History

On September 1, 1933, the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. established the automobile division in Kariya. It was exactly ten years after the Great Kanto Earthquake had struck. In 1934, a prototype plant—which comprised a sheet metal and assembly plant, a machine and finishing plant, warehouses, and a materials testing and research center—was established on this site.

Ford and General Motors (GM) established assembly plants in Japan and already started production in order to cope with the demand for automobiles rapidly increased after the earthquake. The number of cars subsequently grew to over 30,000 units per year. And 90% of the market made up of cars assembled and imported by foreign manufacturers.
Under such circumstances, going into the automobile industry from scratch was a challenge for Toyota.

“We aim to make cars with our own hands, to establish the automobile industry in Japan, and to make people’s lives richer.”

Based on this will our predecessors began researching how to create iron that would be able to carry out the automotive functions of running, turning, and stopping.
During the making of prototype engines, mountains of defective cylinder block castings piled up; sheet metal was hammered by hand; and finally, at the end of a long process of trial and error, the Model A1 prototype passenger car and the Model G1 truck were completed.

Thereafter, large numbers of people joined and established a research and development system, mass-production system, and volume sales system. Just five years after the establishment of the automobile division, Koromo Plant (Honsha Plant of the present Toyota Motor Corporation)was established, where 2,000 vehicles were produced per month.

Relevant chronology

Date	Event	Current Location
Nov. 1926	Establishment of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd.	Toyota Industries Corporation (Kariya city)
Sep. 1933	Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. establishes its Automobile Division
Mar. 1934	The Automobile Division’s prototype plant completed (The plant comprises a sheet metal and assembly plant, a machinery and finishing plant, warehouses, and a materials testing and research center)	Aichi Steel Corporation Kariya Plant
Jul. 1934	Steel mill completed
Sep. 1934	A-type automobile engine completed
May. 1935	Model A1 prototype passenger car completed
Aug. 1935	First Model G1 prototype truck completed	Toyota Industries Corporation (Kariya city)
Apr. 1936	Production commences on Model AA passenger car (mass-production version of Model A1)	Aichi Steel Corporation Kariya Plant
Apr. 1936	The Inaugural Dealership Council held	Toyota Industries Corporation (Kariya city)
May. 1936	Automobile assembly plant completed Production commences on the Model AA passenger car and Model GA truck (mass-production version of Model G1)	Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd. Kariya Plant
Aug. 1937	Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd.’s Automobile Division is spun off, and Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. established	Aichi Steel Corporation Kariya Plant