Shoichiro Toyoda was a Japanese automotive executive and son of Toyota Motors founder Kiichiro Toyoda. He is credited with the success of Toyota’s modern global expansion.
- Died: February 14, 2023 (Who else died on February 14?)
- Details of death: Died of heart failure at the age of 97.
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A life in the car business
Born in 1925 to a family of Japanese business titans, Shoichiro Toyoda joined his father’s growing automotive firm in 1952. The analytically-minded “Dr. Toyoda” – a nickname acknowledging Toyoda’s doctoral thesis on fuel injection – quickly rose through the ranks. When the company’s production and sales organizations merged in 1982, Toyoda was named as the first president of the new Toyota Motor Corporation, a title he held until 1992. Toyoda remained active in the company’s executive leadership, serving as Chairman from 1992-1999 and honorary chairman thereafter.
Toyoda is credited with leading the aggressive Toyota expansion into struggling U.S. markets during the mid-1980s. His devotion to detail turned Toyota’s streamlined production techniques and quality-control practices into the industry standards, and launched Toyota into the top ranks of global car manufacturers. Historical successes under his leadership include the launch of the luxury-brand Lexus in 1989 and the first hybrid car, the Prius, in 1997. He was inducted into the U.S. Automotive Hall of Fame in 2007.
Tributes to Shoichiro Toyoda
Full obituary: The Washington Post
