Discourse from Kiichiro, as penned by Morizo: An Epistle from Kiichiro

Toyota's Founder Inducted into Automotive Hall of Fame

In a momentous occasion, Kiichiro Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Motor Corporation, was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame during a period of significant transformation for the industry. This honour was received during the tenure of Akio Toyoda, also known as Morizo, Kiichiro's grandson and the current successor to Toyota.

The induction held a special significance for Morizo, who expressed his gratitude for the commendation received by Toyota during his time. He saw it as a testament to the legacy left by his grandfather, whose vision and determination played a crucial role in shaping the global automobile industry.

Kiichiro's journey began with a desire to "create domestic cars and establish an automobile industry in Japan." Despite facing numerous challenges, including a lack of funds, political instability, and labour disputes, he and his colleagues persevered and started making cars. However, they did not see the positive results of their efforts in their lifetimes.

Inspired by the sight of cars in the U.S. during one of his visits, Kiichiro was driven to transform Toyota from an automatic loom company into a car manufacturer. His influence extended far beyond Toyota, significantly impacting the development of the global automobile industry.

Morizo, who refers to Kiichiro as "Kiichiro," has carried on his grandfather's legacy. In January, he visited Detroit, home of the automotive industry, to unveil the new Supra at an auto show. During his visit, he also paid respects to Kiichiro at his tomb and prayed to fulfill his dreams.

Reflecting on his visit, Morizo compared Toyota's transformation from an automatic loom company to a car company to the importance of working to be ever better, even without the prospect of immediate success. He expressed the desire for everyone at Toyota to fight for the future instead of being too consumed with previous successes.

Morizo also congratulated Kiichiro and thanked him for helping him realize what is truly important. He visited the Automotive Hall of Fame while in Detroit, feeling that it was akin to Kiichiro cheering for him from afar during this once-in-a-century period of transformation.

The content of this article was originally posted on Toyota's intranet on July 10, 2018.