Automotive industry in Japan explained

The automotive industry in Japan is one of the most prominent and largest industries in the world. Japan has been in the top three of the countries with the most cars manufactured since the 1960s, surpassing Germany. The automotive industry in Japan rapidly increased from the 1970s to the 1990s (when it was oriented both for domestic use and worldwide export) and in the 1980s and 1990s, overtook the U.S. as the production leader with up to 13 million cars per year manufactured and significant exports. After massive ramp-up by China in the 2000s and fluctuating U.S. output, Japan is currently the third largest automotive producer in the world with an annual production of 9.9 million automobiles in 2012.[1] Japanese investments helped grow the auto industry in many countries throughout the last few decades.

Japanese business conglomerates began building their first automobiles in the middle to late 1910s. The companies went about this by either designing their own trucks (the market for passenger vehicles in Japan at the time was small), or partnering with a European brand to produce and sell their cars in Japan under license. Such examples of this are Isuzu partnering with Wolseley Motors (UK), Nissan partnering with British automaker Austin, and the Mitsubishi Model A, which was based upon the Fiat Tipo 3. The demand for domestic trucks was greatly increased by the Japanese military buildup before World War II, causing many Japanese manufacturers to break out of their shells and design their own vehicles. In the 1970s Japan was the pioneer in the use of robotics in the manufacturing of vehicles.

The country is home to a number of companies that produce cars, construction vehicles, motorcycles, ATVs, and engines. Japanese automotive manufacturers include Toyota, Honda, Daihatsu, Nissan, Suzuki, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Isuzu, Hino, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Mitsuoka. Infiniti, Acura, and Lexus are luxury brands of Nissan, Honda and Toyota, respectively.

Cars designed in Japan have won the European Car of the Year, International Car of the Year, and World Car of the Year awards many times. Japanese vehicles have had worldwide influence, and no longer have the stigma they had in the 1950s and 1960s when they first emerged internationally, due to a dedicated focus on continual product and process improvement led by Toyota as well as the use of the Five Whys technique and the early adoption of the Lean Six Sigma methodology. Japanese cars are also built in compliance with Japanese Government dimension regulations and engine displacement is further regulated by road tax bracket regulations, which also affects any imported cars sold in Japan.

History

Early years

In 1904, Torao Yamaha produced the first domestically manufactured bus, which was powered by a steam engine. In 1907, Komanosuke Uchiyama produced the Takuri, the first entirely Japanese-made gasoline engine car. The Kunisue Automobile Works built the Kunisue in 1910, and the following year manufactured the Tokyo in cooperation with Tokyo Motor Vehicles Ltd. In 1911, Kaishinsha Motorcar Works was established and later began manufacturing a car called the DAT. In 1920, Jitsuyo Jidosha Seizo Co., founded by William R. Gorham, began building the Gorham and later the Lila. The company merged with Kaishinsha in 1926 to form the DAT Automobile Manufacturing Co. (later to evolve into Nissan Motors). From 1924 to 1927, Hakuyosha Ironworks Ltd. built the Otomo. Toyota, a textile manufacturer, began building cars in 1936. Most early vehicles, however, were trucks produced under military subsidy. Isuzu, Yanmar and Daihatsu initially focused on diesel engine development.

Cars built in Japan before World War II tended to be based on European or American models. The 1917 Mitsubishi Model A was based on the Fiat A3-3 design. (This model was considered to be the first mass-produced car in Japan, with 22 units produced.) In the 1930s, Nissan Motors' cars were based on the Austin 7 and Graham-Paige designs, while the Toyota AA model was based on the Chrysler Airflow. Ohta built cars in the 1930s based on Ford models, while Chiyoda and Sumida, a predecessor of Isuzu, built cars resembling General Motors products 1935 Pontiac, and 1930s LaSalle.[2] [3]

Automobile manufacture from Japanese companies was struggling, despite investment efforts by the Japanese Government. The 1923 Great Kantō earthquake devastated most of Japan's fledgling infrastructure and truck and construction equipment manufacturing benefited from recovery efforts. Yanase & Co., Ltd. (株式会社ヤナセ Yanase Kabushiki gaisha) was an importer of American-made cars to Japan and contributed to disaster recovery efforts by importing GMC trucks and construction equipment. By bringing in American products, Japanese manufacturers were able to examine the imported vehicles and develop their own products.

