Toyota Megafactory 50 Years of Building Cars in Australia
Apr 5, 2013 By Toyota Australia.
The National Geographic Channel is screening an informative new Megafactories episode this month to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Toyota car manufacturing in Australia.
The program provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the innovation, technology and passion that drives more than 2,500 Australians to produce in excess of 100,000 Toyota cars and four-cylinder petrol and hybrid engines a year for the domestic and export markets.
The latest Megafactories episode - the first of its type produced in Australia - traces the car-building process from the initial stamping of panels, using 40,000 tonnes of steel a year, through to final assembly where each car undergoes 237 processes involving close to 13,000 parts and 1.7km of wiring.
It includes striking vision of cars being welded by 280 robots that act like a synchronised mechanical army, the casting of engines using 600kg of aluminium every 30 minutes, and an array of other local design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities.
Toyota Australia executive director, manufacturing and purchasing Chris Harrod said the documentary explains how more than three million Toyota cars have been built successfully in Australia, including one million which have been exported.
'Australia was the first country in the western world where Toyota made an investment in manufacturing - a move that played a crucial role in Toyota becoming the world's number one carmaker,' he said.
'Building cars in Australia exposed the Japanese company to a vastly different culture and enabled it to learn many lessons that underpinned global success as it moved into the United States and Europe.
'Today, Toyota is the leading automotive company in the world and we have been the top-selling car company in Australia for the past decade.
'In addition, we are the only vehicle manufacturer in Australia building a hybrid car and late last year we opened a new engine plant at Altona, one of only five of its kind in the world.'
Mr Harrod said Toyota was committed to building on its contribution to Australia by supporting local jobs and the economy, and providing vehicles that deliver what Australian motorists need.
He said the Megafactories program highlighted the Aussie pride of the company's employees in making world-class cars.
'It provides an inside view of the Toyota world most people will never see first-hand - the innovation and technology behind our Altona 'megafactory'.
'What's clear is the passion and the commitment of everyone involved in producing Camry, Camry Hybrid, Aurion and four-cylinder engines for local and export customers,' he said.
The first Australian-built Toyota, a Tiara, was produced in April 1963. Today, the local company operates seven plants on a 75-hectare site at Altona in Victoria that produce Camry, Camry Hybrid and Aurion sedans as well as four-cylinder petrol and hybrid engines.
The Toyota Australia Megafactories documentary was produced by WTFN, a Melbourne-based company which has built a worldwide reputation for its creative and compelling content.
The program premieres at 7.30pm April 8 on Foxtel's National Geographic Channel and will also be screened on April 9 (twice), 12, 14 and 15.
HISTORICAL FACT SHEET
In 1963, local production of Toyota cars was the responsibility of Australian Motor Industries (AMI, later AMI-Toyota) at its Port Melbourne plant.
Before gaining Toyota approval for local assembly of the Tiara, AMI built Mercedes 220SE and 190D models as well as other vehicles including the Triumph Herald, Standard Vanguard and Rambler cars.
In the 1970s, AMI-Toyota began investing in an engine and stamping plant to consolidate its position as a high local content vehicle manufacturer - the first Toyota engine plant built outside Japan. It was officially opened by Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser in 1979.
AMI-Toyota merged with commercial-vehicle distributor Thiess Toyota in 1989 to form Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Ltd (TMCA).
In 1994-95, Toyota consolidated local vehicle production at its Altona plant in Melbourne.
Exports, which today account for about 75 per cent of local production, began in 1986 to New Zealand, followed by the Middle East in 1996.
New-generation versions of Toyota's locally built cars have been launched in the past 18 months.
Seventh-generation Camry went on sale in late 2011 while second-generation Camry Hybrid and Aurion models were launched last year.
A $330 million redevelopment of the Altona engine plant has recently come on stream with production of four-cylinder petrol engines for the Camry and Camry Hybrid, as well as for export to other Toyota affiliates.
Production dates for cars built by Toyota in Australia are: Tiara (1963-65), Corona (1965-87), Crown (1966-80), Corolla (1968-99), Camry (1987-present), Apollo (1989-96), Nova (1989-96), Avalon (2000-05), Aurion (2006-present) and Camry Hybrid (2010-present).
Built in Australia - a new Megafactories episode screening this month coincides with the 50th anniversary of Toyota car manufacturing in Australia.
The Tiara was the first Toyota built in Australia 50 years ago in 1963.