Toyota manufactures 2 millionth car for Aust market

Toyota Australia is celebrating a manufacturing milestone, having produced and sold its two millionth locally built car for the domestic market. The achievement coincides with Toyota’s 50th anniversary of car manufacturing in Australia.

It took the company 29 years to produce its first million locally built cars for the Australian market, and 21 years for the second million. Toyota has also built more than one million cars for export since 1986.

The Toyota Camry - the country’s best-selling, mid-sized car - has been built here since 1987. Production of the V6 Aurion began in 2006 and the Camry Hybrid in 2009. Toyota is the first-and-only vehicle manufacturer to build a hybrid car in Australia.

In 2012, Toyota delivered more than 101,000 cars from the Altona plant, of which approximately 70% were exported. Last year, total production of Toyota cars in Australia passed the three million mark, including 1.03 million for overseas customers and almost 1.98 million sold locally.

Tony Cramb, the company’s executive director sales and marketing, said the milestone underlines the contribution Toyota is making to the Australian economy, manufacturing sector, jobs and the future.

“This achievement is the latest demonstration that Toyota is building cars in Australia with the quality, technology, performance, fuel economy and value demanded by local and overseas buyers,” Cramb said.

“We have been doing that for half a century - and our employees, suppliers and dealers are committed to continuing to make their vital contributions to Australia.”

Australia was the first country outside Japan to build Toyota engines, commencing in 1978. In late 2012, Toyota opened a new engine plant in Altona.