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Oh Canada! Toyota Sells Three-Millionth Vehicle North of the 49th

Toyota is Canadas Number One Brand

While Chevrolet just passed Ford as Americas number one brand, Canadians like Toyotas a whole lot more than either Ford or Chevy. The love affair has been going on for more than four decades. Yes, the first two Toyota models arrived from Japan in November of 1964, with the automakers first full year of sales being 1965; the same year that Toyota started selling cars in the U.S. and also the year that the Canada-United States Automotive Agreement, commonly referred to as the Auto Pact, was signed, an interesting coincidence being that Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) now exports more cars into the U.S. than it distributes to Canadian dealers.

Since

Canadians certainly like Toyotas, and have for more than four decades. (Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.)

Toyota Canadas early days it has made steady progress, to the point where the automaker reached a total of one-million Canadian vehicle sales by 1988, two-million eleven years later in 1999, and a total of three-million on Friday, January 20, 2006, just seven years from its previous million unit milestone, four years quicker than it took to jump from one- to two-million vehicle sales.

In the process, Toyota Canada has offered and still sells some of the most popular models in their

The Camry is the number one car in the U.S. auto sectors most hotly contested market segment. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

respective market segments, while the Toyota nameplate has become Canadas number one brand overall. While, again, Toyota is not the number one brand in the U.S., the Camry is the number one car in the auto sectors most hotly contested market segment.

"In just over 40 years of doing business in Canada, we have hit an important milestone with the sale of our three millionth vehicle," commented Kenji Tomikawa, President of TCI. "When we first began our operations in Canada, Toyota was an unknown brand name, with only a handful of dealerships and a limited model selection. Since then, we have grown to become Canadas number one choice for automobiles,

Toyota has rewarded Canadas loyalty over the years by building cars in Cambridge, Ontario, providing jobs for auto workers in its side-by-side Toyota and Lexus plants. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

with a network of more than 260 Toyota and Lexus dealerships from coast to coast, and a model line-up of well over 20 Toyota and Lexus cars, SUVs and trucks. Our fuel-efficient vehicles include models for every lifestyle and every budget, including gasoline-electric hybrid options in both our car and SUV fleet.  Toyota is committed to building vehicles that meet the needs and wants of Canadian consumers, and wed like to thank them for helping us reach this historic milestone."

While Toyota has rewarded Canadas loyalty over the years by building cars in Cambridge, Ontario, just like it provides jobs for American auto workers in eleven plants throughout the U.S., the first and still only Lexus manufacturing facility outside of Japan is north of the 49th parallel. Incidentally, its new Woodstock, Ontario

Toyota is not only doing well in Canada, but globally appears ready to bypass General Motors as the worlds number one automaker by sales volume. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

plant will build the all-new RAV4.

"In addition, Toyota has established manufacturing operations along with a research facility in the country, making us a truly Canadian company," Tomikawa added. "With a new assembly plant to come online in 2008 (Woodstock, ON), and several new models on the way this year and next, we look forward to selling our four-millionth vehicle in Canada in the coming years."

Toyota is not only doing well in Canada, but globally appears ready to bypass General Motors as the worlds number one automaker by sales volume; the Japanese automaker is already the most profitable on the planet (Porsche is the most profitable per unit sale, to clear up any discrepancies) and has the highest market capitalization of any auto manufacturer. Is it only a matter of time before Toyota surpasses Ford and then Chevrolet as the most popular brand in the U.S.? Most auto analysts believe that theres little chance of the domestics holding off the Japanese company for much longer.

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