History of Automotive in Japan
The Japanese automotive industry is one of the largest in the world. Japan and the automotive industry is an industry that can easily compare with such powers as the USA, Germany, France or the United Kingdom. The Japanese automobile industry gained its greatest momentum in the 1960s and 1970s, although its history began a little earlier. It is very interesting and worth following!
Table of contents:
- What was the driving force behind the Japanese economy?
- Some car brands have more than a century of history
- Premiere of Toyota 2000GT
- Not just Toyota. Other brands are also gaining momentum.
Automotive in Japan — what was the driving force behind the Japanese economy?
World War II destroyed many national economies. It was no different in the case of Japan, which was literally thrown to its knees. However, the history of the automobile in Japan shows that, paradoxically, it was not long enough for it to begin to revive again and strengthen your position as before. Japan became a partner of the United States in the fight against communism, and later also America's military base. Thanks to this, it gained not only investment stability, but also co-financing, which it could use for reconstruction and development. The state was to be modernized and pulled into a market economy mode. This influenced the accelerated formation of roads and the development of industry.
Automotive history in Japan and more than a century of some brands
Which car brands are most associated with Japanese automotive? Surely everyone can name at least Honda, Toyota or Mitsubishi. The latter has more than a century of history. Mitsubishi, part of the Mitsubishi Group, was founded in 1870! It is also worth noting that many of these companies, such as Mitsubishi or Subaru have played a big role in the development of aviation and this is where they had their beginnings. This is proof of the vast experience associated with the construction of engines for various machines. Yes, as already mentioned, in a relatively short time after the end of the Second World War, Japan began to develop really quickly and efficiently. Thanks to this already at the end of the 60s of the twentieth century, the automotive industry in Japan was also able to chase away the development powers of the time, such as West Germany and get very close to the development of the United States.
Japan and automotive - the premiere of the Toyota 2000GT
1967 should be remembered by every Japanese car enthusiast. It was then that the Toyota 2000GT debuted, which was the first sports coupe. It was characterized by an original, distinctive style, and also performance. In a short time, it made New Toyota has earned the title of the Japanese supercar that many Japanese have dreamed of. And not only that, because this model has been used during some foreign film productions. He could be seen on the big screen, for example in “You Only Live Twice” starring Sean Connery. This is how it gained recognition all over the world! Currently, this model, in collaboration with Yamaha, has to pay up to $1.2 million.
When oil crises arose in the following years, which could have severely damaged the Japanese economy, it emerged with a defensive hand, thanks to a well-thought-out policy combined with the mobilization capabilities of domestic companies. The 1980s brought Japan what it had been waiting for so long, namely economic leadership in the world.
Automotive history in Japan - not just Toyota
Of course, the Japanese did not focus exclusively on the development of Toyota. In the 1950s, other brands were also gaining momentum. This is a period in the history of automotive in Japan, in which Honda and Subaru gained importance again. Other Toyota models, such as the Toyota BJ, also caught the eye. Its creators were inspired by Jeep MB. This gave rise to a series of Land Cruiser off-road cars. All car enthusiasts are certainly familiar with the popular Toyota Corolla. Its first version was created more than half a century ago, in 1966 to be exact!
Subaru began to develop for good in 1954, starting with the P-1 passenger car. The following year it changed its name to the Subaru 1500 and went into mass production. Shortly after, the company also introduced buses and smaller and cheaper variants of the Subaru 360 to the automotive market, which meant that more and more Japanese could afford their own car. The development of the automobile was slowly beginning to be noticeable throughout the country. Not far behind was Honda, which around the same time released the first model of its car called the Honda T360.
The history of automotive in Japan shows that although some time has passed since the beginning of the automotive adventure of the Japanese, they continue to work on refining their projects. Cars are expected to be safer, more modern, but also cheaper. For example, the Subaru company spent many years designing a four-wheel drive car. Thus, it was the first to introduce such vehicles into mass production.
They dream of you Cars from Japan? Be sure to check how the whole process of bringing the car looks like. If you are interested in:
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