.	2003	JAT710 air-jet loom sales start. Production begins of the “GENEO-E”, a three-wheel electric counterbalanced lift truck.
Toyota Industry Automotive Parts (Kunshan) Co., Ltd. (TIAP) is established to produce foundry parts. The total number of car air-conditioning compressors produced reaches 200 million units. TD Automotive Compressor Georgia, LLC (TACG) is established to produce car air-conditioning compressors in the U.S.	2004
Asahi Security Co., Ltd., which engages in collection and delivery of cash, management of sales proceeds, and equipment security, becomes a subsidiary of Toyota Industries.	2005	AD diesel engine production starts. KD diesel engine production starts.
TD Automotive Compressor Kunshan Co., Ltd. (TACK) is established to produce car air-conditioning compressors in China. Toyota Industries Trading & Logistics (China) Co., Ltd. (TTLC) is established.	2006	New “GENEO” internal combustion counterbalanced lift truck goes on sale. VD diesel engine production starts.
Wanbishi Archives Co., Ltd. becomes a subsidiary of Toyota Industries. Anjo Plant starts operations, producing electronic equipment.	2007	Mark X Zio production starts.
Toyota branded lift truck cumulative global production reaches 2 million units.	2008
The total number of car air-conditioning compressors produced reaches 300 million units.	2009	AR gasoline engine production starts. “GENEO-HYBRID” diesel-powered internal combustion hybrid lift truck introduced.
The total number of automobiles produced reaches 8 million units.	2010

Source: Toyota.com