Auto Industry Timeline
Japanese Auto Industry:
The Economy:
A doubling of the growth rate from 2 to 4 percent from 1915 to the 1920s2
Decling from 1920s to 1930s due to the great depression2.
Preperations for WW2 brought Japan out of depression in the late 1930s2.
Post WW2 Japan suffered from many different shortages of material and inflation of more than 100% characterized the years 1946-482.
1949 reccesion resulted from the strict laws of the General Headquarters of Allied Powers proposed to fight postwar inflation2.
Orders from America during the 1950 Korean War brought Japan out of depression2
Between 1963 and 1970 output doubled2.
Afterwords growth rate fell to around 4% until the 1990s2.
General Histoy:
Locomobile Company of America Agency: 1901 first car dealership in Japan
The Big Three American companies discontinued production in 1939 and withdrew from Japan.
1937 Five-Year Outline Plan for Strategic Industries of the Ministry of War targets a 270% increase in production by 1941.
In 1938, a General Mobilization Act brought about increased government control of Japan's industries
1938 "the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued guidelines restricting manufacturing to trucks only; production of passenger cars was canceled, with some exceptions." JAMA
1941 petroleum exportation was banned from America. This was followed by bans on household and industry bans on its use as well a refitting of automobiles for other fuel sources.
1950 The Korean War breaks out and the Japanese auto industries is called upon to support America.
"With the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty in September 1951, Japan was recognized internationally as an independent and sovereign nation." JAMA This put control of roads and transportation in the Japanese government's hands.
Japan Industrial Standards (JIS) regulations established in 1951
1954 A five year plan for road constuction was put forth and badly needed construction started.
Laws and Standards:
1918 Military Vehicle Subsidy Law: Amongst establising other things it required private owners to turn over their automotive vehicles upon demand of the government1.
1931 "Ministry of Commerce and Industry Standard Model Automobiles"
Automobile Manufacturing Industries Act (1936)
"In October 1949, GHQ lifted its restrictions on passenger car production, and in November all controls on sales were abolished" JAMA
1949 Regulations passed to encourage the exportation of cars
1950 automobile tax establised
1951 Road Vehicles Act: Requires new vehicle types be approved by the Ministry of Transportation.
1952 The Industry Rationalization Promotion Law: Reduced taxes for chosen industries and made special, low-interest government loans available to them.
Honda:
Nissan:
1911: Masujiro Hashimoto founds the Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works in Tokyo.
1914: Hashimoto introduces his first car, the DAT.
1918: The Datson model is first produced.
1932: The Datson brand is changed to Datsun.
1933: The manufacturing and sale of Datsun cars is taken over by the Jidosha Seizo Company, Ltd.
1934: Jidosha Seizo changes its name to Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Early 1940s:During World War II, the company makes military trucks and engines for airplanes and torpedo boats.
1951: Nissan becomes a publicly traded company.
1952: Nissan enters into a license agreement with U.K.-based Austin Motor Company Ltd.
1958: Export of cars to the U.S. market begins.
1966: The company merges with Prince Motor Company Ltd.
1981: The company begins changing its name from Datsun to Nissan in the U.S. market.
1989: The Infiniti line of luxury automobiles is introduced.
1992: The company posts the first pretax loss in its history as a public company; Nissan introduces the Altima small luxury sedan and the Quest minivan, the latter a joint development with Ford Motor Company.
1994: Nissan posts a loss of nearly US$2 billion.
1999: Nissan and Renault S.A. enter into a global alliance, with Renault taking a 37 percent stake in Nissan. A massive restructuring begins.
<<Toyota:>>
1918: Sakichi Toyoda establishes Toyota Spinning & Weaving Co., Ltd.
1933: Automobile Department is created within Toyoda Automatic Loom Works.
1935: First Model A1 passenger car prototype is completed.
1937: Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. is formed.
1950: Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd. is established.
1956: Toyota creates the Toyopet dealer network.
1957: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. is formed.
1962: Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. begins operations.
1982: Toyota Motor Company and Toyota Motor Sales merge to form Toyota Motor Corporation.
1995: Hiroshi Okuda becomes company president.
1997: The Prius, Toyota's first 'eco-car,' is launched.
1998: Toyota acquires majority share in Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.
Works Cited: 1. James, Wanda "Driving from Japan: Japanese Cars in America" Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc, 2005. OCLC: [53388346] 2. Alexander, Arthur J. "Japan's Economy in the 20th Century" The Japan Economic Institute of America. August 2005. <http://www.jei.org/AJAclass/JEcon20thC.pdf>
