Toyotas

Toyotas, in common usage, can refer to either people bearing the Japanese surname Toyoda (also romanized as Toyota) or to the automobiles produced by the Toyota Motor Corporation. The surname Toyoda (豊田) means "fertile rice paddy." The company name Toyota is derived from the family name and is used as the brand for its vehicles; it is widely recognized as one of the world's leading automotive manufacturers.

The historical Toyoda family includes Sakichi Toyoda (1867–1930), an inventor and founder of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, and his son Kiichiro Toyoda (1894–1952), who established the automotive division that became Toyota Motor Corporation in 1937. The company is headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and operates globally with manufacturing plants and sales networks across continents.

Toyota Motor Corporation produces a broad range of passenger cars, trucks, and hybrids under the Toyota brand, and also markets the luxury marque Lexus. It is known for the Toyota Production System, a set of manufacturing principles emphasizing lean production and just-in-time inventory. The company has pioneered hybrid propulsion with vehicles such as the Prius and has expanded into hydrogen fuel cell and all-electric platforms.

In recent decades, Toyotas and the Toyota brand have faced recalls and regulatory scrutiny related to safety and quality, as well as ongoing challenges such as market competition and supply chain disruptions. Overall, the term "Toyota" is widely associated with reliability, efficiency, and significant influence on global automotive manufacturing.