Eiji Toyoda dies at 100.

[Johnny_L.A]

I didn’t see a thread on this, so…

Eiji Toyoda, member of Toyota Motors founding family, dies at 100

Mr. Toyoda, a nephew of the Toyota Group founder, Sakichi Toyoda, was president of Toyota from 1967 to 1982 and continued as chairman and then as adviser until his death. In almost six decades with the company, he helped transform a tiny spinoff of a textile loom maker into the world’s biggest automaker.

I heard on NPR yesterday, that Mr. Toyoda toured the Ford plant in Michigan in the 1950s. Apparently, Ford didn’t foresee any competition from a car manufacturer that had only built 2,500 cars in 13 years. Toyoda took his lessons from Ford, and adapted Ford’s methods of mass production and improved on those methods for higher quality.

My dad bought a Toyota Corona Mk. II wagon in 1972 (I think). Similar colour to the blue Volvo wagons of the '70s. Not too dark, not too light. I loved that car, in which we had many adventures. A USMC helicopter went down in a sandstorm in the Mojave Desert, and dad (who was in the FAA) went to help look for it. Got sand in the engine. He replaced the Corona with a 1974 olive green Hi-Lux truck equipped with a Moss Para-Camper. That truck got a lot of use. My sister got a Toyota Corona coupé on her 18th birthday in 1973, and she got a wagon (I don’t remember if it was a Corona or a Corolla) a few years later when her idiot alcoholic boyfriend rolled her Corona. The SO loves her 2000 Toyota Tacoma. She recently had it repainted; and even before that, people kept approaching her to see if she wanted to sell it. I bought a 2005 Prius from a friend in 2008. A moment’s distraction caused its demise last week – with over 237,000 miles on it, and still going strong. Its replacement is another 2005 Prius (with only 110,000 miles on it).

Mr. Toyoda did a great job building his family’s company, and Toyota Motors made – and still makes – great vehicles. He did a good job.

Let’s raise a glass of sake to Mr. Toyoda.

[picunurse]

Best car I ever had was a 1992 Celica convertible. We sold it for $8000 in 2004. Not many 12 year old cars hold that much value.

[sparky_1]

My Subaru BRZ is part Toyota, and I love it!

RIP, Mr. Toyoda. 100 is a long life.

[Labrador_Deceiver]

@Johnny_L.A

I heard on NPR yesterday, that Mr. Toyoda toured the Ford plant in Michigan in the 1950s. Apparently, Ford didn’t foresee any competition from a car manufacturer that had only built 2,500 cars in 13 years. Toyoda took his lessons from Ford, and adapted Ford’s methods of mass production and improved on those methods for higher quality.

More specifically, he hired Dr. Deming to improve on Ford’s methods of mass production. Deming’s portrait still hangs in the lobby of Toyota’s HQ.

[Amateur_Barbarian]

@Labrador_Deceiver

More specifically, he hired Dr. Deming to improve on Ford’s methods of mass production. Deming’s portrait still hangs in the lobby of Toyota’s HQ.

This. The US makers laughed Deming out of their offices. The Japanese listened, learned, and eventually made Deming a god.

[Eonwe]

@Amateur_Barbarian

. . . and eventually made Deming a god.

But no god of a higher order . . . more of a quasi-god.

[Labrador_Deceiver]

@Eonwe

But no god of a higher order . . . more of a quasi-god.

Very nice.