68 Years Ago, Toyota Arrived in America

The extraordinary story of Toyota in the USA, from a timid start to an indispensable automotive empire

On October 31, 1957, Toyota created its American subsidiary, Toyota Motor Sales USA, marking the beginning of a commercial adventure that few took seriously at the time. In an America dominated by local giants Ford, Chevrolet, and Chrysler, the arrival of a Japanese manufacturer sparked more curiosity than concern. And for good reason: in its first year, Toyota sold only 287 cars across the entire United States, most of them Crowns, a model considered sluggish, expensive, and unsuitable for the vast American roads.

Nothing at the time suggested that the brand would become, a few decades later, the world’s leading car manufacturer and a pillar of the American market. The path was long: Toyota had to completely rethink its approach, design more powerful, reliable models better adapted to local tastes. Japanese patience and discipline eventually paid off. In the 1970s, amid the oil crisis, the reliability and fuel efficiency of small Japanese cars appealed to an American audience disillusioned by the gluttony of domestic V8s.

From there, the progress was unstoppable. Toyota set up local factories, developed models specifically aimed at the North American market—such as the Camry, Corolla, and RAV4—and imposed its quality standards. Today, the manufacturer employs over 45,000 people in the United States and produces several million vehicles on American soil each year.

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The irony of history: where Toyota had sold only a few hundred cars in 1957, the brand now sells over two million vehicles a year just in the United States. From exotic pariah, it has become a major player in the American economy, a symbol of reliability and environmental respect.

A clever rebuke to those who, 68 years ago, thought America would never embrace Japanese cars.

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