Transportation and mobilization in the early 1900s was largely monopolized by the Japanese Government's Ministry of Railways, and private automobile companies emerged to further modernize the transportation infrastructure.

From 1925 until the beginning of World War II, Ford and GM[4] had factories in the country and they dominated the Japanese market. The Ford Motor Company of Japan was established in 1925 and a production plant was set up in Yokohama. General Motors established operations in Osaka in 1927. Chrysler also came to Japan and set up Kyoritsu Motors.[5] Between 1925 and 1936, the United States Big Three automakers' Japanese subsidiaries produced a total of 208,967 vehicles, compared to the domestic producers total of 12,127 vehicles. In 1936, the Japanese government passed the Automobile Manufacturing Industry Law, which was intended to promote the domestic auto industry and reduce foreign competition; ironically, this stopped the groundbreaking of an integrated Ford plant in Yokohama, modeled on Dagenham in England and intended to serve the Asian market, that would have established Japan as a major exporter. Instead by 1939, the foreign manufacturers had been forced out of Japan. Under the direction of the Imperial Japanese Government, the fledgling vehicle production efforts were redirected to heavy duty truck production due to the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Isuzu TX was the result of three Japanese companies combining efforts to manufacture a standardized, military grade heavy duty truck.[6] [7]

During World War II, Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu and Kurogane built trucks and motorcycles for the Imperial Japanese Army, with Kurogane introducing the world's first mass-produced four-wheel-drive car, called the Kurogane Type 95 in 1936. For the first decade after World War II, auto production was limited, and until 1966 most production consisted of trucks (including three-wheeled vehicles). Thereafter passenger cars dominated the market. Japanese car designs also continued to imitate or be derived from European and American designs.[8] Exports were very limited in the 1950s, adding up to only 3.1% of the total passenger car production of the decade.

1960s to today

In the 1960s Japanese manufacturers began to compete head-on in the domestic market, model for model. This was exemplified by the "CB-war" between the most popular compact sedans called the Toyota Corona and the Nissan Bluebird. While this initially led to benefits for consumers, before long R&D expenditures swelled and other companies offered competing compact sedans from Mazda, Subaru, Isuzu, Daihatsu and Mitsubishi. Towards the late 1980s and early 1990s Japanese automobile manufacturers had entered a stage of "Hyper-design" and "Hyper-equipment"; an arms race leading to less competitive products albeit produced in a highly efficient manner.[9]

During the 1960s, Japanese automakers launched a bevy of new kei cars in their domestic market; scooters and motorcycles remained dominant, with sales of 1.47 million in 1960 versus a mere 36,000 kei cars.[10] These tiny automobiles usually featured very small engines (under 360cc, but were sometimes fitted with engines of up to 600cc for export) to keep taxes much lower than larger cars. The average person in Japan was now able to afford an automobile, which boosted sales dramatically and jumpstarted the auto industry toward becoming what it is today. The first of this new era, actually launched in 1958, was the Subaru 360. It was known as the "Lady Beetle", comparing its significance to the Volkswagen Beetle in Germany. Other significant models were the Suzuki Fronte, Daihatsu Fellow Max, Mitsubishi Minica, Mazda Carol, and the Honda N360.

The keis were very minimalist motoring, however, much too small for most family car usage. The most popular economy car segment in the sixties was the 700-800 cc class, embodied by the Toyota Publica, Mitsubishi Colt 800, and the original Mazda Familia. By the end of the sixties, however, these (often two-stroke) cars were being replaced by full one-litre cars with four-stroke engines, a move which was spearheaded by Nissan's 1966 Sunny.[11] All other manufacturers quickly followed suit, except for Toyota who equipped their Corolla with a 1.1-litre engine - the extra 100 cc were heavily touted in period advertising. These small family cars took a bigger and bigger share of an already expanding market. All vehicles sold in Japan were taxed yearly based on exterior dimensions and engine displacement. This was established by legislation passed in 1950 that established tax brackets on two classifications; dimension regulations and engine displacement. The taxes were a primary consideration as to which vehicles were selected by Japanese consumers, and guided manufacturers as to what type of vehicles the market would buy.

