Bank Of Toyota?

TOKYO, Nov 29, 2002; Reuters reported that Japan's Toyota Motor Corp said on Friday it had applied for a U.S. banking license last month in a bid to use financial services to strengthen its position in the competitive U.S. automobile market.

If granted, the world's third-largest automaker would become the first Japanese carmaker to gain a U.S. banking license, allowing Toyota to act as a banking institution for its network of affiliated U.S. dealerships.

Toyota, Japan's largest automaker, also plans eventually to offer a range of financial services, including credit cards and home loans, to Toyota owners.