Toyota Australia Altona Plant Explained
The Toyota Australia Altona Plant was a Toyota Australia manufacturing facility in the Melbourne suburb of Altona North.
History
The Toyota Australia Altona Plant opened in 1978, as Toyota's first engine plant outside of Japan.[1] [2] Panel production began in 1983, before full vehicle production commenced in July 1994 with manufacture of the Corolla transferred from Port Melbourne followed in January 1995 by the Camry.[3] [4] The expanded plant was opened by Prime Minister Paul Keating.[5]
Altona also manufactured the badge engineered Holden Apollo and Holden Novas. It exported cars to Brunei, Kuwait, New Zealand, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.[6] [7]
In August 2012, Altona competed its one millionth vehicle for export.[7] In February 2014 Toyota announced the plant would close after it decided it would cease production in Australia.[8] [9] This occurred in October 2017.[10] [11]
The site was redeveloped with the former manufacturing building converted into a redevelopment facility which included vehicle design and testing studios, training rooms, a mock sales dealership, auditorium and 400 person bistro.[12] [13] [14] In 2024 Toyota began assembling and distributing stationary hydrogen fuel cell power generators at Altona.[15]
Notes and References
- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110822475 Toyota, AMI plans for expansion
- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110727759 Toyota to build new plant
- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/261339000 Toyota expands
- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118136600 Corollas rolling at Altona
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-11/toyota-timeline/5251444 Toyota timeline: Carmaker's closure to end long history in Australia
- https://web.archive.org/web/20240323080654/https://global.toyota/en/detail/7886130 Toyota Opens New Plant in Altona
- https://www.drive.com.au/news/toyota-australia-exports-one-millionth-car-to-middle-east/ Toyota Australia exports one-millionth car to Middle East
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-10/toyota-to-pull-out-of-australia-sources/5250114 Toyota to close: Thousands of jobs to go as carmaker closes Australian plants by 2017
- https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/toyota-considers-its-altona-base-20140212-ixtcx Toyota considers its Altona base
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-03/toyota-car-production-ends-altona-after-50-years-manufacturing/9007624 Toyota workers out of jobs as car manufacturer closes Altona plant
- http://web.archive.org/web/20240323091529/https://global.toyota/en/detail/18918277 Toyota Ends Production in Australia After 54 Years
- https://www.jll.com.au/en/client-stories/repurposing-toyotas-altona-factory-into-a-centre-of-excellence Repurposing Toyota’s Altona factory into a Centre of Excellence
- https://www.torquetoyota.com.au/2021/12/13/toyota-opens-state-of-the-art-product-centre-at-altona/ Toyota opens State-of-the-Art Product Centre at Altona
- http://web.archive.org/web/20230311050235/https://www.adcoconstruct.com.au/case-study/toyota-powertrain/ Toyota Powertrain
- https://pressroom.toyota.com.au/PressRelease?pr-code=21d3d64f-6178-42a9-92e6-09bc5045b963 Toyota to assemble and distribute stationary hydrogen fuel cell power generators GEH2 in Australia