Export expansion

Exports of passenger cars increased nearly two hundred-fold in the sixties compared to the previous decade, and were now up to 17.0 percent of the total production. This though, was still only the beginning. Rapidly increasing domestic demand and the expansion of Japanese car companies into foreign markets in the 1970s further accelerated growth. Effects of the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo accelerated vehicle exports along with the exchange rate of the Japanese yen to the U.S. Dollar, UK Pound, and West German Deutsche Mark. Passenger car exports rose from 100,000 in 1965 to 1,827,000 in 1975. Automobile production in Japan continued to increase rapidly after the 1970s, as Mitsubishi (as Dodge vehicles) and Honda began selling their vehicles in the US. Even more brands came to America and abroad during the 1970s, and by the 1980s, the Japanese manufacturers were gaining a major foothold in the US and world markets.

In the early 1970s, the Japanese electronics manufacturers began producing integrated circuits (ICs), microprocessors and microcontrollers for the automobile industry, including ICs and microcontrollers for in-car entertainment, automatic wipers, electronic locks, dashboard, and engine control. The Japanese automobile industry widely adopted ICs years before the American automobile industry.[12]

Japanese cars became popular with British buyers in the early 1970s, with Nissan's Datsun badged cars (the Nissan brand was not used on British registered models until 1983) proving especially popular and earning a reputation in Britain for their reliability and low running costs, although rust was a major problem. Exports were successful enough that Japanese cars were considered a severe threat to many national car industries, such as Italy, France, the United Kingdom, as well as the United States. Import quotas were imposed in several countries, limiting the sales of Japanese-made cars to 3 percent of the overall market in France and 1.5 percent in Italy.[13] As for the United States, the Japanese government was pressured to agree to annual export quotas beginning in 1981.[14] In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Japanese importers made gentlemen's agreements to limit import in an effort to forestall stricter official quotas. As a result, Japanese manufacturers expanded local production of cars, establishing plants across North America and Europe while also taking advantage of plants already created in third countries not covered by the quotas. Thus, South African-built Daihatsu Charades were sold in Italy and a number of Australian-made Mitsubishis found their way to North America and Europe.

World leader

With Japanese manufacturers producing very affordable, reliable, and popular cars throughout the 1990s, Japan became the largest car producing nation in the world in 2000. However, its market share has decreased slightly in recent years, particularly due to old and new competition from South Korea, China and India. Nevertheless, Japan's car industry continues to flourish, its market share has risen again, and in the first quarter of 2008 Toyota surpassed American General Motors to become the world's largest car manufacturer.[15] Today, Japan is the third largest automobile market (below the United States and China) and is the second largest car producer in the world with its branded cars being among the most used ones internationally. Automobile export remains one of the country's most profitable exports and is a cornerstone of recovery plan for the latest economic crisis. In 2019 Japan was the second largest car exporter in the world.

Timeline

Statistics

Production volumes by manufacturer

See main article: List of Japanese automobile manufacturers.

The following are vehicle production volumes for Japanese vehicle manufacturers, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).[17]

Passenger cars
Manufacturer2007200820092010201120122022[18] 2023
Toyota3,849,353 3,631,146 2,543,715 2,993,714 2,473,546 3,170,0002,656,009
Suzuki1,061,767 1,059,456 758,057 915,391 811,689 896,781919,891
Daihatsu648,289 641,322 551,275 534,586 479,956 633,887869,161
Mazda952,290 1,038,725 693,598 893,323 798,060 830,294734,833
Honda1,288,577 1,230,621 812,298 941,558 687,948 996,832643,973
Subaru403,428 460,515 357,276 437,443 366,518 551,812562,601
Nissan982,870 1,095,661 780,495 1,008,160 1,004,666 1,035,726559,314
Mitsubishi758,038 770,667 365,447 586,187 536,142 448,598440,762
Other25 30 0 0 0 0-
Total9,944,637 9,928,143 6,862,161 8,310,362 7,158,525 8,554,2197,386,544
Trucks
Manufacturer200720082009
Toyota291,008 271,544 178,954
Suzuki156,530 158,779 150,245
Daihatsu138,312 151,935 132,980
Isuzu236,619 250,692 118,033
Nissan188,788 189,005 109,601
Mitsubishi88,045 83,276 61,083
Hino101,909 101,037 62,197
Subaru72,422 64,401 51,123
Mitsubishi Fuso131,055 115,573 49,485
Honda43,268 33,760 28,626
Mazda43,221 39,965 23,577
UD Trucks44,398 45,983 18,652
Other2,445 2,449 545
Total1,538,020 1,508,399 985,101
Buses
Manufacturer200720082009
Toyota85,776 109,698 69,605
Mitsubishi Fuso10,225 10,611 4,982
Nissan7,422 8,416 4,479
Hino4,984 5,179 4,473
Isuzu3,668 3,221 2,077
UD Trucks1,595 1,977 1,179
Total113,670 139,102 86,795

