A Quick History of Toyota in the U.S. Market

Car makers are rushing to add numerous cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles with hybrid engines (ones that rely on both batteries and gasoline for horsepower) to their vehicle lineups. To that end, Toyota has been in the forefront of the hybrid field, having introduced the Prius in 2000, not long after Honda rolled out its Insight. While the Prius continues to be a popular sub-compact choice for many buyers, it's conceivable that in the not-too-distant future SUVs, like the Highlander, could dominate this automotive segment, given the American driver's penchant for large vehicles.

Unlike the automobile, the SUV does not have a long history on the road.

Toyota, too, does not have a long automotive lineage like some car makers, having brought its first vehicle to the U.S. in 1957. At the time, America's highways were dominated by road battleships and cruisers such as V-8 powered Oldsmobiles, Lincoln Continentals and Chevrolet sedans. Into that mix arrived this odd-looking "bug" from Germany, built by Volkswagen. Soon after, Toyota rolled out its Toyopet Crown. Many in Detroit at the time apparently scoffed at this new "toy" from Japan, long known for plastic playthings and transistor radios rather than terrific transportation.

But it did not take Toyota long to conquer the market and silence its critics, especially when the company rolled out its first Lexus in 1989 to accolades from industry-watchers and reviewers.

Fast-forward nearly 40 years: In 1995, Toyota introduced the Rav4 --- a Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-wheel-drive. Then, the crossover SUV market was an infant. Along with the Honda CR-V, the Rav4 helped launch the nascent crossover utility market that dominates the industry today. Crossovers, in all sizes, have recently begun to steal sales from minivans, sedans, station wagons and sports cars. So much so, that some manufacturers have begun to contemplate abandoning some segments.