Toyota

Abstract

Toyota Motors is Japan’s top carmaker and holds about 10 per cent of the global market share. However it was not until 1999 that Toyota was listed among the top 10 brands in Europe, following Nissan’s entry to the top 10 the previous year (both companies entered at ninth place). Despite this, Toyota’s market share in Europe is still a modest 3 per cent.¹ As the birthplace of the ‘horseless carriage’, Europe has a long history of motoring culture, and each country retains its distinct market features. Moreover Europe, along with the United States, is home to powerful car manufacturers that are expected to play a leading part in global competition in the twenty-first century. The following sections analyse the strategies and operational methods Toyota has deployed in its operations in Europe, with a particular focus on its production system.²