23 April 2008
TOYOTA PRODUCES 2.5-MILLIONTH CAR IN AUSTRALIA
Toyota Australia’s manufacturing plant at Altona in Melbourne this week produced
the company’s two-and-a-half millionth car.
The milestone vehicle – a white Toyota Camry Grande – was driven off the
production line 45 years after Toyota Australia built its first car. Of the 2.5 million cars
made in Australia, more than 650,000 have been exported, mainly to the Middle East.
Last year, Toyota Australia manufactured a record of almost 150,000 cars – an
increase of more than 35,000 over its previous best in 2003.
Toyota produces the Camry, the only four-cylinder car built in Australia and the six
cylinder Aurion passenger sedans for domestic and export markets at the Altona
plant. In 2007, exports were a record 97,688, earning $1.7 billion.
Since 2002, Toyota has invested more than $1 billion to develop its manufacturing
operations at Altona.
The plant employs about 3,500 people and invests more than $1.7 billion with local
suppliers every year.
Toyota has built nine models in Australia, starting in 1963 with the 1.5-litre, four-
cylinder Tiara.
It was followed by the Crown, Corona, Corolla, Camry, Avalon and Aurion as well as
the Holden Nova (based on Corolla) and Apollo (Camry).
The rate of vehicle manufacturing by Toyota has been accelerating in Australia.
It took from 1963 until 1992 to produce one million cars, 12 years to produce the
second million and just four years to lift the total to 2.5 million.
Production has occurred at plants in Port Melbourne, Dandenong and – since 1994 –
at Australia’s newest car-making plant in Altona.
Camry is the most successful production model with output topping 1.3 million –
more than twice that of any other model.
Camry production last year set a new record for Toyota Australia of 111,891 cars. A
further 37,040 V6 Aurions were also produced.
-ends-
For further information please contact:
Glenn Campbell
Manager Public Affairs
03 9647 4557
0417 381 692
NEWS 
