Establishment of an Automotive Production Division
Preparations to Build Prototype Vehicles
There was strong opposition to entry into the automotive business from both inside and outside the company. Explaining that he had already set tentative goals for the technical side, that the financial health of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works was in good order, and that the government was in the process of implementing measures to help foster the automotive industry, Kiichiro Toyoda was able to persuade president Risaburo Toyoda. Finally on September 1, 1933, the Automotive Production Division was established. Studying the merits of foreign-manufactured cars, Kiichiro Toyoda set about developing a car that suited the actual conditions in Japan.
Disassembly and Investigation of a GM-manufactured Chevrolet Passenger Car
Believing that his engineers had to start studying by getting their hands on an actual mass-produced car, Kiichiro Toyoda began by taking apart and studying a 1933 model Chevrolet. They got a real passenger car, took it apart, sketched the parts and investigated materials to learn the fundamentals of automobiles.
Recruitment of Experience from Outside the Company
Kiichiro Toyoda believed that what was essential for full-scale manufacture of automobiles was the wealth of experience and success he could only get from experienced people outside the company. Among his recruits were Takatoshi Kan, who had worked on engine design for the Atsuta vehicle, Shiguma Ikenaga, who had been involved in design of the Otomo vehicle, Syogo Ito, who had experience with three-wheeled vehicles, and Shuji Ono, who was familiar with the automotive parts manufacturing industry from his previous employment at Hakuyosha Company.