Can anyone explain this to me? The lid for my power steering fluid says TOYODA.



Wierd.

 

Wait, I found it. Just searched Toyoda on Google and found that it's a machinery company. Woops I saw TOYODA on my TOYOTA and got confused.

 

I think Toyota was Toyoda before when they used to make sewing machines or something. Can't remember why the name changed, but I thought it was a lot farther back than the 80s.

 

http://www.tcmit.org/english/hist/sean3.html

 

Somewhere I have a book about the origins of the Japanese car companies. The story goes something like this: Toyoda was the name of the company originally - it was originally the family name just as (until just recently) Honda had Soichiro Honda as it's head. Somewhere back around the time the Japanese began importing to the US (late 50s' early 60's or so) the folks at Toyoda had a numerologist tell them that their name wasn't right with the Cosmic All and to change it to Toyota would ensure their success. They changed it, but only for the car company (and it's later subsidiaries.) The components like the steering gear and engine accessories and stuff are all still made by Toyoda Equipment under the remaining vestige of the old company name.

 

Okay, they changed the name in the 30s.... I just remember the Numerologist part of the story, I always though it was ...interesting...

 

Toyota Trivia - anyone recall the name of the first Toyota model imported to the US? (Hint: it was not an SUV...)

 

Wow, never knew all that. Thanks for the very informative replies.