Toyota

shifts into top gear

JAPAN’S Toyota corporation is emerging a frontrunner in the re gion’s car manufacturing with a massive expansion in Australia in a SA42O million (SUS3I7 million) state of-art plant.

It follovys Toyota’s record output and sales performance in recent years. Toyota won the prestigious Australian Quality Award last year and became the only Pacific manufacturer to do so. It Won because of low cost (fuel) vehicles, especially cars it makes and outsells competitors in the Pacific.

Toyota’s expansion ironically co

incides with the closure of a giant Nissan Motors manufacturing plant in the State of Victoria - the heartland of car manufacturing in Australia.

Australian minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce, Senator John Button, said at the opening of a international motor show recently that despite the Nissan closure and a general slow-down in the motor industry in Australia and the Pacific, there is room for growth and expansion in manufactur ing to supply the region.

“1 cannot contemplate Australia as a society without a motor industry. It has become central to much of our manufac turing,” he said.

Button warned, however, that it was important to keep check on prices of Australian-made cars against those im

ported directly from Japan or Europe.

Prices of Australian-produced cars rose three per cent above CPI in 1991 and also two per cent above the increase on imported cars.

Toyota joined forces with world auto motive industry giant, General Motors Corporation in March to enter in new manufacturing schemes in Australia. The two companies admit that the marriage of manufacturing and marketing con venience has been on the cards since July, 1989.

The deal is designed to improve long term productivity for both companies.

For the past three years both Holden and Toyota have been involved in a mutually beneficial model sharing programme.

Nissan, meanwhile, is closing dozens of dealers around Australia and the Pacific in a clean-up campaign before the company ends its Australian manufac-

Hiring operations in October.

Toyota has been increasing its other business in the Pacific islands through an involvement in” Burns Philp (South Seas)

Company Limited.

Last May (1991) Toyota Tsusho struck a deal with BP by buying out 25.5 per cent of the South Seas Company.

The company has since been streamlin ing operations, selling out of the mer chandising and hardware business but strengthening its motoring division.

Last January when it sold out the bulk of its century-old business in Vanuatu, Toyota took over Vanuatu Motors.

Typical Toyota pride: Designed for the sports car connoisseur.