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Toyota's U.S. Production Surpasses Five Million Vehicles

21 October 1998

Toyota's U.S. Production Surpasses Five Million Vehicles

    ERLANGER, Ky., Oct. 21 -- Toyota's total U.S. production
surpassed the five million mark in the month of September with 5,064,689
vehicles manufactured since 1986.
    The Toyota Camry, America's best-selling car, leads in volume of U.S.
production in the Toyota line-up with nearly two-and-a-half million built
since production began in 1988 at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky (TMMK)
in Georgetown.  In 1994, TMMK began production of the Toyota Avalon and in
1997 started production of the Sienna, the first minivan to be built on the
same line as a sedan in North America.  To date, some 97,000 Siennas and
344,000 Avalons have been manufactured in Kentucky.
    Toyota's U.S. production capacity will be further enhanced with two new
facilities, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana (TMMI) in Princeton will
produce the Tundra, Toyota's new full-size pickup truck, and a new large sport
utility vehicle.  When the plant is fully operational, it will have the
capacity to build 150,000 vehicles per year and will create 2,300 new jobs.
    Local engine production will also increase when Toyota Motor
Manufacturing, West Virginia (TMMWV) in Buffalo begins operations in late
1998.  It will produce 4-cylinder engines for North American built Corollas
and V-6 engines for Camrys, Camry Solaras, Siennas and Avalons.  Toyota will
also build automatic transmissions for the first time in the U.S. for Camrys.
    Toyota's oldest manufacturing facility is New United Motor Manufacturing,
Inc. (NUMMI), the Fremont, Calif., joint venture with General Motors.  Since
1986, NUMMI has produced about 1.3 million Corollas.  Toyota light truck
production began at NUMMI in 1991.  Cumulative U.S. production of Toyota
trucks (now named Tacoma) is more than 861,000 units.
    As a member of the American business community since 1957, Toyota has made
a substantial investment in its U.S. operations.  Toyota's investment in U.S.
manufacturing facilities alone has grown to nearly $8 billion.  In addition,
Toyota buys more than $8 billion worth of parts and materials each year from
500 U.S. suppliers.  The U.S.'s fourth-largest auto manufacturer's investment
has stimulated more than 23,000 U.S. jobs and a U.S. payroll of $1.36 billion.

    U.S. Production through September 1998
    Camry:                   2,450,619
    Corolla:                 1,312,328
    Light Truck (Tacoma):      861,229
    Avalon:                    343,494
    Sienna:                     97,019

    Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc. was established in 1996 to
serve as the parent company to Toyota's North American manufacturing
operations.  Toyota now has six manufacturing affiliates in the U.S. and two
in Canada.