Toyota Announces Death of Eiji Toyoda at Age 100
Eiji Toyoda, the man who turned Toyota into a global gioan has died at the age of 100.
Nephew of the founder of the Japanese manufacturer Sakichi Toyoda, Eiji was president of Toyota between 1967 and 1982 and and Chairman of the Board of Directors from 1982 to 1992.
Under his governance Toyota became an automotive giant respected throughout the world. Among his great achievements are:
- Toyota's expansion abroad;
- The entry of Toyota in America in 1966;
- His way of going around the U.S. protectionist measures;
- First Toyota "Made in USA" in a cooperation with GM in 1986;
- The opening of an American Toyota plant;
- The creation of dozens of assembly plants throughout the world.
When Mr. Eiji Toyoda came to the management at Toyota, the annual production of the manufacturer was 800 000. When he left, it was 4.6 million. In 2008, the Toyota brand became the largest automaker in the world, ahead of General Motors, and Volkswagen.