We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Toyota, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the iconic car company that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: The Land Cruiser Kept Toyota in the United States
The company’s cars like the Corona and the Toyopet Crown didn’t qualify to be driven on roads in the United States, and in fact, the only car they made that could be used on American roads (legally) was the Land Cruiser. If not for the Land Cruiser, the company might be based out of another country!
Number Seven: It Drove 100,000 Miles to Celebrate Japan’s First Freeway
As part of a publicity campaign, the company drove three of its cars between Nagoya and Osaka. It did this right after it announced a new Corona design.
Number Six: The Corolla Was Ahead of Its Game When it Was Released
The Corolla almost resembled a luxury sports car at the time of its release. It had a four-speed stick shift that was floor-mounted, and it also had strut front suspension. Not to mention the fact that it had more power than any of its competitors when it was released.
Number Five: It Has Formula One to Thank for Its Most Famous Sports Car
The company is revered for its 2000GT, which was even used as a Bond car! However, the car was only designed to compete in the 1963 Japanese Grand Prix F1 race.
Number Four: Its First Hybrid Was Built Earlier Than You Think
However, it obviously wasn’t successful. The hybrid used a turbine engine, but the car’s batteries were unable to support the engine. Speaking of hybrids…
Number Three: It Built the World’s First Mass-Produced Hybrid
We mentioned that the company built its first hybrid in the 1960s, but it also built the world’s first mass-produced hybrid car. That car was the Prius.
Number Two: The First Lexus Was Preceded by 450 Prototypes
That’s a lot of trial and error! In addition to the prototypes, Toyota also developed 50 different clay models of the car that were true to scale.
Number One: It Has Its Own City
It’s true! Toyota, Japan is a real city and is considered the sister city to Detroit. We hope you enjoyed our list of 15 things you didn’t know about Toyota!