Most legacy car brands have a very interesting history. Most drivers are aware of their longevity, however, they have no idea of how big and influential some of those carmakers are. Car manufacturers established before the 1950s have usually changed the way we live today in ways that are unimaginable.

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Toyota, similarly to Honda, has been navigating through the years like a real champion. Producing some of the best cars for middle-income families, Toyota has conquered the world's car market and is now positioning itself as a serious contender to American and European car brands. With cars like the 2020 Camry TRD, Toyota is setting the tone for what is very likely to happen next: affordable and reliable sport sedans.

10 Garment

Via blog.bindandfold.com

Toyota is known worldwide for its affordable and long-lasting vehicles. Within the true car fans community, Toyota is known for its more energetic vehicles such as the Supra or the MR2. However, Toyota did not start off as the carmaker that it is today. Toyota was (and still is) involved in a much different business.

Via toyotatextilemachinery.com

Toyota was originally in the automated loom business. Providing fabric to businesses throughout Asia, Toyota was far from being the carmaker it is today. Despite Toyota's success in the car industry, the group never closed its textile business and is distributing its machines everywhere in the world, including the US.

9 Toyoda

Via global.toyota

The founder of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Sakichi Toyoda (left), is not the man that started the internationally renowned car company. His son, Kiichiro Toyoda (right), traveled to the US in the early 1930s and came back with the intention to replicate exactly what American carmakers were doing. In 1937, Toyoda Motors Corporation was established.

Via albawaba.com

Though the family name of the founder is Toyoda, the whole company was re-branded Toyota. As Toyota only takes eight strokes to write in Katakana, and that eight is a lucky number in Japan, the heads of the company went ahead with Toyota. Being superstitious paid off since the company is now of the most profitable in the world.

8 The First Toyota

Via favcars.com

Since the Japanese car industry was still nascent in the 1930s, the earliest Toyota models were greatly inspired by American and European cars. Though Toyota is now a widely respected car manufacturer worldwide, it is important to underline that they adopted the same business model Chinese companies are currently operating under.

RELATED: 10 Cars Toyota Is Most Proud Of (5 They Regret To This Day)

Via global.toyota

The Toyota AA was Toyota's first passenger car. Only 1404 units were produced between 1936 and 1942. Equipped with a 3.4L 6-cylinder engine producing 62hp, the AA was a very decent family car. It is absolutely astonishing to think that Toyota successfully replicated American cars and, to some extent, made a much better version.

7 38th Parallel

Via nytimes.com

The Korean War, also known as the Forgotten War, was triggered by the invasion of South Korea by the Marxist North Korean. As the Cold War was in full swing, the US army stepped in and supported the South Korean military by providing troops and the necessary equipment needed to wage an all-out war.

Via global.toyota

During the Korean War, Toyota was on the verge of bankruptcy. With the Japanese economy still recovering from World War 2, demand for specific goods was an all-time low. In 1950, Toyota only produced 300 trucks. In an effort to revive the Japanese brand and limit war expenditures, the US government ordered 5,000 trucks from Toyota.

6 Gamechanger

Via theglobeandmail.com

Toyota is the leader in automobile sales in Japan. The Camry is America's favorite sedan. The Corolla is one of the most popular small-sized sedans in developing countries. Toyota has crushed and is still crushing the competition. With cars like the Camry TRD, German and American car manufacturers must seriously reconsider their strategy if they want to remain competitive.

Via britannica.com

Toyota's success has led the Japanese government to rename a whole city after the company. It is pretty much the 1970 Detroit of Japan. Toyota does have a factory in the City of Toyota. It is unclear whether the main employer in the city is actually Toyota, but the stark contrast between Detroit and Toyota is astonishing.

5 Made In USA

Via toyota.com

Producing cars and shipping them to foreign markets can become cumbersome for a company the size of Toyota. Imagine shipping hundreds of thousands of Camrys, Corollas, and Tacomas every year. The costs associated with logistics, customs, and related fees may tremendously impact the company's revenues.

Via dallasnews.com

Following the introduction of the first Toyota vehicle on the US market in 1957, the company's sales skyrocketed. Fast-forward sixty-something years and Toyota has several plants nationwide and employs about 365,000. While GM is facing major lawsuits due to poor company policies, Toyota is growing slowly but surely.

4 Toyota: Built Tough

Via nwmsrocks.com

It is quite common to drive down the freeway and see some 20 plus-year-old Toyotas. When you think of it, 20 years ago was the year 2000. Feeling old yet? Well, Toyota cars last forever and most the cars sold 20 years ago are still in circulation. Talking about reliability.

RELATED: 10 Glaring Problems With Toyota Cars Everyone Ignores

3/4 view of a red toyota corolla
via Toyota

The reason Toyota was voted one of the most reliable car manufacturers in the world is quite obvious. When comparing a BMW 3-Series to a Camry released in 2000 with similar mileage, the 3-Series will tend to break down more often and need more maintenance. This is another reason why Toyota is increasingly popular: it is taking serious shots at German carmakers.

3 2011: Huge Milestone

Via masbukti.com

Most car fans have noticed the outrageous amount of Camrys and Tacomas on America's freeways. It seems like the most profitable dealerships are affiliated with Toyota. Toyota's are affordable and reliable after all. It is quite normal for people to purchase a vehicle that will not break the bank, especially when the job market is nothing like what it used to be.

RELATED: 15 Things We Just Found About The 2020 Toyota Tacoma

Via wikipedia.org

2011 was a celebration year for Toyota. The Japanese group became the third-largest producer of cars in the world behind GM and the Volkswagen Group. It is quite an amazing achievement for a company that started off making equipment for the textile industry.

2 Acquired Other Brands

Via motortrend.com

GM is composed of Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC. The Fiat-Chrysler Group is made of Chrysler, Fiat, Maserati, Dodge, and many more. Acquiring competing brands is not exclusive to western carmakers. There has been a lot of mergers and acquisitions in Japan as well.

Via carscoops.com

It is well-known that Toyota owns Lexus, the luxury branch of Toyota Motors Corporation. The group also owns Daihatsu, Hino, and recently defunct Scion. What is less known is that Toyota also has stakes in Fuji Industries, which is the parent company of Subaru. If Toyota keeps on acquiring more foreign market shares, it will be very likely that Subarus will become Toyotas. Only time will tell.

1 #1 In The Whole World

Via caranddriver.com

The Toyota Prius is the car that everybody loves to hate. The car is neither attractive nor fast. Despite all the hate, the Prius is a great gas saver with an amazing sound system. It is still America's favorite hybrid. The Prius may look harmless from the outside, but it sure destroyed the Chevrolet Volt.

2017 Toyota Highlander
Via edmunds.com

Thankfully, Toyota diversified its hybrid portfolio and released more manly looking vehicles. The carmaker was so successful that it became the world's largest manufacturer of hybrid cars with around 1.7 million hybrid cars on the world's roads. All in all, this may be explained by the fact that Toyota spends $1 million every hour in research and development.

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