ABSTRACT
Toyota Motor Company (TMC) traces its beginnings to the Toyoda family business, the Toyoda Loom Works. Early on, the Toyoda family was not convinced that the future of the company was in automobiles. Early prototype vehicles were hardly the resounding success we see in today’s marketplace. In fact, the first prototype trucks barely made it to the Tokyo auto show with their wheels intact. Military necessity, more than practical application, saved the company during World War II. Toyota trucks were the workhorse of the Japanese Army and helped the company survive the war years.
