You learn something new every day.

[adventureduo]

So i was at Yotamasters a couple days ago and their mechanic was a tech for Toyota for 30+ years. He's under my truck and points out something.

Looking from the front of your 80 series, get under the rig, peel the splash guard plastic back and look at what's stamped on your steering box.

TOYODA.

Apparently the first 2 years when they started in the states, this is what they were called. THey failed. Then they came back years later as Toyota.

I don't know what the truth is, but it was interesting to see nonetheless.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiji_Toyoda

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8534294.stm

 

[VanGo]

Thanks Dave! Adding this to the my Toyota "heritage/history" file.

 

[dwh]

Turn your car left and right, it will.

 

[Utah KJ]

That was the man's name.

 

[Viggen]

That was the man's name.

I thought everyone knew that? It was changed for pronunciation everywhere else. Same as other companies such as Hyundai. Its actually pronounced High-un-die but they found that Americans didnt like that so they launched the "Hyundai, like Sunday" campaing. Jeep is GP, etc...

 

[adventureduo]

Im sure i knew about it, but most likely forgot. The part that i thought was neat was when they showed me the steering box. Then they joked it was new/old stock

 

[RR1]

 

[Viggen]

Its on the cap of the metal powering steering reservoirs too. Its on my 60 in a couple places.

 

[Utah KJ]

I got to meet Dr Toyoda when I worked for Southeast Toyota Distributors back in the day. What you may not know is Toyota credited much of it's early success to an American named Jim Moran. It's said that he taught Toyota how to sell cars to Americans and in gratitude they offered him the distributorship for Toyota in the southeast. Southeast Toyota was the only privately owned Toyota Distributorship in the US. Jim Moran passed away on 4/2007 among the many distinctions in his long automotive career was an appearance on the cover of Time Magazine.
I have many inside historical stories about Toyota.

 

[Pskhaat]

...named Jim Moran...Southeast Toyota was the only privately owned Toyota Distributorship in the US

Man had some serious nice houses on the water ways in-and-around Miami I've drolled-at from the water. Quite successful.

 

[hks3sgte]

Toyoda ******

 

[Utah KJ]

His home was actually on the "Hillsboro Mile" in northern Broward Country and his last home was completed around 1990-1991 or so. His daughter Pat bought his old house up the road a piece and cruised in her Fountain boat called "Toyboata". Pat was President of SET. The family was more of a Broward & Palm Bch County kind of family.

I learned a lot about the automotive business (and business in general) from Jim Moran and credit him with much of the gangster that I've achieved to date.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

I thought everyone knew that? It was changed for pronunciation everywhere else. Same as other companies such as Hyundai. Its actually pronounced High-un-die but they found that Americans didnt like that so they launched the "Hyundai, like Sunday" campaing. Jeep is GP, etc...

Technically its hee-un-day.

 

[Pskhaat]

His home was actually on the "Hillsboro Mile" in northern Broward Country and his last home was completed around 1990-1991 or so. His daughter Pat bought his old house up the road a piece and cruised in her Fountain boat called "Toyboata". Pat was President of SET. The family was more of a Broward & Palm Bch County kind of family.

I believe I saw that house as I was heading out fishing. You sure they didn't have a property down in Miami, I'm quite certain my coast guard instructor (that was maybe 91'ish?) pointed it out to me on numerous occasions.

 

[Utah KJ]

No property in Miami that I was ever aware of. The JMFE (Jim Moran Family Enterprises) campus is located in Deerfield Beach, FL. They had a Hatteras that was used for taking important peeps on fishing trips that was normally docked in Hollywood which may have traveled through the area, but that's as close to Miami anything got. Mr Moran tried to lead a life out of the public eye so most people outside the camp didn't really know what they thought that they did.
One time, the Sun Sentinel did a story about who owned the 167' Feadship docked at Bahia Mar in Ft lauderdale. Someone in accounting there told the paper who owned the ship, how much it cost to dock it there for a year, and how often the vessel was used. The day after the story published, the ship was docked on the other side of the intercoastal at another hotel.
Mr Moran died in the only home I ever knew him to live in.