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Toyota, like many other Japanese companies, is a member of a large group of companies. While still under Toyota Industries, they created the first Type A engine in 1934. In 1936, the Toyota AA passenger vehicle was produced. Kiichiro Toyoda eventually formally founded the company in 1937 and branched off from his father's company (Toyota Industries). During World War II, Toyota played their part aiding their countrymen by manufacturing military vehicles. To speed up production and cope with shortages, military trucks were manufactured with one headlight among other cutbacks. After the war as Toyota began to rebuild it self, they started to expand beyond Japan with facilities popping up in Thailand and Australia. Toyota was on their way to becoming a worldwide powerhouse. They now have facilities on nearly every continent, excluding only Antarctica.
Some of Toyota's most famous vehicles are the AE86 Corolla and the JZA80 MKIV Supra. The AE86 was made popular by the Japanese cartoon Initial D which glorifies drift racing in the Japanese mountain passes. With the near perfect weight ratio, the AE86 was a true sports car of it's time. The JZA80 Supra became a hit due to it's sheer power output and upgradability. With only the most basic bolt on upgrades, one could push the power output of the 2JZ-GTE to well over 500HP. Toyota now offers a fleet of fuel efficient passenger cars and trucks. There are rumors of a collaboration with Subaru to release another rear wheel drive sports car that would get back to Toyota's roots.
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