Toyota is the world’s largest auto manufacturer, with facilities in twenty-seven countries, 522 subsidiary companies, and 230 billion dollars in sales in 2007, a banner year in which Toyota’s profits were as high as the Volkswagen group, the Daimler group, and the Honda Motor Company (2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively) combined.
In 1937 Kiichiro Toyoda founded Toyota Motor Corporation with profits from his father’s automatic loom company. After WWII Toyota branched out into many different countries, offering a well-built, efficient and economic car - the Corolla. By 1997 the Corolla was the best selling car in history, as of 2007, there have been an incredible 30 million Corollas sold around the world.
Toyota has participated in many forms of motorsport, and most notably won World Rally Car Championships in 1990, 92, 93, 94, and 99. After winning the 1999 season by 18 points, Toyota withdrew from WRC, saying: “all that can be achieved has been achieved.” Toyota currently has cars entered in F1 and NASCAR.