Canada Likes Toyota as much as Toyota Likes Canada
Canadians certainly like Toyotas, and have for more than four decades. Yes, the first two Toyota models arrived from Japan in
November of 1964, with the automaker's first full year of sales being 1965; the same year the Canada-United States Automotive Agreement, commonly referred to as the Auto Pact, was signed, an interesting coincidence being that Toyota now exports more cars into the U.S. from its Canadian manufacturing division (TMMC) than the Cambridge facility distributes to Canadian dealers.
Since Toyota Canada's early days it has made steady progress, to the point where the automaker reached a total of one-million Canadian vehicle sales by 1988, two-million eleven years later in 1999, and a total of three-million on Friday, January 20, 2006, just seven years from its previous million unit milestone, four years quicker than it took to jump from one- to two-million vehicle sales.
In the process, Toyota Canada has offered and still sells some of the most popular models in their respective market segments, while the Toyota nameplate has become Canada's number one brand overall.
"In
just over 40 years of doing business in Canada, we have hit an important milestone with the sale of our three millionth vehicle," commented Kenji Tomikawa, President of TCI. "When we first began our operations in Canada, Toyota was an unknown brand name, with only a handful of dealerships and a limited model selection. Since then, we have grown to become Canada's number one choice for automobiles, with a network of more than 260 Toyota and Lexus dealerships from coast to coast, and a model line-up of well over 20 Toyota and Lexus cars, SUVs and trucks. Our fuel-efficient vehicles include models for every lifestyle and every budget, including gasoline-electric hybrid options in both our car and SUV fleet. Toyota is committed to building vehicles
that meet the needs and wants of Canadian consumers, and we'd like to thank them for helping us reach this historic milestone."
While Toyota has rewarded Canada's loyalty over the years by building cars in Cambridge, Ontario, providing jobs for auto workers in its side-by-side Toyota and Lexus plants, the first Lexus manufacturing facility outside of Japan, incidentally, its new Woodstock, Ontario plant, set up to build the all-new RAV4, is a further example of the Japanese automaker's commitment to the same Canadians that have made the company so successful here.
"In addition, Toyota has established manufacturing operations along with a
research facility in the country, making us a truly Canadian company," Tomikawa added. "With a new assembly plant to come online in 2008 (Woodstock, ON), and several new models on the way this year and next, we look forward to selling our four-millionth vehicle in Canada in the coming years."
Toyota is not only doing well in Canada, but globally appears ready to bypass General Motors as the world's number one automaker by sales volume; the Japanese automaker is already the most profitable on the planet (Porsche is the most profitable per unit sale, to clear up any discrepancies) and has the highest market capitalization of any auto manufacturer.
Canadians certainly like Toyotas, and have for more than four decades. Yes, the first two Toyota models arrived from Japan in
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| Canadians certainly like Toyotas, and have for more than four decades. (Photo: Toyota Canada) |
Since Toyota Canada's early days it has made steady progress, to the point where the automaker reached a total of one-million Canadian vehicle sales by 1988, two-million eleven years later in 1999, and a total of three-million on Friday, January 20, 2006, just seven years from its previous million unit milestone, four years quicker than it took to jump from one- to two-million vehicle sales.
In the process, Toyota Canada has offered and still sells some of the most popular models in their respective market segments, while the Toyota nameplate has become Canada's number one brand overall.
"In
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| The Toyota nameplate has become Canada's number one brand overall. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
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| Toyota has rewarded Canada's loyalty over the years by building cars in Cambridge, Ontario, providing jobs for auto workers in its side-by-side Toyota and Lexus plants. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
While Toyota has rewarded Canada's loyalty over the years by building cars in Cambridge, Ontario, providing jobs for auto workers in its side-by-side Toyota and Lexus plants, the first Lexus manufacturing facility outside of Japan, incidentally, its new Woodstock, Ontario plant, set up to build the all-new RAV4, is a further example of the Japanese automaker's commitment to the same Canadians that have made the company so successful here.
"In addition, Toyota has established manufacturing operations along with a
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| Toyota is not only doing well in Canada, but globally appears ready to bypass General Motors as the world's number one automaker by sales volume. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Toyota is not only doing well in Canada, but globally appears ready to bypass General Motors as the world's number one automaker by sales volume; the Japanese automaker is already the most profitable on the planet (Porsche is the most profitable per unit sale, to clear up any discrepancies) and has the highest market capitalization of any auto manufacturer.