Toyota WV Powertrain Facility Launches Automatic Transmission Production

   West Virginia Team Members Become First Outside Japan to Build Automatic
                                Transmissions

    BUFFALO, W. Va., May 10 Team members at Toyota Motor
Manufacturing, West Virginia, Inc. (TMMWV) made company history today by
becoming the first outside Japan to build Toyota's automatic transmissions.
The milestone was celebrated this morning during a ceremony for team members
and company officials.  Toyota Motor Corporation Director Yoshito Kato gave
the "thumbs up" signal after a final inspection of the first transmission.

    Tomoya Toriumi, president and CEO of TMMWV, praised the West Virginia team
members for their hard work during the start-up period.  "Making Toyota's
automatic transmissions is a very difficult process.  But I have been very
impressed by our team members' outstanding performance during the past few
months of training.  Building these transmissions is a very high honor for our
team members, our company, and our state."

    The Buffalo engine and transmission facility now employs approximately
800 people.  At full production, the 150,000 square foot transmission facility
will have approximately 200 team members and an annual production capacity of
360,000 units.  The automatic transmissions will be installed in America's
best selling car, the Camry, built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky,
Inc. (TMMK) in Georgetown, KY, and the four-cylinder Camry Solara, built at
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Canada, Inc. in Cambridge, Ontario.

    This past January, TMMWV announced that in 2003 it will also begin making
V6 engines for the Lexus RX300 and 4-cylinder engines for the Toyota Matrix
and Pontiac Vibe.  The RX300 and Matrix will be produced at Toyota Motor
Manufacturing, Canada, Inc. in Cambridge, Ontario, while the Pontiac Vibe will
be produced at the Toyota/GM joint venture plant, New United Motor
Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) in Fremont, CA.  The engine plant expansion will
add another 200 jobs at TMMWV, bringing projected total employment to
1,000 team members by 2003.

    The TMMWV engine facility has been in production since December of 1998.
Team members are currently building 4-cylinder engines for Toyota Corollas
produced in Fremont, CA, and V6 engines for Avalons and Sienna mini-vans
produced in Georgetown, KY.