Sales rank

Regular cars


Source:[19]
YearModels and Ranking
1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th
1990Toyota CorollaToyota Mark IIToyota CrownToyota CarinaToyota CoronaNissan SunnyHonda CivicMazda FamiliaToyota StarletToyota Sprinter
1991Toyota CorollaToyota Mark IIHonda CivicToyota CrownToyota CarinaNissan SunnyToyota CoronaToyota StarletToyota SprinterNissan Bluebird
1992Toyota CorollaToyota Mark IIToyota CrownHonda CivicNissan SunnyToyota StarletToyota CarinaToyota CoronaNissan MarchToyota Sprinter
1993Toyota CorollaToyota Mark IINissan MarchNissan SunnyToyota CrownHonda CivicToyota StarletToyota EstimaToyota SprinterToyota Carina
1994Toyota CorollaToyota Mark IINissan MarchHonda CivicToyota CrownNissan SunnyToyota EstimaToyota StarletToyota CarinaToyota Sprinter
1995Toyota CorollaNissan MarchToyota CrownHonda OdysseyToyota Mark IIHonda CivicToyota EstimaNissan SunnyToyota StarletToyota Sprinter
1996Toyota CorollaToyota CrownNissan MarchToyota StarletToyota Mark IIHonda OdysseyHonda CR-VToyota EstimaNissan SunnySubaru Legacy
1997Toyota CorollaNissan MarchToyota Mark IIToyota StarletHonda StepwgnToyota CrownToyota IpsumToyota EstimaMazda DemioHonda Odyssey
1998Toyota CorollaNissan CubeMazda DemioNissan MarchToyota StarletHonda StepwgnToyota Mark IIToyota CrownMitsubishi Chariot GrandisNissan Sunny
1999Toyota CorollaToyota VitzHonda StepwgnToyota CrownMazda DemioNissan CubeToyota Mark IISubaru LegacyNissan MarchToyota TownAce Noah
2000Toyota CorollaToyota VitzToyota EstimaHonda OdysseyToyota FunCargoToyota CrownToyota bBNissan CubeHonda StepwgnMazda Demio
2001Toyota CorollaToyota VitzHonda StreamToyota EstimaHonda StepwgnHonda FitToyota CrownNissan CubeHonda OdysseyToyota FunCargo
2002Honda FitToyota CorollaNissan MarchToyota IstToyota VitzToyota NoahToyota EstimaToyota VoxyNissan CubeHonda Mobilio
2003Toyota CorollaHonda FitToyota WishNissan CubeNissan MarchToyota IstMazda DemioToyota NoahToyota AlphardToyota Estima
2004[20] Toyota CorollaHonda FitNissan CubeToyota WishToyota CrownNissan MarchHonda OdysseyToyota IstToyota AlphardToyota Noah
2005[21] Toyota CorollaToyota VitzHonda FitNissan TiidaNissan NoteToyota WishHonda StepwgnToyota PassoToyota AlphardToyota Crown
2006[22] Toyota CorollaToyota VitzHonda FitToyota EstimaNissan SerenaHonda StepwgnToyota WishToyota RactisToyota PassoToyota Crown
