Attention Turned to the Automotive Business

Kiichiro Toyoda Tours the Spinning Industry in the United States and Europe

After joining Toyoda Boshoku, Kiichiro started his career as a textile machine engineer, In 1921, he visited the US and Europe and was taken by the development of automobiles that bad already become a popular means of transportation among the general populace. In 1922, he underwent training at Platt Brothers & Co. in the UK for more than 2 weeks and had the opportunity to observe not only textile machinery but also factory facilities and plant management with his own eyes. Based on this experience, he contributed to the successful entry in the spinning machinery market by Toyoda Automatic Loom Works.

The Great Kanto Earthquake

In September 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake hit the Kanto area, destroying Tokyo, which had been experiencing rapid modernization. The primary means of transportation, rail, was destroyed, and automobiles served as the means of rehabilitation. Imported trucks carried goods and materials in place of trains, and the Entaro bus (Model T Ford chassis urgently imported and modified for use as a bus) made a significant contribution. The usefulness of automobiles was reaffirmed.

Entry into the Japanese Market by Ford and GM

Attracted by the growing prevalence of automobiles in the Japanese market, Ford and General Motors built knockdown plants in japan in 1925 and 1927 respectively, and Japanese production of American automobiles began. Meanwhile, the Great Kanto Earthquake marked the earnest beginning of movement toward the production of true Japanese automobiles, as illustrated by the launch of Otomo-go (by Hakuyosha) in 1924 and establishment of DAT Jidosha Seizo Co., Ltd. However, being unable to compete with American vehicles, their production scale remained small.

Second Study Tour of the United States and Europe, and Patent Transfer Agreement Signed

In 1929. Kiichiro Toyoda traveled to the U.K. after receiving a request from Platt Brothers & Co, Led. for a patent transfer for the Type-G Automatic Loom. He took advantage of the opportunity to also visit the United States and then Europe to study the actual situation within the automotive industries of the United States and Europe. His research into the automotive business began after this second study trip.