2007[23] Toyota CorollaToyota VitzHonda FitToyota PassoNissan SerenaToyota EstimaToyota VoxyMazda DemioNissan TiidaToyota Noah
2008Honda FitToyota CorollaToyota VitzToyota CrownToyota PriusNissan SerenaToyota PassoToyota VoxyNissan TiidaMazda Demio
2009[24] Toyota VitzHonda FitToyota VitzToyota PassoHonda InsightToyota CorollaHonda FreedNissan SerenaToyota VoxyNissan Note
2010[25] Toyota PriusHonda FitToyota VitzToyota CorollaHonda FreedToyota PassoHonda StepwgnNissan SerenaToyota VoxyNissan Note
2011[26] Toyota PriusHonda FitToyota VitzNissan SerenaToyota CorollaHonda FreedMazda DemioToyota RactisToyota PassoNissan March
2012[27] Toyota PriusToyota AquaHonda FitHonda FreedToyota VitzNissan SerenaNissan NoteToyota CorollaHonda StepwgnToyota Vellfire
2013[28] Toyota AquaToyota PriusHonda FitNissan NoteToyota CorollaNissan SerenaToyota VitzToyota CrownHonda FreedHonda Stepwgn
2014[29] Toyota AquaHonda FitToyota PriusToyota CorollaToyota VoxyNissan NoteHonda VezelToyota VitzNissan SerenaToyota Noah
2015[30] Toyota AquaToyota PriusHonda FitToyota CorollaNissan NoteToyota VoxyToyota VitzMazda DemioHonda VezelToyota Sienta
2016[31] Toyota PriusToyota AquaToyota SientaHonda FitNissan NoteToyota VoxyToyota CorollaHonda VezelNissan SerenaToyota Vitz
2017[32] Toyota PriusNissan NoteToyota AquaToyota C-HRHonda FreedHonda FitToyota SientaToyota VitzToyota VoxyNissan Serena
2018[33] Nissan NoteToyota AquaToyota PriusNissan SerenaToyota SientaToyota VoxyHonda FitToyota CorollaToyota VitzToyota Roomy
2019[34] Toyota PriusNissan NoteToyota SientaToyota CorollaToyota AquaNissan SerenaToyota RoomyToyota VoxyHonda FreedToyota Vitz
2020[35] Toyota YarisToyota RaizeToyota CorollaHonda FitToyota AlphardToyota RoomyHonda FreedToyota SientaNissan NoteToyota Voxy
2021[36] Toyota YarisToyota RoomyToyota CorollaToyota AlphardNissan NoteToyota RaizeToyota HarrierToyota AquaToyota VoxyHonda Freed
2022[37] Toyota YarisToyota CorollaNissan NoteToyota RoomyToyota RaizeHonda FreedToyota AquaToyota SientaHonda FitToyota Alphard
2023[38] Toyota YarisToyota CorollaToyota SientaNissan NoteToyota Roomy Toyota PriusToyota NoahToyota VoxyToyota AquaHonda Freed
1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th
See also : Best-selling models in

Kei cars

YearModels and Ranking
1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th
2005[39] Suzuki Wagon RDaihatsu MoveSuzuki AltoHonda LifeDaihatsu MiraDaihatsu TantoMitsubishi eKNissan MocoHonda That'sSuzuki Kei
2006[40] Suzuki Wagon RDaihatsu MoveSuzuki AltoDaihatsu TantoHonda LifeDaihatsu MiraHonda ZestMitsubishi eKNissan MocoSuzuki MR Wagon
2007[41] Suzuki Wagon RDaihatsu MoveDaihatsu TantoDaihatsu MiraHonda LifeSuzuki AltoNissan MocoMitsubishi eKSubaru StellaHonda Zest
2008[42] Suzuki Wagon RDaihatsu MoveDaihatsu TantoHonda LifeDaihatsu MiraSuzuki PaletteSuzuki AltoNissan MocoMitsubishi eKSubaru Stella
2009[43] Suzuki Wagon RDaihatsu MoveDaihatsu TantoDaihatsu MiraSuzuki AltoSuzuki PaletteHonda LifeNissan RooxHonda ZestNissan Moco
2010[44] Suzuki Wagon RDaihatsu TantoDaihatsu MoveSuzuki AltoDaihatsu MiraSuzuki PaletteHonda LifeNissan MocoNissan RooxHonda Zest
2011[45] Suzuki Wagon RDaihatsu MoveDaihatsu TantoDaihatsu MiraSuzuki AltoHonda LifeNissan MocoSuzuki PaletteNissan RooxMitsubishi eK
2012[46] Daihatsu MiraHonda N-BoxSuzuki Wagon RDaihatsu TantoDaihatsu MoveSuzuki AltoNissan MocoSuzuki PaletteNissan RooxHonda Life
2013[47] Honda N-BoxDaihatsu MoveSuzuki Wagon RDaihatsu MiraDaihatsu TantoSuzuki AltoHonda N-OneSuzuki SpaciaNissan DayzNissan Moco
2014[48] Daihatsu TantoHonda N-BoxSuzuki Wagon RNissan DayzHonda N-WGNDaihatsu MiraDaihatsu MoveSuzuki SpaciaSuzuki AltoSuzuki Hustler
2015[49] Honda N-BoxDaihatsu TantoNissan DayzDaihatsu MoveSuzuki AltoSuzuki Wagon RHonda N-WGNSuzuki HustlerDaihatsu MiraSuzuki Spacia
2016[50] Honda N-BoxDaihatsu MoveNissan DayzDaihatsu TantoSuzuki AltoHonda N-WGNSuzuki HustlerSuzuki SpaciaDaihatsu MiraSuzuki Wagon R
2017Honda N-BoxDaihatsu MoveDaihatsu TantoNissan DayzSuzuki Wagon RSuzuki SpaciaDaihatsu MiraSuzuki AltoHonda N-WGNSuzuki Hustler
2018Honda N-BoxSuzuki SpaciaNissan DayzDaihatsu TantoDaihatsu MoveDaihatsu MiraSuzuki Wagon RSuzuki HustlerSuzuki AltoHonda N-WGN
2019[51] Honda N-BoxDaihatsu TantoSuzuki SpaciaNissan DayzDaihatsu MoveDaihatsu MiraSuzuki Wagon RSuzuki AltoSuzuki HustlerMitsubishi eK
2020[52] Honda N-BoxSuzuki SpaciaDaihatsu TantoDaihatsu MoveNissan DayzSuzuki HustlerDaihatsu MiraNissan RooxHonda N-WGNSuzuki Wagon R
2021[53] Honda N-BoxSuzuki SpaciaDaihatsu TantoDaihatsu MoveNissan RooxSuzuki HustlerSuzuki Wagon RDaihatsu MiraDaihatsu TaftSuzuki Alto
2022[54] Honda N-BoxDaihatsu Tanto Suzuki SpaciaDaihatsu MoveSuzuki Wagon R Nissan RooxSuzuki HustlerSuzuki AltoDaihatsu MirrorDaihatsu Taft
1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th
See also : Best-selling models in

See also

Further reading

Videos:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Toyota raises profits forecast as recovery continues, BBC News, 7 February 2012 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16923619
  2. The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles by David Burgess Wise; Wellfleet Press; Secaucus, New Jersey 1992
  3. Automobiles of the World by Joseph H. Wherry; Chilton Book Company; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1968
  4. http://www.autonews.com/article/20080914/ANA03/809150388/gm-had-early-start-in-japan-but-was-hobbled-by-nationalism GM early history in Japan
  5. Web site: About Kyoritsu. Kyoritsu Seiki Co. Ltd.. 22 December 2016.
  6. Cars of the Thirties and Forties by Michael Sedgwick; Crescent Books;
  7. "Remade in Japan" Los Angeles Times June 6, 1996 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-06-02-fi-11017-story.html
  8. 161 . 5 . Torrey . Volta . New Japanese Cars Follow U.S., English Styling . Popular Science . November 1952 . 136–137 .
  9. Chinas Automobilindustrie in der Globalisierung . China's automobile industry in globalisation . Universität Bremen . Bremen, Germany . Berichte des Arbeitsbereichs Chinaforschung . April 2001 . 15 . Chunli . Lee . de . 2014-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303202858/http://www.iwim.uni-bremen.de/publikationen/pdf/c015.pdf . 2016-03-03 . dead .
  10. Web site: Establishing a Mass Production System . https://web.archive.org/web/20090718001724/http://www.njkk.com/about/industry7.htm . dead . 2009-07-18 . About JAMA: Japan's Auto Industry . Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association .
  11. Road Test: Datsun 100A . Ikeda . Eizo . Sonobe . Hiroshi . Motor Magazine International . June 1974.
  12. Web site: Trends in the Semiconductor Industry: 1970s . Semiconductor History Museum of Japan . 27 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190627082830/http://www.shmj.or.jp/english/trends/trd70s.html . 27 June 2019 . dead .
  13. The New York Times . Europeans Press Japan On Autos . 1989-12-29 . D1 . Greenhouse . Steven .
  14. The New York Times . Japan Confirms It Will Continue U.S. Quota of 2.3 Million Cars . 34 . Susan . Chira . 1988-01-30 .
  15. News: G.M. Says Toyota Has Lead in Global Sales Race . The New York Times . Nick . Bunkley . 2008-04-24 . 2010-04-26.
  16. Web site: Voluntary Export Restraints on Automobiles . 2008-11-18 . Benjamin . Daniel K. . September 1999 . PERC Reports: Volume 17, No. 3 . Property & Environment Research Center . In May 1981, with the American auto industry mired in recession, Japanese car makers agreed to limit exports of passenger cars to the United States. This "voluntary export restraint" (VER) program, initially supported by the Reagan administration, allowed only 1.68 million Japanese cars into the U.S. each year. The cap was raised to 1.85 million cars in 1984, and to 2.30 million in 1985, before the program was terminated in 1994 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090216132355/http://www.perc.org/articles/article416.php . 2009-02-16 . dead.
  17. Web site: JAMA Active matrix database system . Jamaserv.jama.or.jp . 2013-04-02.
  18. Web site: Japan - Automotive Production volume, 2022 . 15 May 2023 . Marklines.
  19. Web site: あの時売れていた車は?人気乗用車販売台数ランキング. 2021-04-24. www.sonysonpo.co.jp. ja.
  20. Web site: 2004年車名別ランキング…連続でトヨタ カローラ . 2021-04-24 . Response Automotive Media . ja.
  21. Web site: 2005年車名別ランキング、カローラ 3年連続でトップ . 2021-04-24 . Response Automotive Media . ja.
  22. Web site: 2006年乗用車販売台数ランキング…カローラ 4年連続トップ、トップ10の7車種がトヨタ . 2021-04-24 . Response Automotive Media . ja.
  23. Web site: 【懐かしすぎる】10年前の2007年に売れていた車とは?販売台数トップ10!. 2021-04-24. カーナリズム.
  24. Web site: 株式会社インプレス. 2010-01-08. 2009年の車名別販売ランキング、「プリウス」「ワゴンR」が圧勝. 2021-04-24. Car Watch. ja.
  25. Web site: 2011-01-17. 2010 Japan: Best-Selling Car Models. 2019-08-10. Car Sales Statistics. en-US.
  26. Web site: 2012-01-11. 2011 Full Year Best-Selling Car Models in Japan. 2019-08-10. Car Sales Statistics. en-US.
  27. Web site: 2013-01-10. 2012 (Full Year) Japan: Best-Selling Car Models. 2019-08-10. Car Sales Statistics. en-US.
  28. Web site: 2014-01-09. 2013 (Full Year) Japan: Best-Selling Car Models. 2019-08-10. Car Sales Statistics. en-US.
  29. Web site: 2015-01-08. 2014 (Full Year) Japan: Best-Selling Car Models. 2019-08-10. Car Sales Statistics. en-US.
  30. Web site: 2016-01-08. 2015 (Full Year) Japan: 30 Best-Selling Car Models. 2019-08-10. Car Sales Statistics. en-US.
  31. Web site: 2017-01-11. 2016 (Full Year) Japan: 30 Best-Selling Car Models. 2019-08-17. Car Sales Statistics. en-US.
  32. Web site: 2018-01-11. 2017 (Full Year) Japan: Best-Selling Car Models and Mini Cars. 2019-08-17. Car Sales Statistics. en-US.
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